Colt switched finishes several years after introduction of the 1903. The blue that Ron refers to sounds like the "later" finish. Early blue was brighter but not as durable.
It's very common to see those colt pocket pistols that have been refinished. Mine was made in 1918 and I think it was factory refinished at some point. It was beautifully done but it took it's toll on the crispness of the markings. In particular, the markings on the side that show the caliber, being relatively lightly struck, are the ones to most dramatically show the signs of refinshing.
Enjoy your little Colt. I love 'em but I sure don't enjoy field stripping them....it's a real pain in the rear to disassemble them :-)
Greg
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