Source: ATF P 5300.11 · Curios or Relics List · Jan 1972 – Apr 20253,573 entries · 4 sections
The C&R RegisterA finding aid to the ATF Curios or Relics List, for Type 03 collectors
C&R · II · 158

Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammer

Section II: curio or relic, still subject to the Gun Control Act

Official wording

ATF P 5300.11 · APRIL 2025 EDITION · SECTION II · VERBATIM · PDF P. 6 ↗

Colt, Model 1903 Pocket (exposed hammer), semiautomatic pistol, cal. .38 ACP.

What this entry requires

  • INFOATF states no date; production was about 1903–1927.

Editorial facts · Our research

Country
United States¹
Manufacturer
Colt's Patent Fire Arms Mfg. Co.
Type
Pistol
Action
Semi-auto
Caliber
.38 ACP
Made
1903–1927production; ATF states no date²³
Service
Commercial
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Source

Official wording
ATF P 5300.11, April 2025 edition · Section II · PDF p. 6 ↗ · ATF original ↗
Entries
1 line
Verbatim check
Checked against the PDF text before every release
Editorial facts
Confidence: High · Last revised 18 October 2026 (Evidence pass) · How we rate confidence
References
  1. Wikipedia, “Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammer” ↗, country: infobox origin United States
  2. Wikipedia, “Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammer” ↗, years: infobox production date 1903–1927; serials ended at 47227 in 1927
  3. oldcolt.com ↗, years: Pocket Hammer ship dates 1903 … 1927 (46800–47226, end of production)
Fact tags
  • ATF the ATF wording states it.
  • REF ¹ an outside reference supports it; the number points to the list of references.
  • ESTIMATE an approximate or indirect reading, for example the production range of the base model.
  • NO CITATION we haven’t attached a reference for this fact; it’s our editorial reading, not ATF’s.
Source checked
20 October 2026: ATF’s page still lists the April 2025 edition
Corrections
1 change · see below

Correction history

  1. Evidence passYears: 1903–1929 → 1903–1927. Wikipedia and Old Colt: production ended 1927

All corrections · How corrections work

Historical context

Patent drawing, U.S. Patent 580,924 (shown for Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammer)
Shown: the patent drawing for John M. Browning's 1897 self-loading pistol (U.S. Patent 580,924), the base design of Colt's early hammer pistols, not a production Model 1903 Pocket.

Image: U.S. Patent 580,924, “Firearm, sheet 1” by John M. Browning, Public domain (US patent). Retrieved October 2026.

Summary: Wikipedia, “Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammer”. Text CC BY-SA 4.0.

FROM WIKIPEDIA

The Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammer was a short-recoil, semi-automatic pistol, designed by the American arms designer John Browning. It was a compact version of the Colt Model 1902 Sporting Model pistol derived from the original Colt M1900. The Colt M1902 Sporting Model and 1903 Pocket Hammer models differ significantly from the military-inspired Colt 1902 Military Model although they fire the same cartridge. Its design is in no way related to the Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless or the FN Model 1903 pistol.