• Colt 32 Serial Number Lookup

The Colt serial number is located as described above. Generally the two numbers are not related to each other. Colt has always used model names or letters, but not numbers, and you will usually find the model stamped on the side of the barrel.

Despite its early introduction date, the Model M was not the first of Browning's pocket pieces. The 1903 Colt is one of the world's great pocket pistols. Over 700,000 were made in.32 and.380 between 1905 and 1945. This one was built in 1920.The 1900 proved to be so highly regarded that it was retained in FN's catalog for about a dozen years, with some 700,000 being produced.Though Colt had made its reputation on revolvers, just before the turn of the 20th century, company executives realized the auto pistol was going to be important and began looking at designs and chumming up with promising inventors — including John Browning.

This particular example, though it has a World War II-vintage Suncorite finish, exhibits all of the proper British proofs and government marks for the period. It is also dated '4.21.' Thousands of.32-caliber 1903s were purchased by the U.S.

Military in World War II and used for a variety of purposes. They were generally Parkerized and had U.S. Ownership marks. This one was made in 1942.That same year, Colt brought out a serious competitor to its exposed-hammer hideout pistol, the 'Pocket Model, Hammerless.'

This superb, sleek little.32 eight-shot blowback became an instant hit.Though touted as 'hammerless,' the pistol actually employed an internal hammer in the frame, which struck a firing pin on the roof of the slide.Weighing almost 10 ounces less than the 1903 (Hammer), it was compact (5 inches overall) and had rounded edges that made it easy to tote, draw and manipulate. The 7.65mm (.32 ACP) Spanish 'Ruby,' of which thousands were built for military and civilian use by several makers during and after World War I, was based on the Colt 1903.The pistol had both a grip safety and manual safety catch/slide hold-open. The magazine employed a heel catch and sights were simple — a fixed front rounded blade and drift-adjustable notch rear. Standard finishes were either blue or nickel, and grips were of hard rubber emblazoned with a rampant colt, checkered walnut being offered later on.The barrel length was originally 4 inches, but this was altered to 3½ inches in 1908.

In fact, over its lifetime, the Pocket Hammerless experienced a number of changes, now recognized by collectors as five distinct sub-variations.Type I (up to 1908) had a separate barrel bushing and a 4-inch barrel. Type II (1908 to 1910) retained the separate barrel bushing but had a 3½-inch barrel and.380 chambering was introduced. Type III (1910-1926) introduced the integral barrel bushing. Type IV added a magazine safety. Type V were World War II-vintage pistols, the majority of which were Parkerized. The 1903 safety/slide hold-open lever was well placed and easy to flick on and off with the thumb of the right hand.

The 1903 provided an excellent platform for embellishment as witnessed by this special-order engraved example with pearl grips. Photo courtesy of James D.

Julia, Inc.Too, the Pocket Hammerless' charms were not lost on the military. As early as World War I, the British purchased several thousand from Colt, following this procurement with another batch in 1921 because of the troubles in Ireland.Thousands were also lend-leased to the UK during World War II.

Officially and unofficially, the Model M found itself in the hands of military men the world over.Japanese officers were particularly fond of the little pistol, and many were purchased through officers' clubs. As well as the 1903 Hammerless, Colt offered a Model 1903 Pocket Hammer model. Also designed by John Browning, it was based on the earlier Model 1900 auto pistol and was entirely different than the Hammerless. Caliber was.38 ACP. Photo courtesy of James D.

Julia, Inc.Rather back-handedly, the Pocket Hammerless had a somewhat larger participation in the Great War than might be expected, as Browning's design was adopted by Spanish makers as early as 1914 and incorporated into thousands of 7.65mm pistols, known generically as 'Ruby' after one of the companies' — Gabilondo y Uresti — brand name.Thinly-disguised 1903 copies were also made in China and Japan.While foreign purchases and knock-offs accounted for much military employment of the Pocket Hammerless, during World War II the U.S. Military made copious use of the handy little pistol.Some 20,000 in both.32 and.380 were issued to specialized personnel and various agencies — most notably the CIA's precursor, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) between January 1942 and December 1945.

Sights were basic: a drift-adjustable notch rear and a fixed blade front.The guns were stamped 'U.S. PROPERTY' on the right side of their frames. A Parkerized finish was common, though some were also issued blued.Other than that, the pistols were much the same as one would purchase off a dealer's shelf, standard markings and checkered walnut grips.In 1944, it was decided that the Pocket Hammerless in.380 would make an apt general officer's pistol, and it soon began to be issued. Probably the two most famous examples are the ones issued to Dwight D. Eisenhower and George S. The Model M was first chambered in.32 ACP (above left) and later in.380 ACP (above right). Both rounds were designed by John Browning.A special holster/belt rig was designed for the 'General Officer's Pistol.'

Colt 32 Serial Number Lookup

Initially, it consisted of a brown leather belt finished off with a gold-plated, round locket-style buckle decorated with laurel leaves and an American eagle.The holster was a simple utilitarian-style with a retaining strap secured by a snap. There was also a double magazine pouch. In 1950, the setup, as a configuration remaining essentially the same, had its color changed to black.The Model M in.380 was issued to generals until the supply ran out in 1950, after which time.32s were substituted until the Pocket Hammerless was finally replaced all together in 1972 by the.45-caliber Rock Island M-15.Officially, production ceased in 1945, though guns were available for a time until supplies ran out. But that, as they say, is not the end of the story.The Pocket Hammerless lives on in U.S.

