 | This articlerelies largely or entirely on asingle source. Relevant discussion may be found on thetalk page. Please helpimprove this article byintroducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(February 2017) |
| Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket pistol | |
|---|---|
 Two variants of the Colt Auto Pocket pistols, Calibre .25, Hammerless. | |
| Type | Semi-automatic pistol |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | John Browning |
| Manufacturer | Colt's Manufacturing Company |
| Produced | 1908–1948 |
| No. built | 420,705[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 368.5 g (13 oz) |
| Length | 114.3 mm (4.5 in) |
| Barrel length | 51 mm (2 in) |
| Cartridge | .25 ACP |
| Action | semi-automatic, single action |
| Feed system | 6-round detachablemagazine |
| Sights | fixedIron sights |
TheModel 1908 Vest Pocket is a compact,hammerless,striker-fired,semi-automaticsingle-actionpistol.Manufactured by theColt's Manufacturing Company from 1908 to 1948, it wasmarketed as a smallconcealablefirearm which could be easily tucked into a vest pocket for unobtrusive carry. Designed byJohn Moses Browning, the Model 1908 followed Browning’s earlier European version, introduced byFabrique Nationale de Herstal as theFN Model 1906. Both pistols were chambered for the Browning-invented.25 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol)cartridge.[2]
Known as the Model "N" internally within Colt, the 1908 Vest Pocket is a diminutive 4.5 inches long and has a 2-inch barrel. Weighing a mere 13 ounces, it is fed by a six-roundsingle columnmagazine.[3] The pistol’sfixed open iron sights were rather small and rudimentary, but typical for small hideout automatics of its era and adequate for the short range at which it was intended to be used. Colt'sadvertising andmarketing literature of the time highly touted the advanced safety features of the Model 1908, including a standard slide-lockingsafety catch, as well as agrip safety. In 1916 Coltengineer George Tansley invented a third safety feature for the pistol, themagazine safety disconnector, which prevented accidental firing with the magazine removed. This additional safety device was added to production in 1916 or 1917 in the latter 139,000 serial number range, andpatented by Colt in 1917. Proud of thestate-of-the-art technology represented by this advance, Colt included a greenbrochure marking its inclusion with every Model 1908 sold for a year after its introduction. Additionally, in approximately the 280,000 serial number range, the left sideslide inscription was altered to include the patent date for the disconnector, also known as the “Tansley Device”.[2]
The "Vest Pocket" was mainly produced with the famous highly polished lustrous ColtCarbona Blue finish, also known asCharcoal bluing. The Vest Pocket featurescolor-casehardening of the safety catch, grip safety, and trigger. A second popular option was polishednickel plate, and various specialty and customer order finishes were also available, including gold and silver plating, as well as ornateengraving. Standardgrip materials available included black hard rubber in both square and round top configurations and finely checkedwalnut. All factory grips sported amedallion emblazoned with the famous "rampant Colt" which was available in two differing styles. More elaborate grip options were also offered, such as Ivory (both plain andcarved), as well asmother of pearl.[2]
In 34 years of production, a total of approximately 409,061 Model 1908 pistols were manufactured, paused from 1943 to 1945 due to the demands ofWorld War II production.[2] Some additional pistols were assembled post-war from parts on-hand numbered 420,001 through 420,705. An improved redesign became theBaby Browning, which is still in production. The Colt Model 1908 saw limited service with American and British OSS and SOE units duringWorld War II, due to its nature as a small, highly concealable weapon. Due to this association, unscrupulous dealers have been known to stamp 1908s with “US Property” or the flaming ordnance bomb or some variation thereof. No known 1908 Vest Pocket was ever marked as such, due to the covert nature of the SOE and OSS in fear of capture.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)