I have been in the market for a 1903 Colt .32 pistol. I prefer the first version with the 4 inch barrel and barrel brushing. There’s one at the Local store that’s been refinished but which has an excellent bore and has a pretty good price. When I was inspecting the bore, however, I noticed that the barrel didn’t come all the way out to the end of the slide. It stopped almost a 1/4" before the end of the barrel bushing. It made me wonder if it was actually a barrel from the later version (Type 2 or 3) with the 3.75 inch barrel. However, it doesn’t seem like the later barrels would work or even fit in the first type with the 4 inch barrel.
Can someone with more experience with these pistols tell me: does a type one normally have a barrel stop a little before the end of the slide? Is it possible that someone could have put a 3.75 inch barrel in a type one? And if so, would it function correctly?
Can someone with more experience with these pistols tell me: does a type one normally have a barrel stop a little before the end of the slide? Is it possible that someone could have put a 3.75 inch barrel in a type one? And if so, would it function correctly?