Armament's recently introduced 1903. Colt has officially licensed the design for manufacture once again.COLT 1903 HAMMERLESS GENERAL OFFICER'S PISTOL. The author found the new General Officer's Pistol, like the originals, to be a sweet shooter. Reliability was superb and groups were quite good.For those who lament the demise of the Colt Pocket Hammerless in 1945, salvation is at hand.

Armament Corp., heretofore probably best known for its superb copy of the.45-70 Colt Bulldog Gatling Gun, has come to the rescue and is now producing, under license to Colt, what they term the Colt Model 1903 'General Officer's Pistol.' A ringer for the original, this beautifully crafted little.32 is a faithful rendering of a parkerized World War II-vintage U.S.

Issue Model M. The barrel measures 3¾ inches, weight is 24 ounces (unloaded), overall length 6½ inches and sights a simple drift-adjustable rear and fixed rounded blade front. Magazine capacity is eight rounds. Markings on the new 1903 (below) are virtually identical to the original's (above) with the exception of a special 'GOP' prefixed serial number. Licensed by Colt, U.S. Armament's new 1903 'Hammerless' General Officer's Pocket Pistol — with the exception of its gold grip escutcheon — is a ringer for an original U.S.-issue.32 (above).Grips are checkered walnut, decorated with gold Colt escutcheons — the only departure from the wartime pistol, which had silver escutcheons.

This has been done purposely so that one can tell at a glance that they're encountering one of the new 1903 incarnations.The General Officer's Pistol comes wrapped in period-style brown waxed paper, packed in a plain brown cardboard box with a copy of the original Colt instructions. The serial number range has a special 'GOP' prefix.Some 3,500 of these nouveau 1903s will be made — 1,500 Parkerized, 1,500 blued, and a special run of 500 specially marked with the serial numbers of guns originally issued to actual generals, retaining the 'GOP' prefix, of course, to thwart any nefarious characters who might try to pass one of these pistols off as the real article.Each one of these pistols will be accompanied with particulars of the general. Guns with the serials of more well-known owners, such as Dwight D. Eisenhower and George S. Patton, will be donated to select firearms advocacy organizations to be sold at auction as fundraisers. Armament 1903 comes wrapped in waxed paper in a plain cardboard box, like the originals.The author had a chance to give one of these pistols a good going over. It is superbly built, certainly up to the standard of the original, and shoots like a dream.Offhand, 25-foot groups using Remington 71-grain FMJ ammunition hit about 2½ inches above the point of aim and provided regular 2½- to 2¾- inch groups with a best five-shot string coming in at 1½ inches — just about the same as I can manage with my 1942-vintage Parked government issue 1903.

All in all, the U.S. Armament 1903 is a more than creditable recreation.The suggested retail price of the General Officer's Pistol is $1,395. It is currently available from Midwest Gun Exchange (574-257-0020; midwestgunexchange.com).

Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless.32 ACP serial number966061 - OSS / CIA issued military contract pistol outside the known andestablished serial number range. The highest recorded productionnumber is 572215, with serial numbers 572216 through 572451 beingmanufactured but never assembled, being scrapped in 1945.Eight serial numbers numbers higher than the highest known number on thismodel have been observed. 831008, 831089, 831093, 831215, 831242, 891, 966061 and966071. Two of the pistolsthat are identified by John Brunner in his book on the Colt PocketHammerless Models (831093 and 831242). Five of the eight are known to have had theiroriginal serial numbers removed along with other government markings andwere marked with a serial number that could not be traced to the U.S.Government.Colt Model M.32 serial number 966061 was issuedto Lt.

Alexander Sogolow (also spelled Sogolov), a Russian bornCIA agent stationed in Germany following WWII. Accompanying the gun isa modified unmarked shoulder holster as well as documentation. Thispistol has all the military characteristics of a war time manufactured ModelM.32 pistol.Right side of Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless serial number966061. Note lack of U.S. PROPERTY mark.Lieutenant Colonel Alexander SogolowBorn: 9 February 1912Russia1947Munich, Germany1968U.S.

Government OfficialHeadquarters, U.S. Army element, Joint OPS Group, R.1B 945, The PentagonDied: 19 January 1982Burial: Arlington National Cemetary, Arlington,VirginiaPlot: Sec: 59, Site: 2608Alexander Sogolow - Obituary, January 23, 1982Alexander Sogolow, 69, a retired Army lieutenant coloneland senior intelligence officer with the Central Intelligence Agency,died of respiratory failure Tuesday at the National Naval MedicalCenter. He lived in Chevy Chase.Col. Sogolow was a native of Kiev, Russia. He came to this country in1926 and settled in New York City.

He was a 1936 graduate of the CityCollege of New York and attended St. John's University law school inBrooklyn.He served with the Army in Europe during World War II.

He was anintelligence officer for the U.S. High Command in Berlin and a Russianand German interpreter for senior allied officers, including GeneralsEisenhower and Patton. He left active duty in 1948 as a lieutenantcolonel and joined the Army Reserves, from which he retired in 1972.Col. Sogolow joined the CIA in 1949 as an intelligence officer inGermany. During his years with the agency, he lived in Washington andGermany. Since 1963, he has lived in Washington and Chevy Chase.

Heretired in 1972.He was a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers, theCentral Intelligence Retired Association, the Retired OfficersAssociation and the American Association of Retired Persons. He was avolunteer for the American Red Cross.Survivors include his wife, Phyllis, of Chevy Chase; a daughter, Terry,of Silver Spring; a son, Robert, of Van Nuys, Calif., and a sister,Tamara Weinschenker of New York City.The family suggests that expressions of sympathy be in the form ofcontributions to the American Heart Fund or to the American CancerSociety.Close up of serial number 966061.