Three of the Best Antique and Vintage Colt Legends for Everyday Carry
The primary reason to carry a sidearm is protection. Guns are tools, and
the chief purpose of a tool is to serve its intended objective. That
being said, there’s no reason why those tools can’t have some
distinction, history, aesthetic value, class, and yes, style.
There’s a set of us firearm collectors, enthusiasts, and rights-venerating carriers who have found that the best place to look for that class and style is in the past. For those of us with that inclination, the guns of yesteryear have a certain touch of elegance that modern models can’t seem to match. That goes double for the old Colts, the quintessential American guns.
Though there’s also a more practical reason for choosing a vintage or antique Colt that’s been examined, test-fired, and found to be in good working order: Those classics have stood the test of time. There’s no better testament to a gun’s reliability than the 50- to 100-year-old (or more) model clanging steel on the range like it’s right off the shelf.
Colt Model 1903 and 1908 Pocket Hammerless
There is a sizable population of antique gun aficionados who consider the Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless to be the most elegant pistol ever produced. John Browning’s marriage of beautiful, rounded art deco lines and the period’s most advanced technology created an incredibly popular gun. Popular with both the law-abiding and criminally inclined. (John Dillinger even had one in his back pocket when he was shot.)
Obviously, caliber is always a factor in selecting an everyday carry (EDC) and many would no doubt insist that the Colt 1903 being chambered for .32 caliber means too little stopping power. But realistically, there are few situations in which someone who knows how to shoot, carrying a Colt 1903 with a magazine full of jacketed hollow-points is going to find it an insufficient response to a threat. However, for a bit more punch, there’s always the 1903 model’s big brother, the Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless chambered for .380.
The Colt 1903 and 1908 aren’t little, snub-nosed derringers, but they are wonderfully slim. And for a comfortable carry, particularly concealed, slim and long is generally preferable to bulky but short. So stock up on your .32 or .380 ACP ammo, because the Colt Model 1903 and 1908 Pocket Hammerless are beautiful and reliable choices for protection.
Colt 1911 .45
With the possible exception of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver, the “Peacemaker,” the Colt 1911 pistol chambered for .45 caliber (M1911) is quite possibly one of the most iconic American firearms in history. It was the sidearm carried by GIs in WWI, WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam, and by select units of the Army and Navy in every conflict since.
The Colt 1911 is widely considered a big pistol, which is reasonable, as it’s not a delicate one by any stretch of the imagination. However, for a pistol chambered for .45 ACP ammo, the Colt 1911 is also surprisingly slim. And that’s a lot of stopping power for a slim gun.
Along with its classic, iconic appeal, slimness, and stopping power, the Colt 1911 is a true workhorse. It was this discovery, and the Colt’s total lack of malfunctions, that in large part led to the U.S. military’s adoption of it as their official sidearm for so many years. Army testers fired 6,000 rounds through a single pistol in two days without any issues. And when it got too hot, they just dunked it in a bucket of water to cool it off and went right back to shooting.
That’s the kind of reliability you want in your corner when choosing your EDC.
About Ammunition Depot
Ammunition Depot is the premier online merchandiser of ammunition, from single boxes to bulk orders and from .223 5.56 ammo to 9mm. Founded by proud Americans, they put a premium on our freedoms and our right to defend us, ours, and our country. A freedom guaranteed by our Constitution. The Ammunition Depot team is proud to provide great jobs in their home state of Florida, with an emphasis on hiring vets. They plan to continue creating jobs; supporting charities for our troops, law enforcement, and shooting sports; and providing bullet-fast delivery of quality products for decades to come.
To learn more about them or just order some ammo, visit Ammunitiondepot.com
There’s a set of us firearm collectors, enthusiasts, and rights-venerating carriers who have found that the best place to look for that class and style is in the past. For those of us with that inclination, the guns of yesteryear have a certain touch of elegance that modern models can’t seem to match. That goes double for the old Colts, the quintessential American guns.
Though there’s also a more practical reason for choosing a vintage or antique Colt that’s been examined, test-fired, and found to be in good working order: Those classics have stood the test of time. There’s no better testament to a gun’s reliability than the 50- to 100-year-old (or more) model clanging steel on the range like it’s right off the shelf.
Colt Model 1903 and 1908 Pocket Hammerless
There is a sizable population of antique gun aficionados who consider the Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless to be the most elegant pistol ever produced. John Browning’s marriage of beautiful, rounded art deco lines and the period’s most advanced technology created an incredibly popular gun. Popular with both the law-abiding and criminally inclined. (John Dillinger even had one in his back pocket when he was shot.)
Obviously, caliber is always a factor in selecting an everyday carry (EDC) and many would no doubt insist that the Colt 1903 being chambered for .32 caliber means too little stopping power. But realistically, there are few situations in which someone who knows how to shoot, carrying a Colt 1903 with a magazine full of jacketed hollow-points is going to find it an insufficient response to a threat. However, for a bit more punch, there’s always the 1903 model’s big brother, the Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless chambered for .380.
The Colt 1903 and 1908 aren’t little, snub-nosed derringers, but they are wonderfully slim. And for a comfortable carry, particularly concealed, slim and long is generally preferable to bulky but short. So stock up on your .32 or .380 ACP ammo, because the Colt Model 1903 and 1908 Pocket Hammerless are beautiful and reliable choices for protection.
Colt 1911 .45
With the possible exception of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver, the “Peacemaker,” the Colt 1911 pistol chambered for .45 caliber (M1911) is quite possibly one of the most iconic American firearms in history. It was the sidearm carried by GIs in WWI, WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam, and by select units of the Army and Navy in every conflict since.
The Colt 1911 is widely considered a big pistol, which is reasonable, as it’s not a delicate one by any stretch of the imagination. However, for a pistol chambered for .45 ACP ammo, the Colt 1911 is also surprisingly slim. And that’s a lot of stopping power for a slim gun.
Along with its classic, iconic appeal, slimness, and stopping power, the Colt 1911 is a true workhorse. It was this discovery, and the Colt’s total lack of malfunctions, that in large part led to the U.S. military’s adoption of it as their official sidearm for so many years. Army testers fired 6,000 rounds through a single pistol in two days without any issues. And when it got too hot, they just dunked it in a bucket of water to cool it off and went right back to shooting.
That’s the kind of reliability you want in your corner when choosing your EDC.
About Ammunition Depot
Ammunition Depot is the premier online merchandiser of ammunition, from single boxes to bulk orders and from .223 5.56 ammo to 9mm. Founded by proud Americans, they put a premium on our freedoms and our right to defend us, ours, and our country. A freedom guaranteed by our Constitution. The Ammunition Depot team is proud to provide great jobs in their home state of Florida, with an emphasis on hiring vets. They plan to continue creating jobs; supporting charities for our troops, law enforcement, and shooting sports; and providing bullet-fast delivery of quality products for decades to come.
To learn more about them or just order some ammo, visit Ammunitiondepot.com
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