Colt 32 Auto

[Jack Leatherman]

Can anyone help tell what this is? A friends dad brought this home from WW II. It says COLT's PT. FA Mfg. Co. Patent April 20, 1897 December 22, 1903.
Serial #342926. Calibre 32 Rimless Smokeless K-31. His dad was an Army navigator on B 29. This thing is very similar to 1911 45 except hammer is internal, slide lock and safety are the same lever, and magazine release is at bottom back of magazine well and much smaller in overall size. It has grip safety similar to 1911 also. We suspect it is gov't. issue weapon for pilots, navigators, etc. The surface blue is pretty much worn away and some shallow rusting. He is thinking of having blued. I'm thinking might hurt its value. Can anybody advise about this particular weapon/value etc.?

It still shoots/functions perfectly. It is really sweet to shoot. Perhaps one should not be shooting due to age, etc.

[knight0334]

Absolutely DO NOT let him reblue it, or refinish it in ANY manner. You will kill 20-80% of the value right there. If your dad, or the heir that gets it never plans on getting rid of it - well, then value has no bearing. But if you all are looking at investment value, any refinishing even by the manufacturer hoses the value.

Prior to WWII, handgun ownership was quite a normal practice in Europe. Colt exported many items to Europe, also John Browning licensed his patents to a few companies there to produce firearms. Its possible it could have been a govt issue pistol, several different types were issued to pilots. And countless types were handed out to insurgents fighting the Nazi's and Italians forces, from govt issue stuff to hunting and target rifles that were donated by citizens of the USA.


If that 32auto was manufactured with intent to be sold in Europe it would have been marked 7.65x17mm Browning or something very similar. Good chance it was a US production for US market gun, some how found its way there.

As long as its in safe working order - shooting it some wouldn't do much harm. I'd inspect the main recoil spring for proper compress rate. They usually take a beating over the years on blowback guns. If its too weak, it could lead to receiver, barrel and slide damage in a hurry - if not critical failure. Do not, and I cant stress this enough, do not shoot "hot" or "+P" type ammo in it.

Thats all I can tell you from where I am located. I dont have my links to SN# look ups with me to tell you much more than that.

[wjkuleck]

It's a Colt 1903 pocket model in .32 ACP (but you knew that last part). If there really is a "K-31" mark, I believe it would not be original factory.

The US Government purchased quantities of these pistols, both from commercial sources (primarily for the OSS) and directly from Colt. Your pistol antedates WWII by some years. My guess is that it was a private pistol because of its date and because it lacks "US PROPERTY" marks.

However, nothing is impossible, and the fact that your friend's dad carried it in combat in WWII makes it a martial pistol notwithstanding. It would be worthwhile to get a notarized statement from the veteran, if he is still with us, or from his son, if not. The provenance of this pistol should be documented and preserved.

Its value, sight unseen, might be $400 to $600 as described. If its martial attribution can be documented, the pistol might be worth considerably more to a WWII collector.

Regards,

Walt

[wjkuleck]

If that 32auto was manufactured with intent to be sold in Europe it would have been marked 7.65x17mm Browning or something very similar.

The Colt pistols were never sold in Europe, as the agreement among John Browning, Fabrique Nationale (FN) and Colt reserved the European market for FN. FN offered a very similar pistol in Europe.

Further, the B-29's use was limited to the Burma-China-India and Pacific Theatres. Two B-29s were sent to England as a "confuse-a-Kraut" subterfuge intended to alarm the Nazis. However, those bombers pressed on to India to serve there after a brief stop in the UK. I have a picture somewhere of one of my uncles standing in front of one of those B-29s in England.

The serial number indicates manufacture in 1920, so it was very likely a personal sidearm carried into combat.

Regards,

Walt

[Jack Leatherman]

Thank you all for the info. The veteran I mentioned in original thread is deceased. Perhaps the son can obtain more details from his mother or other family to document martial use. I don't think that is important to him at this time. I think it is just a family treasure that he plans to maintain. As I recall he has told me his mother has carried the pistol for years in her car/purse, usually unloaded! I shot the pistol this past weekend. It has remarkable good feel of heavy quality construction to be so compact.

[glockguy68]

it will be nice a couple of photos of the gun,c'mon try to get some pics of it...

[P-11 shooter]

I have a french "unique" .32 pistol with nazi markings, and it is incredible to hold a peice of history in your hands.

Not to hijack, but there has been really great info n here so far, and I was hoping you could help tell me more about MY peice.

Slide markings
7,65 court 9 coups "unique"
manufacture d'armes des pyenees henedaye (best I can tell)

Grip markings
7.65mm
9 schuss

serial number
585**


Gun has internal hammer and iron cross stamped on barell, and frame. When do you guys think it was made? What are the chances it saw combat? Thanks in advance for any information.

[wjkuleck]

iron cross stamped on barell, and frame

Iron Cross? You mean the Maltese Cross? Or, do you mean the WaA stamps (eagle holding swastika over a WaA No.)?

Regards,

Walt

[wjkuleck]

From CarbinesforCollectors.com:

"Manufacture d’Armes des Pyrennees Francaises (MAPF) had been producing a Ruby type pistol since 1928. This was the Unique 17. A French Ministry of War letter states that 18,000 of the Unique 17 pistols were procured before the surrender on 22 June 1940. As with the MAB Model D, the German military kept the Unique 17 in production with no changes to the design. Around 36,000 of the Unique 17 were produced for the German military. Later in the war, the Germans had the pistol modified with an external hammer and a curved grip frame. This was designated the Kriegsmodell and 20,000 were produced."

Sounds like the "first variation" with internal hammer, manufactured during the German occupation for the Wehrmacht.

Regards,

Walt

[P-11 shooter]

Walt, thank you for the information. And thank you for finding us here. It's really cool to find the history behind some of these amazing guns.

Thank you.