Looking for Colt 1903 Mag in .38 ACP

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

  • No ad networks!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • Doctor_M

    Certified Mad Scientist
    MDS Supporter
    I guess this is a long shot, but I'm looking for an original or a good quality aftermarket magazine for a Colt 1903 chambered in .38 ACP. I'm so fed up with the Triple K pieces of crap. I bought one for a Colt 1900 that was supposed to fit the 1903... of course it doesn't latch. Had another Triple K that I took out shooting yesterday for the first time in a Beretta 1951... first 8 rounds saw the follower bent up like a piece of aluminum foil and jam the gun. I'm done with Triple K.

    Anyway, there are a lot of available 1903 mags in .32 or .380, but none that I can find in .38 ACP. Check that, I did find one for sale at something like $380. I'll pass on that one.

    If anyone has one they can bear to part with at a fair price or if you have a lead on a source for one, I'd appreciate it. My 1903 is one of my favorite C&R handguns, but I don't shoot it as much as I'd like since I'm babying my only remaining magazine.
     
    Last edited:

    TheOriginalMexicanBob

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 2, 2017
    32,168
    Sun City West, AZ
    I have a 1903 Pocket Hammer but only the one magazine so I can't let it go. The best advice I can give is to become a member of the Colt Forum and place a "Want to Buy" ad in the classified section there.
     
    Jul 1, 2012
    5,711
    Pretty sure I have one, but may be cosmetically challenged - I'll dig around.
    I do have a spare 1902 8 shot for sure that has some dings in the feed lips, it's sitting here on the workbench.
    The 1902 Military magazine will work in the 1900, Sporting and PH, just sticks out a little at the bottom (see pic).

    I've used the TripleK mags (& and 8 shot) quite a lot in both 1902 Mil and 1903 PH, but I had to modify them by cutting that groove in the back all the way through and poking out the top side to form the little bump that the originals had. Once I did that they worked great. Before that, the mag fell out on the first shot, which isn't very desirable to say the least.

    The first variation of 1900 magazine was also flat at the back (top mag in the pic), but they soon found the bump was necessary :)


    Anyway, I'll dig out the parts box and see what I've got.
     

    Attachments

    • 1.jpg
      1.jpg
      52.1 KB · Views: 324
    • G3.JPG
      G3.JPG
      77 KB · Views: 279
    Jul 1, 2012
    5,711
    One other thing, these tend to crack at the back where the feed lip joins at the top of the spine so examine originals carefully.
    This is a cracked 1905 but they fail in the same place on the 1900/1902.
     

    Attachments

    • 1905 cracks.JPG
      1905 cracks.JPG
      41.2 KB · Views: 291

    mawkie

    C&R Whisperer
    Sep 28, 2007
    4,337
    Catonsville
    Not surprised to see where they fail. Good tip considering how rare and expensive they are! Doctor M's problem with aftermarket mags mirrors my experience with P08 mags. Never could get one to work and ended up using WW2 vintage mags in my WWI era Lugers.
     
    Jul 1, 2012
    5,711
    I guess I'm just lucky. I''ve got a handful of Triple K 1900/1902 mags that worked fine once the retention slots were modified.
    But I don't shoot these very much so maybe just the law of averages working in my favor for a change :)
     

    rsideout

    Senior Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 11, 2009
    6,707
    MD - Capital Region
    Wanted to give a shout out to somd_mustangs for giving me a lead on a mag at auction. Just closed on it. Appreciate the heads up buddy! Fingers crossed that it works. Looks like it did have a hairline around the feed lips, but took a chance on it.

    +100. J, is a great resource for ALL things early Colt....and much more! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
     

    Doctor_M

    Certified Mad Scientist
    MDS Supporter
    I think we have success! New mag fits VERY snugly (as in I had to lever it out with a screwdriver) but I went over the problem spots with some Ballistol and 000 steel wool very lightly and now it extracts ok. Cycled a couple of dummy rounds and it seems to feed fine. Maybe if it dries out tomorrow I'll take it out and put some live ammo down range... but so far, all signs point to yes. Thanks again for the assistance, gents.
     

    Doctor_M

    Certified Mad Scientist
    MDS Supporter
    Original mag fit fine and slid free... think it might have just been a little surface corrosion binding it up. The surface cleaning seems to have helped it. Might still back the screws out a quarter of a turn... I probably did tighten them more then the were before. You rock.
     
    Jul 1, 2012
    5,711

    Attachments

    • 1902 mil.jpg
      1902 mil.jpg
      43.5 KB · Views: 182

    rsideout

    Senior Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 11, 2009
    6,707
    MD - Capital Region
    Those original grips are fragile so don't tighten 'em up too much :)

    If shooting it a fair amount I'd invest in one of the repro grip sets.
    Even though they aren't "correct" I like the "grips4u" smooth wood grips, like the Model 1900
    http://grips4u.net/category/pistol-grips/colt/colt-1900-1902-1903-pocket-hammer/
    they also have the grip screws
    http://grips4u.net/product/screws-for-colt-1900-1902-pocket-hammer/

    Do you actually shoot one of your Colt 1900s? I remember how much you reprimanded me after I shot my 1905 .45ACP! So I don't even think about taking the 1900, or for that matter the 1902's, out to the range. :eek:
     
    Jul 1, 2012
    5,711
    As long as the gun is in decent shape and .38 ACP spec ammo is used it should be ok.

    The 1905 had issues right out of the gate for cracking the slide and that's with the lower-power ammo of the period.
    Apparently just scaling up the 1902 Mil wasn't a robust idea.
    Since you never know what kind of abuse it may have suffered before, and a decent one is fairly rare, it's not worth the risk.

    The 1900 you have is in really nice shape and it has the Colt upgrade to the brass straight firing pin, which is readily available should it fail.
    IMHO it's too nice to shoot condition-wise but should be ok strength-wise.

    As background about 2500 Model 1900's (of the 4200 or so total) were made with the Sight Safety system before Colt switched over to a more conventional rear sight and firing pin.
    Many of those 2500 were sent back to Colt to be upgraded to the redesigned system ("sight safety altered") and the original pins were tossed.
    I did shoot one of the 1900 Sight Safety (see post #4) after I had a friend make up some repro firing pins, since an original FP is literally non-existent.
    The original Sight Safety iron pins are prone to breaking off the tip and cracking at the hammer end, and sure enough mine were messed up.
    We used my gun as a test mule to make sure the new firing pin was working properly and was the correct length.
    It was an interesting exercise to make them, involving a number of machining steps.

    I haven't shot it since though.
    I have a no-finish, parts-monster 1902 Military for shooting if I get the urge.
    They are actually pretty accurate despite the teeny sights and front-heavy appearance...

    Comparison of a Sight Safety to Altered (foreground)... these happen to be a consecutive number pair...
    blew my mind when the other one (the altered) popped up out of the blue on GB.
     

    Attachments

    • DSC_1851.jpg
      DSC_1851.jpg
      48.5 KB · Views: 123

    Users who are viewing this thread

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    274,919
    Messages
    7,258,899
    Members
    33,349
    Latest member
    christian04

    Latest threads

    Top Bottom