Colt Automatic Pistol Info

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Woody89

Inactive
Hey guys,
I recently just inherited this old Colt 32acp that has a serial number of 85XX. Can y’all get me any other info?
This gun is pretty sweet and straight shooting, just curious if there is any significance to it.
I’ve read these may/may not have been WW2 gun.
This one does not have the US Property printed on it, but does have a low serial number.
Any info would be great!
Thanks.
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Last edited:
Woody89 said:
Hey guys,
I recently just inherited this old Colt 32acp that has a serial number of 8559.
Click to expand...

Welcome aboard, New Guy.

For future reference, you might want to replace the last couple of s/n digits with XXX when posting in a public forum ;-)
 
My Dad has one like that, except it is chambered in 380 ACP and is nickle plated. He bought his used in 1953.

It is a very accurate and reliable pistol. It is designated for night stand now.
 
If that's the original finish it is in pretty good condition for a 4 digit. It also looks like it still has the screwed in safety which is good because often got replaced over the years. The early ones also had a 4" barrel as opposed 3.75" barrel. It'll also have a barrel bushing which is different from the later models and means a slightly different taken down procedure. Cosmetic wise the early ones also had plunge milled slide serrations and it should say "Browning's Patent" on the slide instead of just "Patented". Those are the variations that I can think of off the top of my head, and there might be a couple more.
 
Slotted screw on the starboard side rear consistent with first issue. Nice piece. Great military and gangster history with the 1903/1908's.

.02. David. :)
 
Post additional photos for a more detailed “guesstimate” of it’s value and history, from what I can see and if original finish a price of over$1000 would not be uncommon.
 
Nice acquisition. I love those Colt 1903s. Yours has the bushing and appears to be a type one early model. My guess on the value would be $850, but I am no expert on these. I do own two type 3s that have a barrel lug w/o a bushing. One was made in 1912, the other in 1921. They are a joy to shoot and are very accurate for me. I even hand reload the 32acp for a hobby and to keep ammo costs down. Basic field stripping a 1903 is simple, but be warned that detailed stripping can be very challenging.
 
There are many minor variations, among the barrel length, presence or absence of removeable barrel bushing, grips, etc., as noted above.

Mine is a little later, and it has the slightly shorter, 3.75" barrel, but still with the separate bushing.

They are usually very accurate, if you are able to see the sights!
 
Mine is a later model and is a great shooter. My daughter enjoyed it when she was young because it was a "real" caliber (not a 22), but had almost no recoil.

If it had larger sights I could shoot it better, but it is a fun pistol and I take it to the range fairly often.
 
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