Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket .25 ACP, 2-inch Barrel, 1918 Production, Micro Steel Pocket Automatic
This 1918 Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket is a micro .25 ACP pistol designed by John M. Browning and internally designated Model N. It retains the classic right-side slide legend with British spelling, reading "COLT AUTOMATIC CALIBRE 25." Compact and purpose-built, it features Colt hard-rubber grips and dual manual and grip safeties in a simple blowback, striker-fired layout.
Condition
Overall Condition: Good condition, showing some signs of prior use and handling.
Bore Condition: Good - Clean, well-maintained, minor wear marks.
Bore Rifling: Good Rifling - Intact, well-defined lands and grooves.
Specific Condition Notes: The pistol shows notable finish loss with areas of pitting and rust. The chamber is clean, and the rifling is sharp and shiny.
What’s Included
- Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket .25 ACP pistol
- One 6-round detachable single-stack steel magazine with witness holes and a flush-fit base
John M. Browning’s pocket automatic concept is at the core of this Model 1908, a micro-size steel pistol built on a simple blowback system with a striker-fired, single-action trigger. Colt’s internal Model N designation and its derivation from the FN 1905/1906 lineage place it squarely in the classic early-20th-century pocket pistol family.
The 2-inch barrel uses radial takedown lugs at the muzzle, a hallmark of the design that aids disassembly. The slide wears rear-only vertical serrations for a secure grasp. Sighting is fixed, with a small half-moon front and a square/U-notch rear suited to the pistol’s compact format.
Safety is handled by both a manual thumb safety and a grip safety, and the smooth, curved trigger supports the single-action operation. Capacity is 6+1 with the included detachable single-column magazine, which features witness holes and a flush-fit base.
Period-correct details define the presentation: black checkered hard-rubber grips with the COLT banner and Rampant Colt, the right-side slide legend with British spelling, and the absence of an external extractor. This example was manufactured in the United States in 1918, aligning it with WWI-era production.