Colt 1903 Pocket "Hammerless" .32 acp

I don't think a restoration would be cost effective. If you pay $350 for the gun and $400 for the restoration, you arrive at a price that would buy you a pretty nice unrestored gun. I respect Turnbull and their work, but I have never seen one of their restorations that I would have taken for original; good restorations, but restorations, not originals.

Jim
 
Jim,

OK, what should it cost to get it crowned?
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Even if it was $20 (which it would not be), it sounds like you're going to pay $350+ for a $300 gun so why is crowning even an option? Its not a valuable Colt. I don't know how else to explain it - NOT worth looking into, bad idea, look elsewhere, keep shopping, many are available, poor investment, won't get your money back, etc. No hablan?
 
Sigh....

Quote:
Jim,

OK, what should it cost to get it crowned?
Even if it was $20 (which it would not be), it sounds like you're going to pay $350+ for a $300 gun so why is crowning even an option? Its not a valuable Colt. I don't know how else to explain it - NOT worth looking into, bad idea, look elsewhere, keep shopping, many are available, poor investment, won't get your money back, etc. No hablan?
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Yes, you've made your point again. And again.

You may not have noticed, however, that you've failed to answer the question (again.) Whatever my reasons for wanting this pistol, it certainly wouldn't seem necessary to justify it to a stranger, n'est ce pas?

I get it that you think I'm stupid. I'll keep my opinions to myself.
 
I get it that you think I'm stupid. I'll keep my opinions to myself.
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Please don't try to infer anything unsaid from my words. I can't see you knowing me well enough (through a message board) to where its a worthwhile endeavor for you to attempt.

Whatever my reasons for wanting this pistol, it certainly wouldn't seem necessary to justify it to a stranger, n'est ce pas?
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You should be thanking us. We all were trying to help you. After reading your first post, I got the feeling you didn't know much about these and magically you later discuss a Turnbull restoration and this Colt as a CCW, of which neither is a great idea. You're not wrong to want a Colt 1903, theres just better options out there for a 1903. If you want to pound a square peg into a round hole and go against the grain (paying a high cost initially then paying to have repairs done) then go ahead. I'm not sure why you started this thread when you're not interested in the meaningful advice of the knowledgeable.

If it makes you happy, then do what you intend to do.

I don't know if you ever go on Gunbroker but see whats there and take what you were rationalizing spending, $350 to $450 (after paying for the gun and to have it recrowned) and there should be a host of other 1903s in that price range. Your dedication to this gun would make more sense to me if it were a family heirloom but its all your choice as I said.
 
a fool and his money are soon parted, i know as i have been parted out of my money lots of times over guns. eastbank.
 
As I have said before more than once, thanks to all here for their knowledgeable replies - at least up until the point that projections about my intentions surfaced.

Nonetheless, I'll try one more time:

Does anyone know how much it would likely cost me to get the muzzle crowned?

In humble gratitude, I remain

Yours,

Series70
 
I understand what you feel about the old gun, sometimes it is about taking something that others have cast aside, and making it live again. Taking a grand little workhorse of a gun, and giving it new life. Instead of simply using 'em up, and casting them aside when their too old and worn, maybe by giving them a second chance, we maintain our ties to all the old shooters who have gone before us.
Well, that's my philosophy anyways:cool:
 
How bad is the damage?

Gyvel,

That's a good question, as I'm unqualified to judge. It would appear that the gun was either dropped on its muzzle onto a hard surface or struck with something metallic, resulting in horizontal nicks across its face. At least one such intersects the junction of the crown, and whether this actually creates a raised area in the barrel's path is not clear.

When I asked a local gunsmith about cost he was unwilling to estimate without the gun in his hands. Since I haven't a lot of experience in the cost of re-crowning alone, my question is simply whether it would be more in the neighborhood of tens of dollars or hundreds.

Thanks for your interest.
 
Please don't hold your gunsmith to this, but I would say $25-30 for a normal crowning, no complications. A new barrel will cost over $100.

Jim
 
Jim K,

Thank you, Sir. Excellent information which I can use.

This has been wonderfully educational, and my gratitude to all concerned. I'll let you all know when I make a buy, whether it's this gun or another. As I'm sure you've all experienced, the fees demanded for FFL transfers vary widely - in my area quoted from $65 (well over 100 miles away) to $150(!), and that plus shipping would of course be part of the nut for a Gunbrokers- or other- sourced firearm bought other than locally.

Research continues.
 
Please don't hold your gunsmith to this, but I would say $25-30 for a normal crowning, no complications. A new barrel will cost over $100.
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I would tend to agree with this estimate. If your barrel is the old barrel bushing style, it's a simple matter of chucking it up in a lathe and carefully polishing (or cutting) away the nicks. If the nicks are not that bad, it will be pretty much a simple chamfer job.

If you have the later muzzle end integral barrel lug it is a little more difficult to chuck up in the lathe, so it might tend to be a little bit more.

At any rate, crowning is not going to be in the "hundreds of dollars' category unless your local gunsmith is "on drugs.":D
 
RickB said:
I have both .32 and .380 versions, and have shot neither very much. The .32 keyholes, but is still accurate, even out to 15-20 yards. I got a replacement screw for the safety from Sam Lisker (coltautos.com), maybe twenty years ago, but you might try Gun Parts/Numrich. I carry the .380 occasionally, and do so hammer down on an empty chamber. I'm a lefty, so couldn't easily get to the thumb safety anyway. I've owned the guns for over twenty years, and my dad owned them prior to that, and as far as I know, neither had been fired in my lifetime. I've been cleaning them annually since a kid, so knew they were in good overall condition. Loading up with factory hardball, each gun got through 30-40 rounds without a hitch. Mags are hard to find. Factory mags are expensive - $50-$100 - and aftermarket mags tend to not work very well.
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That shouldnt keyhole unless you have crown damage OR the bore is running a bit large. If the crown is ok, slug the barrel and check the size. I shoot (I believe but have to check) 66 grain cast bullets and they shoot quite well. Mine is a .32
 
In my neck of the cornfield, a well worn 1903 goes for about $800. Since every company is making 1911's, any chance someone will start making 1903's in .32 acp again? I found one at a gun show for $300, with "As is" marked on the tag. The dealer could not explain what was wrong with it, so I put it down and walked away.
 
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