Colt Model 1903 .32 price check
- Thread starter Buzzcook
- Start date
I have no idea why, but that is my dream gun. There is something magical about it. Great capacity? No. Great caliber? No. Durable like a Glock or a Sig? No. Lots of aftermarket support? Nope. Heck, I've never even shot one.
But I want one. Very much so. It's beautiful. I've seen them, held them in gun stores....kind of a "love at first sight" deal. It has those classic lines of early 20th century american industry and art. Such a neat piece.
Sorry...that wasn't very helpful to your question...but hopefully it affirms your decision to get one!
But I want one. Very much so. It's beautiful. I've seen them, held them in gun stores....kind of a "love at first sight" deal. It has those classic lines of early 20th century american industry and art. Such a neat piece.
Sorry...that wasn't very helpful to your question...but hopefully it affirms your decision to get one!
The usual, common sense:
With the slide locked back by the manual safety, do the following:
(1) Check bore condition, especially for bulges;
(2) Using a pen, pencil, punch, etc,. push the firing pin forward and make sure it protrudes from the breech face;
(3) Look inside the rear portion of the slide (behind the breech block) and check the serial number. This is the only other numbered piece besides the frame.
Next, make sure the gun stays cocked and the manual and grip safeties are functioning properly.
Give the gun a cursory examination to ensure there are no cracks on the frame, although this is highly unlikely.
Assuming the other side is in comparable condition to what your photo shows, approximate value (IMHO) should be somewhere in the $400-$450 range, although it can vary regionally. Regardless, the gun hasn't been made for nearly 60 years and is unlikely to ever be made again so, even if you overpay, the market will eventually catch up.
With the slide locked back by the manual safety, do the following:
(1) Check bore condition, especially for bulges;
(2) Using a pen, pencil, punch, etc,. push the firing pin forward and make sure it protrudes from the breech face;
(3) Look inside the rear portion of the slide (behind the breech block) and check the serial number. This is the only other numbered piece besides the frame.
Next, make sure the gun stays cocked and the manual and grip safeties are functioning properly.
Give the gun a cursory examination to ensure there are no cracks on the frame, although this is highly unlikely.
Assuming the other side is in comparable condition to what your photo shows, approximate value (IMHO) should be somewhere in the $400-$450 range, although it can vary regionally. Regardless, the gun hasn't been made for nearly 60 years and is unlikely to ever be made again so, even if you overpay, the market will eventually catch up.
Jim Watson
New member
This one made about 1919.
I have one of these. As for durability, these pistols are built like a tank. I have shot endless thousands of hand loads through mine without any problems.
To put it simply, they are a lot of fun to shoot. Recoil is negligible and they are surprisingly accurate at ordinary combat ranges. Most important is that Humphrey Bogart always carried one.
The most vulnerable part is the magazine. Make sure that it feeds before you buy it. Original magazines are just about impossible to find. None of the replacement magazines that I have tried will work.
If the gun is okay I would buy it. The 1903 is now a collectable and is bound to increase in value.
To put it simply, they are a lot of fun to shoot. Recoil is negligible and they are surprisingly accurate at ordinary combat ranges. Most important is that Humphrey Bogart always carried one.
The most vulnerable part is the magazine. Make sure that it feeds before you buy it. Original magazines are just about impossible to find. None of the replacement magazines that I have tried will work.
If the gun is okay I would buy it. The 1903 is now a collectable and is bound to increase in value.
Yes, closely inspect the magazine, if you intend to shoot the gun. Original mags are rare ($), and aftermarket mags usually don't work very well.
I agree that they are quite accurate. I have both a .32 and a .380, and you can get good hits out to 25 yards, if you can see the sights!
I agree that they are quite accurate. I have both a .32 and a .380, and you can get good hits out to 25 yards, if you can see the sights!
Thanks for the replies.
Prices on gun broker are all over the place.
Hopefully most of the gun buyers in the area will still be in a turkey induced torpor so that I can get it at a good price. Given the buyers premium of 12% I'm going to stop bidding at $400.
That is if it passes a hands on inspection.
Prices on gun broker are all over the place.
Hopefully most of the gun buyers in the area will still be in a turkey induced torpor so that I can get it at a good price. Given the buyers premium of 12% I'm going to stop bidding at $400.
That is if it passes a hands on inspection.
