In House Shipping:
Make: Colt
Model: Type IV 1903 Pocket Hammerless
Serial Number: 559870
Year of Manufacture: 1942 (https://www.colt.com/serial-lookup), according to the included Colt letter the pistol shipped September 8, 1944.
Caliber: .32 ACP (7.65mm)
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto Pistol with Removable Magazine
Barrel Length: 3 3/4”
Sights/Optics: The front sight is a short rounded blade fixed to the top of the slide. The rear sight is a rounded-top square notch dovetailed into the rear of the slide.
Stock Configuration and Condition: The grips are checkered walnut with silver-colored rampant colt medallions. The grips have light handling wear with some light nicks, scuffs and scratches. The checkering is generally well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall the grips are in Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is infrequent minor erosion and some stubborn fouling in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 8 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 75% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is handling wear in the grip areas with some minor surface erosion in the frontstrap. There is some other scattered more minor wear. There are scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches. There is infrequent minor oxidation and a patch of minor erosion on the bottom-right of the slide in front of the dust cover. The action shows operational wear. The screw head is sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Good-plus condition (see Mechanics).
Mechanics: The safety does not have a strong detent in either position. It slides out of "fire" quite easily. When used to lock the slide open, positive pressure must be maintained on the lever or the slide will fall. Otherwise, the action functions correctly. This pistol has a grip safety, a manual safety and a magazine disconnect. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork, and Accessories: This pistol comes with a single 8-round magazine marked "CAL.32 / COLT" on the floorplate and a photocopy of a Colt Archives letter. The letter copy confirms that this pistol shipped September 8, 1944 to the Office of Strategic Services in the Fowler Building in Rosslyn, Virginia as one of 320 pistols of the same type in the shipment.
Our Assessment: The Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless is a semi-automatic pistol designed by John Browning, and was the 1st of the Colt concealed hammer models, followed by the M1908 in .380 ACP. Despite the title ‘Hammerless’, the M1903 and M1908 pistols do have a hammer, which is covered and hidden from view under the rear of the slide. This allowed the weapon to be carried in and withdrawn from a pocket quickly and smoothly without snagging. These pistols were popular civilian firearms for much of their life, used by both sides of the law as well as for lawful recreation.
This example is a little more interesting, having been shipped to the Office of Strategic Services in September of 1944. Building on previous organizations and efforts, the OSS was officially established in June, 1942 to collect and analyze intelligence and conduct special operations which fell outside the roles of existing agencies. Headed by "Wild Bill" Donovan, the OSS conducted operations from China and Burma in the Far East to the Balkans in the West. Intelligence was collected in neutral nations such as Spain, Switzerland and Sweden. Their agents conducted sabotage missions and organized anti-Axis resistance groups behind enemy lines. They contributed to preparations for the Operation Torch landings in North Africa as well as Italian landings at Salerno and Anzio. After the war ended, the OSS would be dissolved, its successors being the Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the Central Intelligence Agency. This OSS-purchased Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless will make a great addition to even advanced collections. Please see our photos and good luck!