Don't have my Jinks book nearby. It's an M1917, serial # 148447. I think that means later in the war, 1918 or so, but just checking...

Are there any significant differences between the early and late war M1917s?

Thanks.

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Aaron Terry

Go to this webpage and enter your s/n.

U.S. Military Firearms Manufacture Dates

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You're shy a few manners.

Thanks Jack I wasn't aware of that website.

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Aaron Terry

You're very welcome. As you can see, yours is dated to 12/1918, so it was manufactured/shipped after the Armistice, at least assuming the webpage is correct.

As for early features, IIRC the earliest ones had grooves on the sides of the hammer. Apparently, the Army didn't care for that feature so instructed S&W to discontinue it.

Also early ones had GHS where yours has (or should have) a flaming bomb ordnance acceptance mark.

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You're shy a few manners.

Hi Aaron & Jack, I have S&W M1917 sn149399. My letter from Roy J says the pistol was shipped to the US Govt Eastern Depot on January 16, 1918. The site Jack refers to says it was mfr'd in December, 1918. I haven't asked Roy to recheck this dating. What do my fellow posters say? Regards, Ray

I don't know much about M1917s... but I have heard they were very mismatched in terms of serial numbers. Like you could have an early serial number that was made late in the war or vice versa.

One that that confuses me about the one that I was looking at... Supica says guns starting with a SN of 42000 or so will have an Eagle and an "S" or number instead of the flaming bomb mark. But mine has the flaming bomb mark...

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Aaron Terry

I would bet Roy meant Jan 16, 1919.
I believe the last Govt 1917's were shipped in Jan 1919.
It was in that month control of the factory was returned to S&W.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

Unlike most S&W's, I think the serial numbers were shipped in reasonable order.
They were cranking them out, and shipping ASAP.
Sure, some were out of order most likely, but most seem to fit the features appropriate to serial number, and the known ship dates line up pretty well.





Ok- I've been wondering where people got that. One of these days, I've got to read all of SCSW.......
MISPRINT!
In fact, later guns DO have an eagle head and number, but it is on the LEFT CORNER WHERE TRIGGER GUARD MEETS FRAME. The mark on the top corner was always 'GHS' or the flaming bomb in my observations over several decades and hundreds of 1917's. I have never seen an eagle head on the top corner.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

ATerry33, one more thing you could say about your revolver is that it was produced in the period when the US Government ran S&W:
"... on September 13, 1918, the government took control of Smith & Wesson and managed the company for the duration of the war." (The quote is from Roy Jinks, The History of Smith & Wesson).

The relevance of this is, as I recall, that some experts here have suggested that the guns produced during this period were not finished as well as they had been earlier. The government was intent on speeding up production, not producing highly polished guns with a beautiful blue finish.

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You're shy a few manners.

Thanks for clearing that up, Lee.

Jack--I find that hard to believe. Don't things always run better when the government is in charge?

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Aaron Terry

Well, in this case I think things at least ran faster...

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You're shy a few manners.

In addition to the grooved hammers, early 1917s had grips that were dished at the top.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!