Colt 1903

[Stephanie B]

Tam has a good article about them (https://eb-misfit.blogspot.com/recoilweb.com/classic-carry-colt-model-1903-pocket-hammerless-181974.html).

[Half Moon]

Tam has a good article about them (https://eb-misfit.blogspot.com/recoilweb.com/classic-carry-colt-model-1903-pocket-hammerless-181974.html).

For whatever reason that link comes up to a page with everything except the article. This one seems to work:

https://www.recoilweb.com/classic-carry-colt-model-1903-pocket-hammerless-181974.html

[Elwin]

Alchemy Custom Weaponry also had a recent video on them, and the controversial (in my opinion, actually funny) "Zoomer sales guy" Eli had one of the super rare Novak's 1903s with an extended thumb safety, dovetailed Novak's sights, checkering, and other custom 1911 features. That has to be one of my favorites of the many pistols that I have to accept I'll never own. Probably a good thing, too, because if I did own one I wouldn't be able to resist carrying it despite the drop safety issues.

[314159]

I wonder if the drop safety issues could be corrected somehow? Titanium firing pin and strong recoil spring to start with. Re-engineer safety engagement?

[HCM]

Alchemy Custom Weaponry also had a recent video on them, and the controversial (in my opinion, actually funny) "Zoomer sales guy" Eli had one of the super rare Novak's 1903s with an extended thumb safety, dovetailed Novak's sights, checkering, and other custom 1911 features. That has to be one of my favorites of the many pistols that I have to accept I'll never own. Probably a good thing, too, because if I did own one I wouldn't be able to resist carrying it despite the drop safety issues.

Someone on PF (Fatdog) mentioned that some 1903s are drop safe and some aren't ? Some sort of inline change ?

[Jim Watson]

Colt management was aware of slam fires and drop fires, but it took them a while as the guns accumulated some wear.
Around 1921 they added a half cock notch to trap the hammer if it bounced out of full cock. I doubt it is a complete cure, but it was what they could do without redesigning the whole action. And it was a long time before Mr Swartz came up with the firing pin block that went on Government Models for a while before WWII.

[Evil_Ed]

1903s (32acp) post-400,000 (1922) I think was the broadly accepted cutoff, was when Colt added a "safety notch" like the 1911's half-cock notch, to the hammer...it doesn't really make it "drop safe", but more like "less likey to go off". Even with that, I'd treat a 1903 much like I'd treat a pre-80 series 1911; the firing pin is still steel, the spring in them is marginal at best (especially these days, and they're a bitch to swap out in 1903s), and inertia still demands to be appeased.

Edit to add - unlike a 1911's thumb safety which has a nice snickey detent, a 1903's thumb safety just slides up and down with nothing capturing it in either location...it's entirely possible for the safety to bounce off, too.

[BillSWPA]

I wonder if the drop safety issues could be corrected somehow? Titanium firing pin and strong recoil spring to start with. Re-engineer safety engagement?

Hazarding a guess:

If I were trying to make something like this drop safe, the titanium firing pin and extra power spring would be a good place to start. I would also want to increase the surface area of the sear engagement with a correspondingly longer trigger pull. This would likely require fabricating a couple of new parts. Another post mentioned a lack of a safety decent, and that would seem to be something that could be remedied.

That is about as much as I could think of while keeping design and engineering changes reasonably do-able by someone sufficiently interested and with sufficient machining equipment and skill.

[Joe in PNG]

I once got flak for noting that the Shield EZ is basically the same gun.

I do like mine (top is the 1903, bottom the 1908):

111241

[Evil_Ed]

I once got flak for noting that the Shield EZ is basically the same gun.

I do like mine (top is the 1903, bottom the 1908):

111241

The EZ is almost the same gun - it's bigger in every dimension but it's close.

The Equalizer, on the other hand, is almost %100 dimensionally identical - it's just a little bit wider.

That's one of the reasons I've been (not) holding my breath for a 30 Super Carry Equalizer...it'd be the perfect 120 year update to the Colt 1903 in 32acp. Alas, I doubt S&W will ever make my dream come true...

[Lon]

1903 RDS for the win. Vinny @monsoon_tactical doing the Lord’s work. JMB would be proud. 🤣

111247

[Elwin]

1903 RDS for the win. Vinny @monsoon_tactical doing the Lord’s work. JMB would be proud. 🤣

I was literally about to come back here and add “I also shouldn’t be allowed to own one of those Novak’s guns because I’d have someone put a dot on it.”

Put a real thumb safety on one of these with a dot, get me a quality AIWB holster, and I will 100% carry it.

[YVK]

I wonder if it was a pre- or post-upgrade gun that killed Steve Malloy

Longtime S.W.A.T. Magazine Contributing Staff Member Steve Malloy was killed in a tragic shooting accident at his home on April 16.

As best as can be determined, Steve had a 1903 Colt pistol in his waistband and when he bent over to tie his shoes, the pistol fell onto the floor and discharged—the bullet struck Steve in the chest. He was found in the garage, apparently trying to leave the home to summon aid.

Hi wife Rhonda, daughter Stacey and son Ross survive him. Second Amendment proponents have lost a valuable ally. The firearms industry has lost an excellent writer. We have lost a friend. Rest in peace, Brother.

-Denny Hansen
-S.W.A.T. Magazine

[BillSWPA]

I wonder if it was a pre- or post-upgrade gun that killed Steve Malloy

Longtime S.W.A.T. Magazine Contributing Staff Member Steve Malloy was killed in a tragic shooting accident at his home on April 16.

As best as can be determined, Steve had a 1903 Colt pistol in his waistband and when he bent over to tie his shoes, the pistol fell onto the floor and discharged—the bullet struck Steve in the chest. He was found in the garage, apparently trying to leave the home to summon aid.

Hi wife Rhonda, daughter Stacey and son Ross survive him. Second Amendment proponents have lost a valuable ally. The firearms industry has lost an excellent writer. We have lost a friend. Rest in peace, Brother.

-Denny Hansen
-S.W.A.T. Magazine

Liked for the value of the information and not for the outcome.

Looks like at least 2 mistakes contributed to the mishap.

[ViniVidivici]

Tam has a good article about them (https://eb-misfit.blogspot.com/recoilweb.com/classic-carry-colt-model-1903-pocket-hammerless-181974.html).

Link goes to a blog. Is that your blog?

[Joe in PNG]

Link goes to a blog. Is that your blog?

It's not Steph's blog, but Tam (https://pistol-forum.com/member.php?76-Tamara) is a member here.

[Stephanie B]

Link goes to a blog. Is that your blog?

Neither confirm nor deny.

Try this:

https://www.recoilweb.com/classic-carry-colt-model-1903-pocket-hammerless-181974.html

[FrankB]

My wife and I watched Operation Chromite a few years ago, and I thought they were using Colt 1903 pistols. They were actually Tokarev TT-33 pistols, and played a big role throughout the movie.

111281


https://youtu.be/KOrUNv0fCEc?si=3KU4pOj1p44096Oj

[TDA]

I had one for quite a bit that came from the super pawn & gun in a WW2 era full flap belt holster with a magazine in the magazine pocket that was for some other gun. Sights sucked, thumb safety sucked, but you could zip a whole mag of .32 into the 10 ring of a B-8 pretty easily at close range. I think I still have some zimmer patron plastic bullet practice ammo somewhere, which was… um, sometimes we shot up the house from the inside in the 1990s? In a safe way of course. Super safe.

[Velo Dog]

https://youtu.be/aPK0vgElBzQ?si=yEslB6F15g2GQRIJ