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Colt 1903, Zastava and .32 ACP

887 views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  bearcatter 
#1 · (Edited)
I always liked the looks of a 1903. I'm happy my Zastavas are very similar, same caliber, same size and weight, and have some improvements over the Colt. An '03 in the same condition would be well over a grand too.....:oops:.....I liked $225 better.

The 1903 was a big vote for .32 ACP. Colt didn't bother with a .380 ACP version until 1908, and made both right up to 1945. Total .32 production was 572,000, .380 only 138,000.
Colt never used the dates, both were officially the Model M.
Air gun Trigger Gun barrel Gun accessory Metal
Gun barrel Trigger Gun accessory Air gun Metal
 
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#2 ·
I always liked the looks of a 1903. I'm happy my Zastavas are very similar, same size and weight, and have some improvements over the Colt. An '03 in the same condition would be well over a grand too.....:oops:.....I liked $225 better.

The 1903 was a big vote for .32 ACP. Colt didn't bother with a .380 ACP version until 1908, and made both right up to 1945. Total .32 production was 572,000, .380 only 138,000.
Colt never used the dates, both were officially the Model M.
View attachment 176903 View attachment 176904
Both are good looking pistols. I like the .32 - I have a Bernardelli Model 60. It is very accurate. Its only drawback is no slide lock. The empty magazine is the slide lock; removing the magazine closes the slide.
 
#3 ·
The Zastava has the "right" mag release, but It doesn't drop mags, just pops them out 1/2 inch. No way to eliminate that.
It has a mag safety that can be removed but it's permanent. I do like the slide lock and exposed hammer that the '03 doesn't have. Slightly better sights and simpler internals. Uses the Tokarev design drop-in hammer / sear assembly.
 
#4 ·
I have a Zastava M70 and a Beretta M81, both 32ACP. I managed to put a pinky extension on the M70, but found the trigger a bit awkward for my liking and made a trigger shoe from a piece of aluminum which alleviated the seemingly hard pull problem.

Trigger Air gun Gun barrel Gun accessory Revolver



The M81 is a chubby little gun due to the high capacity mag, so I replaced the grips with some thinner ones. The anti-slip tape on the slide has been removed...I either broke it in or gained some muscle mass and don't need it anymore!!!
Air gun Trigger Gun barrel Gun accessory Wood
 
#5 ·
I think in my researching Zastavas, I've seen yours before, somewhere. I remember the trigger shoe. Your Beretta looks good. IIRC the 82 was the single stack .32 ?

I really like my Zastavas. I've got 3 of them. Dirt cheap in great condition, I couldn't resist. At first, the 3rd one was going to be a parts gun but with my luck, right after I got it, I ran across a bunch of mags and parts on eBay.

FWIW, I've found that the Hunter 4500-2 Versafit holster works well. At first it's a little snug around the muzzle.
The Uncle Mike's Sidekick size 15 works pretty well too.
 
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#6 ·
I remember the trigger shoe.
A buddy of mine found a commercial shoe made for a paintball gun that fits but I can't find the info right now. I think the thing you need to look for is one that fits the width of the trigger. I made the aluminum shoe from a scrap piece of aluminum I had from a previous project I did on my mini-lathe.

I Googled for it and saw some for as little as $10 up to $27, plus tax and shipping. Seems like the trigger width is close to 3/16". I cut mine using a bandsaw and a Dremel.
 
#7 ·
I've also got a Tokarev TT33C with a very similar hammer assy but the trigger sticks out farther than the one on the Zastava, thus easier to get my finger on at the right angle when I pull it. You can see how much farther the Tokarev trigger sticks out in these photos. Not much but just enough to make it "feel" easier to pull.

Air gun Trigger Gun barrel Gun accessory Wood


Air gun Trigger Grey Gun barrel Gun accessory
 
#8 ·
The Zastava is sometimes called the Baby Tokarev. Really a mix of 1903 and TT with a dash of 1911.

I know the TT originally didn't have a safety, so that had to be added for import. Some were sloppy, some good. Yours looks to be a good one. Which country made yours? I think the "C" makes it Romanian?

I like my triggers as they came, but I did use Super Blue on the two shiny grooves.

I like your FW-190 avatar. Bad owners, good engineering.
 
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