Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless
Colt's Manufacturing Company · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1903
Also known as: Colt M1903, Colt Pocket Hammerless, Colt .32 Pocket
Overview
The Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless is a slim, blowback-operated, single-action semi-automatic pistol designed by John Moses Browning and produced by Colt from 1903 to 1945. Despite its name, it does have a hammer - fully shrouded by the slide so the gun could be drawn and pocketed without snagging. Chambered in .32 ACP with an eight-round magazine, it became one of the most popular concealed-carry pistols of the early 20th century and was issued to US general officers as a badge-of-rank sidearm.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 680 g (24.0 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 765 g (27.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 171 mm (6.73") |
| Barrel Length | 95 mm (3.74") |
| Height | 140 mm (5.51") |
| Width | 30 mm (1.18") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 8 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 270 m/s (886 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 175 J (129 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 75 m (82 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Left Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 406 mm (15.98") |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .32 ACP · primary — also known as .32 Auto, 7.65x17mm Browning, 7.65mm Browning
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Grip Safety, Concealed Hammer
- Features: Concealed Hammer, Fixed Sights, Drift Adjustable Rear Sight, Low Profile Slide
Variants
- Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless (.380 ACP) — Rechambered 380
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · adopted 1903 · as M1903 (general officers' sidearm)
- United States Air Force
- Belgian Armed Forces
- Free French Forces
- United Kingdom (lend-lease & SOE)
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 570,000 · Production years: 1903-1945
Roughly 570,000 Model 1903 .32 ACP pistols produced across five types; an additional ~138,000 .380 ACP Model 1908 variants were produced on the same frame.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: John Moses Browning
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
Five major production types (I-V) were made over the gun's 42-year run. A scaled-up .380 ACP version was introduced in 1908 as the Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless.
Background
The Pocket Hammerless was the personal sidearm of choice for both bootleggers and the lawmen who chased them - Bonnie Parker reportedly carried one taped to her thigh, while it was also issued by the OSS to operatives parachuting into occupied Europe and remained the official badge-of-rank pistol for US general officers from 1942 until replaced by the Beretta M9 program.