What's it worth?

Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless, .380, dates to 1929, 90% condition or better, excellent original grips, no box, etc ...... just the gun with one factory issue magazine.

It's not a .380, it's a .38 ACP, a lower powered round than the .38 Super. Hard to say but in the $600 to $700 dollar range is normal with no special markings but .38 ACP is more rare, most 1903's were .32 ACP. Sounds like a very nice gun.

Correction, I was referring to the 1903 Pocket Hammer, two sorta different guns. The Hammer is slightly larger than the Hammerless and was in .38 ACP, the Hammerless was in .32 ACP and later in .380. All different rounds but prices are about the same.

I think the .380ACP was a later model called the 1908. In that condition it should bring a pretty good price, if it has not been altered in any way.

Fjestad says $450 in 90% condition, but the price can vary considerably depending on the enthusiasm of the buyer.

I don't think it was offered in the .38 ACP because that was a somewhat larger cartridge and was the precursor to the .38 Super. I think it would be a little too long for the 1908......but as they say, never say never.

Well I'm guessing I need a closer look at it ..... especially on the caliber. Thanks for your input guys.

Here's what the Colt Serial Number Lookup site says .....

1929 ~ 1908 HAMMERLESS .380

So, clearly I was wrong in typing "1903" above.

I need more schooling on these! :lol:

i've always thought that they were really cool old pistols! According to Wiki, and we all know that they're never wrong :wink: , the .380 ACP is the exact same as the .380 Auto used in guns like the LCP.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.380_ACP

Cholo, Wiki gets stuff wrong or incomplete a lot like you note.
The .38 ACP or .38 Automatic is a Browning round that's the same size as the later .38 Super but loaded to a lower pressure rating. Velocity was similar to that of a 9mm.
The 380 is known by a lot of names but is a smaller cartridge, 380 ACP, 9mm Kurz, 9mm Browning Court, 380 Automatic or 380 Auto, there's probably more.

Didn't make it back to the gun store this afternoon. Boy am I ever confused about those 380 calibers ..... or are they 38 but ACP or was it Automatic but not Special? :lol:

Will this gun be roll marked 1903 or 1908?
Will the caliber be roll marked ACP or Automatic or something else?

I know it's not 32.

You guys think that Colt Serial Number lookup site is accurate?

The gun is a 1903 design, the 380 version is catalogued as 1908 but the model would be 1903. Like all 1911's are 1911's. Some 1911' are called 1913 or 1917 later versions didn't get dates assigned. The 1903 Colt Hammer was a .38 ACP only gun as far as I know.

This is why the Army wanted their service pistol in .45, so Browning would stop designing guns and rounds for them in .38. That's a joke.

...and they weren't even .38", also a joke.

...and I won't go down the rabbit hole about all the Browning Colt or FN designs. There were so many 19...something or others that it's mind boggling.

hittman said:

Didn't make it back to the gun store this afternoon. Boy am I ever confused about those 380 calibers ..... or are they 38 but ACP or was it Automatic but not Special? :lol:

Will this gun be roll marked 1903 or 1908?
Will the caliber be roll marked ACP or Automatic or something else?

I know it's not 32.

You guys think that Colt Serial Number lookup site is accurate?

Click to expand...

The .380 Auto fires a bullet that has a nominal diameter of .355" as are the 9MM Parabellum/luger/9x19. Most of the barrels that I have checked for groove diameter have been .356", which seems to make little difference in a personal defense weapon where gilt-edged accuracy is not the main concern.

The .38 Special and the .357 Mg. shoot bullets that have a nominal diameter of .357" and most of the barrels I have checked, are also of that dimension.

As you can see, there is little difference between the two and neither are .38 caliber. The reason that they are called .38s is because older cartridges, produced in days of yore, used bullets that featured outside lubricated bullets, such as the .22 LR still is, and in that configuration were .38 caliber or at least close enough to pass for it. But when the ammo companies went to inside lubricated bullets, they used the Same case size and that made the bullet diameter significantly smaller. Then later on the gun manufacturers started producing barrels that matched the newer bullet diameters and calling then .38s, when in fact, they were really 35s or perhaps, 36s.

Add to that the confusion caused by referring to calibers based on their BORE DIAMETER rather than the actual groove/bullet diameter, and it just gets "confusinger" and "confusinger".....don't feel bad about being a little confused, so are a lot of other folks. 8)

Seems like we have a few rocket scientists on this forum.

loaded round said:

Seems like we have a few rocket scientists on this forum.

Click to expand...

I thought Hittman was a brain surgeon????

BTW, Hittman did you pick up that pistol?

Mike, it is considered a 1908 to differentiate it from the 1903. There are very little outward differences. Condition is everything, from $350 up to $1000+ for certain versions, (especially if it would be a parkerized General Officer issue from WWII). A nice one 90% should bring in the $650 to $800 range. You need to look at this one.

Cheesewhiz said:

I thought Hittman was a brain surgeon? BTW, Hittman did you pick up that pistol?

Click to expand...

Pffft......you're a funny man Cheesy! Just a former farm boy trying to make a buck in the big city. :lol:

No .... life got in the way and I didn't make it back to look closer. He's closed until Tuesday so I'll try again.

And H. Richard .... thanks for your info too!