"New" Colt 1903

[68mustang]

Well I picked this up on gunbroker.com. It's a good shooter! However, I did manage to break the mainspring on it. Yea I know I already feel like a dumbass.

Anyone know how to put these back together correctly? I'm 99% sure I am, but when I got it the grip safety didn't work so I took it apart to put it back together the correct way and followed an online walkthrough to put it back together without luck. That's when I broke the mainspring and now I have one one order.

Anyway here's the pics when I got it, trying to get that ugly paint off it right now and just shine her up a bit without taking too much away from it.
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[Boehlertaught]

That's really nice. Congrats

 

[68mustang]

Ok, so I think I found the culprit. It's unfortunate I had to break a mainspring just so I could figure it out... But the grip safety is bent. Any Ideas on how to bend it back? I don't wanna break THAT to!

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[Boehlertaught]

I don't know how to put them together...maybe an assembly video on the internet. If the 1903 works with the grip safety bent I would leave it that way. I would be affraid it would break if you cold bend it and if you heat it you may change the way the metal looks.

 

[68mustang]

Yea, i mean i know i can get a new grip safety for like ~30-40 but I'd rather try to fix this one. It does work but makes the grip safety useless and I like everything to function on a gun like it's supposed to ya know??

Anyways, acetone nail polish remover took the paint off. They look pretty good, I'm not sure why someone painted them. I paid 425 for this gun:

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[68mustang]

Well I fixed it, the grip safety is suprisingly ductile. I carefully put it in a vice and tapped on them with a hammer. Now the gun functions as it should. Just waiting for the new mainspring to come in.

 

[orangeRcode]

Nice looking pistol. Glad you were able to fix her up. Grips look much better now.

 

[jsl_pt]

Looks good! Glad you figured it out.

 

[mightymouse]

Congrats on getting the pistol you've been wanting. Hope you get it straightened out soon! (I'm taking mine out to shoot tommorrow.)

 

[Boehlertaught]

Congrats on the fix. Glad the metal was soft. The grips look great.