Today I had out 2 pistols that are special for me, one belonged to my father the other his father. They are both Colt, .25 caliber, similar in size, made 1/2 century apart.
About 1972 my father who sometimes worked late at his business decided he should have a small handgun available "just in case" and bought a "Colt Automatic 25" with 2 boxes of ammo and a Colt pocket holster. This pistol was originally designed in the 1950's by Colt and Astra (Spain) and manufactured by Astra for cost reasons. It was sold as the Colt Junior in America and Astra Cub in Europe. The "1968 Firearms Act" prohibited importation of pistols below a certain size of length plus height and this little pistol fell within that ban so in 1968 Colt began manufacturing the pistol here calling it "Colt Automatic" .25 and continued until 1974.
My grandfather never owned a firearm as far as my father knew but around 1973 when my grandfather passed my father discovered in the back of a clothes drawer a little Colt pistol in its original box and two boxes of ammo. The "1908 Colt Vest Pocket" was manufactured from 1908 to 1948, this one had 1920 penciled on the bottom of the box which I assume is when my grandfather bought it, my father would have been 2 at the time.
The two while similar in size and both single action, 25 caliber, are very different. The older Vest Pocket designed by John Browning is striker fired and had some advanced features for the time including 3 safeties; traditional thumb slide/trigger safety, grip safety, and beginning in 2016 magazine disconnect safety meaning if a magazine wasn't inserted the gun won't fire even with a round chambered.
The newer Colt Automatic .25 is hammer fired, incorporates a thumb safety and magazine disconnect but no grip safety.
Anyway I thought I'd share a few images I took when I had them out this afternoon.
Colt Automatic on the left, Vest Pocket on the right.
For scale.
About 1972 my father who sometimes worked late at his business decided he should have a small handgun available "just in case" and bought a "Colt Automatic 25" with 2 boxes of ammo and a Colt pocket holster. This pistol was originally designed in the 1950's by Colt and Astra (Spain) and manufactured by Astra for cost reasons. It was sold as the Colt Junior in America and Astra Cub in Europe. The "1968 Firearms Act" prohibited importation of pistols below a certain size of length plus height and this little pistol fell within that ban so in 1968 Colt began manufacturing the pistol here calling it "Colt Automatic" .25 and continued until 1974.
My grandfather never owned a firearm as far as my father knew but around 1973 when my grandfather passed my father discovered in the back of a clothes drawer a little Colt pistol in its original box and two boxes of ammo. The "1908 Colt Vest Pocket" was manufactured from 1908 to 1948, this one had 1920 penciled on the bottom of the box which I assume is when my grandfather bought it, my father would have been 2 at the time.
The two while similar in size and both single action, 25 caliber, are very different. The older Vest Pocket designed by John Browning is striker fired and had some advanced features for the time including 3 safeties; traditional thumb slide/trigger safety, grip safety, and beginning in 2016 magazine disconnect safety meaning if a magazine wasn't inserted the gun won't fire even with a round chambered.
The newer Colt Automatic .25 is hammer fired, incorporates a thumb safety and magazine disconnect but no grip safety.
Anyway I thought I'd share a few images I took when I had them out this afternoon.
Colt Automatic on the left, Vest Pocket on the right.
For scale.
