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Make: Colt
Model: 1908, Type III Pocket Hammerless
Serial Number: 76208
Year of Manufacture: 1925 (https://colt.com/serial-lookup)
Caliber: .380 ACP
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 round-top “U” notch dovetailed into the rear of the slide.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered walnut panels with silver-colored Colt medallions. The grips have minor handling wear with a few scattered small marks and a small patch of compressed checkers at the top-front edge of the medallion on the right panel. The checkering is otherwise well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Fine Condition.
Type of Finish: Nickel
Finish Originality: Original. The slide is serial-matched to the frame.
Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright and the rifling is sharp. There is infrequent minor erosion and some stubborn fouling in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 7 or 8 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 98% of its metal finish. There are some scattered tiny nicks, scratches, and minor scuffs, most not through the finish. There is a cluster of small marks on the right slide flat at the rear. The action shows minor operational wear. The screw head is sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Fine Plus condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this handgun. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with one vintage original Colt matching factory nickel 7-round magazine stamped “CAL. 380 / COLT” on the bottom floorplate.
Our Assessment: The Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless semi-automatic pistol was designed by legendary firearms inventor John Moses Browning, and was the second of the Colt concealed hammer models, following the M-1903. Despite the “hammerless” title, the M-1903 and M-1908 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 This allowed the weapon to be carried in and withdrawn from a pocket quickly and smoothly without snagging. A favorite among detectives, everyday civilians, policemen, and gangsters alike, including the infamous Al Capone, a total of 138,010 Colt Model 1908s were produced before manufacture ceased in 1945. The M-1908 most notably served as the US Army’s General Officer pistol from the 1940s until being replaced by the M15 in the 1970s.
This Colt M-1908 Type III Pocket Hammerless Semi-Auto Pistol was made in 1925 and is in Fine Plus Condition. It features a 3.75” barrel, 98% of its original, gleaming factory nickel finish, gorgeous two-piece checkered walnut grips with silver-colored Colt medallions, an original Colt matching factory nickel 7-round mag, strong mechanics, and a semi-bright bore with sharp rifling (there’s infrequent minor erosion and some stubborn fouling). This is a stunning Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless in Factory Nickel.