TexasCHLforum.com

Yes..after much soul-searching, solemn contemplation, and review of my finances(read all that as: digging through my wallet), I have finally taken the plunge and gotten my first handgun. I told myself when I started looking that I would find something inexpensive, practical, and that I would not be afraid to abuse, such as a CZ-75 or GP-100. Well, well all know how well most plans turn out, don't we? The gun I ended up with is impractical for anything but deep concealment, fires expensive and weak ammo, and is a collector's item so I will worry about damaging it. Strangely though, I feel like a dog who's been released in a butcher shop , bouncing around with glee. What is it? It is a 1908 Colt vest pocket pistol. Someone had it up for grabs on this forum and I just couldn't resist. I'm sure we all know how that is
Here it is

another pic

Have I mentioned this is a tiny gun?

It is a single-action, striker-fired automatic chambered in .25acp. It has both a manual safety and a grip safety(Kinda like another colt gun we all know) According to http://www.coltautos.com, this tiny gun was the first to use the .25acp cartridge. It was produced from 1908 to 1948. Only one gun was made in the 1948 run. According to the serial number on this gun, it was made in 1921.
When I got the gun home(The round trip for me was 378 miles , if SC1903A3 hadn't met me partway I would probably still be driving), I took the gun completely apart and cleaned/inspected it.

It was in amazingly good shape internally, and appeared to have been fired very little if at all. The feed ramp was still blued, and I even found marks on the slide rails that appeared to be from the original milling. It was fairly easy to field strip, although reassembly was a little tricky.
All in all, it's a great little gun and I'm very happy with it. It's truly a piece of history. A range report will follow when I get the opportunity!

The gun's new home(every gun deserves a safe of it's own!) Yes, it is a real safe , and yes, the gun does fit in it.


Now I get to edit my signature!

I'm glad you're happy, but you shouldn't be touching that irreplaceable antique with your bare hands.

- Jim

ARGH, I've been looking for one for about a year now. If you don't mind me asking how much did it go for?

Well, as you say it may not be very practical, but its a nice addition to a collection. Or in your case, nice way to start a collection. Congrats! Now just don't wait too long to back it up with a real shooter, wouldn't want something to happen to a historic piece.

Pretty.

Didn't Col. Jeff Cooper say something to the effect that the problem with the .25acp is that you might get tempted to load it, and if you load it you might get tempted to use it to shoot someone, and if you shoot someone and they find out, they'll be irritated!



I always did like that line!

Congrats on the new pistol.

Any old colt is GOOD imho. I'll swap you even for my Beretta 418 25acp, it's a whole lot newer than that Colt (made in 1948). I won't even charge you for the factory original cracked plastic grips.

Anyway, you bought a keeper. I think you can get new springs for it here: http://www.e-gunparts.com/

I hope you bolt that safe somewhere so that you aren't packing a treasure up for a thief.
I also hope that you're able to locate it once you bolt it somewhere.

another site for "hard to find parts"

http://www.gun-parts.com/index.html/

Bob had springs for an old Beretta 950 22 short I rebuilt last year

Very cool!!!

Dan

Venus Pax wrote: I also hope that you're able to locate it once you bolt it somewhere.

ROTFL! Too true.

Half the time I can't find the safe already, any thief would have to go through a mountain of junk just to find it.
Besides, half the point of safes is that they are too heavy to run off with. This one has to weight AT LEAST 2lbs.

That's a really decent old Colt!

T3hK1w1 wrote:Half the time I can't find the safe already, any thief would have to go through a mountain of junk just to find it.
Besides, half the point of safes is that they are too heavy to run off with. This one has to weight AT LEAST 2lbs.

You just made my day with that "safe" pic...