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Does The 1908 Hammerless .25 Have A Firing Pin Block?

3K views 15 replies 7 participants last post by  randyhamrick 
#1 ·
I know the 1908 Hammerless Vest Pocket .25 has a grip safety, mag disconnect safety, and frame safety. However, on many 1911's those features alone do not prevent an innertial discharge. Does the 1908 vest pocket have a firing pin block or any way of stopping an innertial discharge if accidentally dropped on the muzzle with a round chambered, or does it just rely on a heavy firing pin spring weight?

MadDog
 
#4 ·
Judge: That is good news as mine is a model N. Now another question; the Wolf Spring web site has a rebuild kit (only for one model 25) that has a replacment spring for the firing pin as well as all the other springs. I wonder what they do for the "striker fired" model. Have you ever, or anyone else ever, rebuilt the model N using a Wolf spring kit?

MadDog
 
#5 ·
All ".25 Vest Pocket Hammerless" pistols are Models N. All are striker fired. I suspect that what Wolf is calling the "firing pin spring" is actually the striker spring. The striker has a "firing pin" as part of it of course, since something has to strike the primer to ignite the powder.

Or is the Wolf "kit" for the Junior or Automatic .25 model with a hammer and actual firing pin, first made by Astra in the 1950s as the Junior and then by Firearms International in the 1960s as the Automatic .25? Never having felt the need for any Wolf springs, I have never investigated the Wolf spring offerings. If Wolf is referring to a "Model 25," I have no idea to what Wolf is referring since no Colt has that model designation, but, after reflection, I suspect it refers to the Astra Cub clone and not the Model N.

I see lots of discussion of putting Wolf spring "kits" in these old pistols. I suspect that reflects the desire of owners to "do something good" for the old pistols, but in all but the rarest of cases, it is unnecessary. Mine all work fine with their original springs.
 
#7 ·
I have the Wolff Pistol Service Pak Type II (with magazine spring), stock #69072 and the label states; For Use In: "Colt 1908 Pocket Model N 6.35 mm." In fact, I just got off the phone with Wolff about an order I placed for my 1908 .380 spring kit. Their customer service # is 1-800-545-0077 if you'd like to verify the applications.
 
#9 ·
With the information provided about the Wolf offerings, it appears to me that Wolf does indeed offer a spring kit for the Model N ( Model 1908) Vest Pocket Hammerless .25 pistol.

That brings me back to my original question. What problem do you think will be solved with a Wolf spring kit? I fail to see how a spring kit can make any "appreciable difference in performance," unless something was wrong with one of the springs so as to cause malfunctions.
 
#10 ·
I haven't replaced the springs yet, I'm waiting until I send it to Fords for the refinish. They installed the spring kit for my .32 when they refinished that one. I did shoot the .25 first and it will definitely benefit from at least a new recoil spring, as the one in it is probably from 1917 and acts like it.
 
#13 ·
I'm with judge colt in wondering if there's any benefit to changing. In another thread i asked the same question, but no answers. I have a vest pocket, 1908 .380 and a junior (astra made) that all function fine. so, is there any benefit to replacing the springs? specifically, is the metal composition of the new ones better for any specific function? any metalurgist gun experts out there?
thanks
tom
 
#14 ·
Dunno about function, but metallurgy changed big time around 1940 and steel became far stronger and less brittle, especially in the cold, for all industries and uses. Id image thats a high stress part that would benefit from a new made part even over a new original, though who knows if you'd notice anything. Might be as case of "if it aint broke".
 
#15 ·
I have two .380 Governments that were jamming and the slides would not lock back when empty and I was using 9 different magazines. After installing the Wolff spring kit, including replacing all the mag springs with Wolff springs, all my problems went away.

I then ordered a kit for my 1903 .32, which was installed and functions flawlessly, my 1908 .380, not installed yet as it works fine, and my 1908 .25, which doesn't work fine, but we'll see with the new kit.

My 1965 Mustang doesn't have the original air in the tires, either...
 
#16 ·
I can't say if there's any specific benefit from swapping springs when the pistol is operating normally. I can say I feel better when I swap springs. I swap after 5,000 rounds. Why? I don't know, it's a random number.

The beauty of owning a gun, or a collectible car, or any other collectible item is the owner needs only satisfy himself/herself. No one's standards are the same so personal satisfaction is the only goal that can be achieved.
 
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