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1902 Colt Military

JP146
I recently added a Colt 1902 Military to my collection. I followed the take down instructions in the manual.
1.I Removed the magazine.
2.Depressed the concave plug.
3.Allowed the slide lock to drop out from the left side.
4.Removed the slide.

I restrained the (old)rounded non-spur type hammer, pulled the trigger and returned the hammer to the non-cocked position so as not to dry fire the pistol. I re-cocked the hammer, re-strained it, and pulled the trigger once again. The hammer did not return to the non-cocked position. It remained cocked, in a loose sort of way. It dosen't seem as though the mainspring is broken, it appears as though the mainspring may have some how slipped behind the hammer slot. Is this possible, or is it broken ? How do I get it back in the slot ??? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Howard Please e-mail with sugestions howardadobbins@msn.com
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Comments

9 comments

Date Votes
  • JP146
    I just picked upa 1902 Colt Military, the serial number is 15181 and has all the military proofs and such and is in very good condition. I got it for a steal, but that's another story. The question I have, does anyone know enough about these pistols to know if there is a "slit" for lack of better term cut into the base of the slide stop lever? I wish I had digital camera so I could post what I am talking about, but basically where the slide stop is recessed into the receiver it is in a rounded "U" shape. Mine has a slit from the center of the "U" up to the lever part of the stop. It is a perfectly straight line and does not appear to be a crack, almost like a relief in case the metal swelled. Any help or input would be appreciated. Thanks.......JP
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  • swiftyswede
    Hello,
    That is a standard feature on the early 1902 colt military models. This was done to add tension to the channel that it sits in on the frame. Very nice find!!!
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  • swiftyswede
    please e-mail me I would like to talk with you some more about this gun.
    swiftyswede@yahoo.com
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  • Hangfire
    quote:Originally posted by swiftyswede
    Hello,
    That is a standard feature on the early 1902 colt military models. This was done to add tension to the channel that it sits in on the frame. Very nice find!!!


    Yep...Just like John designed it. Check out


    www.coltautos.com

    Love them Pre-64's!!!!-Bob
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  • JP146
    Thanks guys, I truly appreciate the information. I was hoping it was a factory thing and not a defect. I got an extra mag and a newer box of ammo with it but I don't recall what the specs were but I don't believe the ammo to match the gun, although I have no intention of firing it. When the time comes I think it's sale will make a fine down payment on a new boat. The gentleman I bought it from found it in his attic and tried to turn it in the Police Dept I work for for destruction. I couldn't let that gun get melted down so I offered him $100 and he accepted, I had no idea what it was worth at the time. When I found out I went to his home to inform him of my guilty conscience and see if we couldn't work something out more amicable. He said he was happy with the $100 and glad someone got it who appreciates it. He then gave me the entire history of the gun when it entered his family in 1927. My second steal at the department. Last year I saved a military marked Model 12, used by the navy in WWII to train ship anti air craft gunners on how to lead targets with clays. Someone installed a compensator/choke on it but still worth the $50 I got it for.
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  • vafranko
    How nice it must be to be an LEO and pick up some rarities that most States no longer will sell to civilian market.

    Franko
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  • JP146
    I can only get them if I catch the person before they turn them over to desk personnel, and they choose to sell them to me. Fortunately my desk personnel know not to take anything while I'm working until I see it first. Several years ago a Sgt. picked up 2 98K mausers with german markings, a drilling(double barrel 16 ga and unknown rifle caliber), an ortgies 32, a hungarian .380 P37 (which he later gave me), an SS dagger in pristine shape, and misc german armbands and uniform buttons all for the grand total of $100, I still can't get over that one even though I made out better monetarily with the colt. I heard on the news the other day that WWII vets are passing away at a rate of over 1,000 a day and you'd be surprised the stuff some of these fine gentleman brought back from the war (in the last year we've had a British and a Japanese hand grenade turned in), while I don't want to take advantage of anyone it seems alot of their children would rather get rid of their stuff than hold on to it, by the time I see them I'm saving them from the steel mill.
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  • v35
    JP146, The Army Special Services also had Model 12s with Cutts Compensators. If I recall the barrel length was 20 inches.
    The guns were intended for recreational purposes. Other martially marked recreational shotguns were Remington Mod 11, Savege 720 and Remington Mod 31.
    Shotguns we had for military use were riot versions with metal upper handguard and bayonet lug. They were Win Mod 12 and Stevens Mod 620 (jamming JUNK).
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  • JP146
    Thanks for the info, I researched the serial numbers right after I bought it and it led me to a batch delivered to the navy. The barrel is definitely longer than 20" even w/o the compensator. I've used it to take quite a few pheasants already, I failed to mentioned it's been reblued too so to me it's just a curiousity I'm not afraid to shoot it.
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