US Army General Officer Colt 1908 .380 ACP Semi-Auto Pistol, MFD 1944 C&R

LSB#: 201001DW09

Make: Colt

Model: 1908 Type IV Pocket Hammerless

Serial Number: 136827

Year of Manufacture: Colt’s website indicates production in 1943 (https://colt.com/serial-lookup), the included Colt Historian letter indicates shipment November 3, 1944.

Caliber: .380 A.C.P.

Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto Pistol with Removable Magazine

Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD, CT. U.S.A. / PATENTED APR.20, 1897. DEC.22, 1903”, and at the rear with a Rampant Colt logo. The bottom of the slide is marked “136827”. The left side of the frame is marked “136827” and at the rear with an Ordnance wheel. The right side of the slide is marked “COLT AUTOMATIC / CALIBRE .380 HAMMERLESS”. The left of the trigger guard is marked with a “VP” in a triangle and “4”. The right of the trigger guard is marked “&” and “35”.

Barrel Length: 3 3/4”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a short blade fixed to the top of the slide with a serrated, ramped rear face. The rear sight is a square notch dovetailed into the rear of the slide.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are checkered walnut with silver-colored Rampant Colt medallions at the tops of the grips. The grips show light wear with a few areas showing compressed checkers. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. The grips are in about Fine condition.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is bright with sharp rifling and no erosion.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 93% of its metal finish. The finish is lightly thinning at all edges. There are several scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches. There are some spots of minor surface oxidation, most clustered along the top edge of the right slide flat in front of the ejection port. There is faint operational wear. The screw head is sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in about Very Good-Fine condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly and the slide is tight to the frame. It has a grip safety, a manual safety and a magazine disconnect. The safety is designed to be used to lock the slide back, however the slide tends to fall out of lock if the lever is not positively held in place. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with one blued seven round magazine. The floorplate is marked “CAL. 380 / COLT”. The magazine shows scattered minor wear, infrequent minor surface oxidation, intact feed lips and a strong spring, in about Very Good-Fine condition. A Colt Historian letter is included which states that this pistol was shipped November 3, 1944 to Springfield Armory for a Commanding Officer.

Our Assessment: The Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless is a semi-automatic pistol designed by John Browning, and was the 2nd of the Colt concealed hammer models, following the Model 1903. Despite the title ‘Hammerless’, the M1903 and M1908 pistols do have a hammer, which is covered and hidden from view under the rear of the slide. This allowed the weapon to be carried in and withdrawn from a pocket quickly and smoothly without snagging. These pistols were popular civilian firearms for much of their life, and also served as United States General Officer pistols from the 1940s until their replacement by the M15 General Officers pistol in the 1970s. We were not able to determine which General Officer this pistol was issued to, but the included Colt Historian letter indicates that it was shipped to Springfield for issue as a GO pistol. It is in about Very Good-Fine overall condition with 93% of its original blue finish remaining. The bore is bright with sharp rifling. This model is highly collected and should be of interest to the Colt connoisseur or the US Military arms collector. Please see our photos and good luck!

CA Legal or CA Private Party Transferable (THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO OUT-OF-STATE RESIDENTS): This C&R Pistol CAN be sold as a dealer sale in California and CAN be transferred as a Private Party Transfer (PPT) as our Simi Valley location. All C&R firearms must be transferred through your local dealer OR at our Simi Valley location; we cannot ship directly to a C&R holder in California. Out of state residents can disregard this section – your local laws apply.