Talk:Colt Model 1903/1908

Additional Images

Husqvarna M1907 with holster

FN Model 1903, right side

Discussion

There was a tv movie from 1972 called Hardcase that starred Clint Walker, Stephanie Powers and former football player Alex Karras that had a Colt M1908 Hammerless in it. I haven't seen this movie since shortly after it was first shown, but I do remember a Mexican officer admiring the gun that Walker was carrying. The plot was that Walker had gone off to the Spanish War in 1898 and was a prisoner of the Filipino (perhaps Moros) guerrillas during the "Insurrection" that followed the war. His wife, Powers, thinks he's dead or gives up waiting, gets involved with a Mexican revolutionary (which shows how long he's been away, I believe that revolution started in 1910 or 1911), sells his ranch and gives the money to the revolutionary. He comes looking for her and his money. I'm pretty sure it was the M1908 because the officer admiring the gun mentions how impressed he is with ".38 caliber, and recoil action in a pistol" as I think he phrased it. Then again, maybe it would have been 1903 Hammer model, memory after all those years is a funny thing. Here's a link for it: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067182/

What ever happened with the 9x20mm round? How effective was it and why did it die out?

The 9x20mm Browning Long cartridge was used by the Ottoman Empire, Germany, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire during the Great War. After World War I, it was mainly used for civilian purposes, but would always be overshadowed by the popular 9x19mm Parabellum. - Kilgore 16:21, 25 July 2010 (UTC)

Actually it was never used by Germany or Austria-Hungary. Sweden used it for many years (it was their standard service round from 1907-1940 and again from the early 70s to the 90s) with the Browning 1903 and locally-made copy the Husqvarna 1907, the Russians bought a quantity of Browning 1903s for police use (pre-1917), the South African police were probably the last to use it with the Webley & Scott 1922. It saw some popularity on the civilian market in the 20s as well. Basically, it was too big for too little power - it was designed as an unlocked-breech pistol round. The .380 Auto (AKA 9x17mm), also by Browning came out in 1908 and could do everything the 9 x 20mm could in a smaller gun, so there was no real appeal to it. - Nyles

A Question

What's the difference between this and the Colt 1911? --Jackbel 05:16, 1 November 2010 (UTC)

The Model 1903/1908 is a straight blowback design.--Jcordell 18:33, 1 November 2010 (UTC)