Quote:
Originally Posted by mtime7
I will check the barrel length.. Is it possible this is a Lend Lease Pistol??
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To be precise, "Lend Lease" identifies war materiel provided by the US under a 1941 agreement. We're about 25 years too early for that.
In the First World War, Britain secured revolver contracts with S&W for revolvers in 1914 (.455 First Model, or Triple Lock) and renewed in 1915 (.455 Second model, which has an unshrouded ejector rod). The 1917s, which went into production in response to America's entry in to the War, also had unshrouded ejector rods. That's why I think someone may have confused the two models. A lot of .455s (both first and second models) came back to the US after the war when they were surplused and sold by the British. Once here, many were converted to chamberings more familiar than the .455 Mark II round. Both .45 Colt and .45 ACP conversions are seen.
Do you know the serial number? There are duplicated serial numbers, but a gun numbered over about 75000 is necessarily a 1917 because .455 production went no higher. (Round number; we can get more precise if we have to.)