Gun Review: The Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless

By David LaPell

The Colt 1903 pistol. (Photo: David LaPell)
No one today gives any thought to the number of small pistols because so many options are available, but at one time the variety was not so plentiful. But it was one pistol in particular that got the ball rolling for the pocket gun craze, and it’s been rolling on ever since, the Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless.
If you wanted to buy a handgun at the turn of the century that was small and concealable, you options were pretty limited. Most of the choices were revolvers, the venerable 1911 was not even a blue print, and semi automatic pistols were in their infancy. John Browning, however, had designed a new semi-auto pistol around the fairly new .32 ACP cartridge.
The new gun was dubbed the Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless, or behind closed doors at the plant, the Hammerless Model M. Although the name was misleading, the gun did have a hammer, but it was concealed inside the slide. This gave the 1903 Colt the ability to be carried in a pocket without worrying about it getting snagged. Offered in blue or a nickel finish, the first Colt 1903’s came with hard rubber grips and

Source: Guns.com