Original mags pop up on eBay pretty regularly. Just bide your time and a bargain will appear. Meanwhile, there is a company that I have dealt with that sells what I consider to be high quality replacements. I don't know who makes their mags, but every one that I have bought from them has been extremely well made, very smooth in operation and has functioned perfectly.
Here's the link: http://www.ammoclip.com
P.S. Avoid Triple K at all costs.
Here's the link: http://www.ammoclip.com
P.S. Avoid Triple K at all costs.
There is one other check that should be made concerning Model M pistols, particularly older ones or ones (like that in the photo) that show some evidence of corrosion.
The Model M used a two piece firing pin (because a one piece pin would be too long to feed into the firing pin tunnel). A fairly strong firing pin spring is inserted in front of the "front" firing pin. I have seen more than one Model M where this firing pin spring had become fossilized. As a result, if one dry fired the pistol (the only way to store it with the hammer down), the front firing pin becomes stuck in the firing pin hole in the breach face -- and effectively you have converted the pistol to an "open bolt" mechanism that will AD the next time someone drops the slide over a charged magazine.
The test: dry fire the pistol, then lock it open and examine to see if the firing pin is protruding through the firing pin hole in the breach face.
The fix: At least as of a couple of years ago, replacement firing pins and firing pin springs could be found from the usual sources. In any event, a replacement spring (which is usually all the needs to be replaced) can be fashioned from a spring designed for something else. Replacement requires driving out the firing pin retaining pin (after field stripping); the pin drives out from left to right. (Be sure to use a cupped drift pin, so as not to mar the slide.) Tap the back of the slide on a bench block and the two parts of the pin and the spring should come out.
Examine the front pin for burrs, and polish if needed but do not remove any metal. Cleaning the firing pin tunnel is a bit fiddly, as you can't just run a straight implement into the tunnel, but I have done this with a .22 patch and a bent paper clip. After cleaning, the tunnel should be left dry.
Insert the new spring, front firing pin, and rear firing pin. With a little finesse, you can push the rear firing pin far enough forward to get the firing pin retaining pin started (inserts from right to left). Start the convex end of this pin from the right so that it will show on the left.
Now re-do the dry fire test. After dry firing, no part of the firing pin should be visible through the breech face.
The Model M used a two piece firing pin (because a one piece pin would be too long to feed into the firing pin tunnel). A fairly strong firing pin spring is inserted in front of the "front" firing pin. I have seen more than one Model M where this firing pin spring had become fossilized. As a result, if one dry fired the pistol (the only way to store it with the hammer down), the front firing pin becomes stuck in the firing pin hole in the breach face -- and effectively you have converted the pistol to an "open bolt" mechanism that will AD the next time someone drops the slide over a charged magazine.
The test: dry fire the pistol, then lock it open and examine to see if the firing pin is protruding through the firing pin hole in the breach face.
The fix: At least as of a couple of years ago, replacement firing pins and firing pin springs could be found from the usual sources. In any event, a replacement spring (which is usually all the needs to be replaced) can be fashioned from a spring designed for something else. Replacement requires driving out the firing pin retaining pin (after field stripping); the pin drives out from left to right. (Be sure to use a cupped drift pin, so as not to mar the slide.) Tap the back of the slide on a bench block and the two parts of the pin and the spring should come out.
Examine the front pin for burrs, and polish if needed but do not remove any metal. Cleaning the firing pin tunnel is a bit fiddly, as you can't just run a straight implement into the tunnel, but I have done this with a .22 patch and a bent paper clip. After cleaning, the tunnel should be left dry.
Insert the new spring, front firing pin, and rear firing pin. With a little finesse, you can push the rear firing pin far enough forward to get the firing pin retaining pin started (inserts from right to left). Start the convex end of this pin from the right so that it will show on the left.
Now re-do the dry fire test. After dry firing, no part of the firing pin should be visible through the breech face.
Got it for 380 so +12% and then 10% tax and whatever ffl charges there are it'll be closer to $500 than 400.
Still under the median gunbroker price.
It functioned fine and I didn't see anything wrong with the mag or firing pin.
Probably won't shoot it for about a month but I don't expect any problems.
Thanks again for the help.
Still under the median gunbroker price.
It functioned fine and I didn't see anything wrong with the mag or firing pin.
Probably won't shoot it for about a month but I don't expect any problems.
Thanks again for the help.