By Ken Hackathorn Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless .32 ACP Blue Press “Combat Classic” Evaluation Drill: Score = 149 History: In 1903 Colt Firearms introduced a John Browning de- sign pocket pistol in .32 ACP (7.65 mm Browning). This sleek little auto pistol was in fact a hammer-fired gun, but the hammer was enclosed in the slide, hence no ham- mer spur was present. The real beauty of this 1903 Colt was the fact that it was extremely thin, fitted with a grip safety and manual thumb safety. At a hair under 7” long, 5.5” tall and having a 4” barrel the thickness of the pistol itself was less than an inch, and the stock panels made it slightly wider. In the early half of the 20 th
with even weak hands was not an issue. They were the choice of both good and bad guys, issued to both spies and generals in WWII. The last ones manufactured by Colt were in 1945 with just a few assembled from parts in 1946. Colt chose to not re-introduce them to the marketplace after the Second World War, which was probably a wise move as the number of .32 ACP pistols liberated as war trophies and brought home by GIs flooded the American market with small pocket-style European pistols. Today the demand for M1903 Colt is strong within the collector market. Typical M1903 Colt Pocket .32ACPs come in two varieties…those that were carried regularly as pocket pis-
tols and have heavily worn finishes, and those that are in very nice condition having spent most of their life in someone’s sock drawer. Shooting Impression: I fetched my 1924-made M1903 out of the display case along with a few spare magazines and a new box of factory .32 ACP ball ammo and headed to the range. I hadn’t shot this gun since I purchased it over 30 years ago. While in nice condition, the small “hump and bump” sights caused some concern. The trigger pull is a nice clean 5.5-pound sear release. To say that the M1903 Colt is an easy pistol to shoot well is an understatement. Even with the small, “hard to see with 79-year-old eyes” sights, they worked well enough for me to discover upon scoring the target that I had shot a 149 out of a pos- sible of 150 points. The one
Combat Classic Evaluation Type: Timed Rounds: 30 total, 150 Points Possible Target: IDPA Silhouette Range: 3, 5, 7, 10, & 15 yards Start Position: Low Ready
Century, the Colt 1903 in .32 ACP was the dominant choice of pocket pistol carry in the USA. Colt introduced a .380 ACP version in 1908, but it never was as popular as the .32 ACP version. Over 570,000 were produced between 1903 and 1945. The “03” Colt had an eight- round magazine, thus with a round in the chamber it was a nine shooter. Depending upon one’s personal choice of manual of arms, it could be carried “Condition Three” with an empty chamber and full
Procedure: Stage 1. 3 yards. On signal fire 2 rounds in 1.5 seconds strong hand point shoulder position. Stage 2. 5 yards. On signal fire 2 rounds to the body and 1 round to the head in 3.0 seconds. Stage 3. 7 yards. On signal fire 2 rounds in 2.0 seconds. REPEAT for a total of 4 rounds. Stage 4. 10 yards. On signal fire 2 rounds, reload and fire 2 more rounds. (Start with only 2 rounds in the gun.) Time is 8.0 seconds for auto pistol, 10.0 seconds for revolver. Stage 5. 10 yards. On signal fire 2 rounds with both hands, 2 rounds strong hand only and then 2 rounds weak hand only. Time is 9.0 seconds. Stage 6. 10 yards. On signal fire 1 round in 2.5 seconds. Repeat for a total of 5 rounds. Stage 7. 15 yards. On signal fire 6 rounds in 8.0 seconds.
magazine requiring cycling of the slide to put the pistol into firing condition. A sec - ond option was to carry it fully loaded…round in the chamber and manual safety engaged. And the final op - tion was fully loaded without the manual safety engaged relying instead on utilizing just the grip safety. Unfortunately, the Model 1903 Colt was not ex- tremely drop safe. If dropped on the rear of the slide as would be the case if it typically fell out of your pocket, they had a nasty habit of discharging and oftentimes striking the owner. Nonetheless, they were extremely popular, and the lawyers had yet to get into the product liability business that is the case these days. On the plus side was the fact that the 03 Colts in .32 ACP were super reliable and functioned well with even a minimum of maintenance or lubrication. As a direct blowback action utilizing the .32 ACP car- tridge, these are very easy guns to shoot well. Operation
point I dropped was on Stage 7 at 15 yards. Even though the Colt 1903 doesn’t lock the slide back on the last shot, I still managed to change magazines (via the heel release) and shove a fresh magazine in place and cycle the side for my last two rounds on Stage 4. The best way I can describe the 1903 is a “really cool” pocket pistol from the first half of the 20th Century. If I had to choose a .32 ACP for self-defense the Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless would be just fine. With updates such as high-visibility sights, an enlarged thumb safety with positive detents, and a good firing pin safety system, it could be a contender today. Considering its place in history, I give the Colt M1903 .32 ACP a “C-Plus.”
D P 9 Blue Press
WARNING: The products offered for sale in this catalog can expose you to chemicals, including Lead, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov . ^ !
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