Did the US government sell M1917s as surplus between WW1and WW2. I am trying to determine when US marked pistols would have shown up on the civilian market.
I think Skeeter Skelton wrote about a bunch of 1917s being transferred to the Postal Service and then sold in the early 1960s. Maybe those were Colts?
Many 1917s were still in use in WWII with non front line units. I suspect they were not sold in large numbers until the the 1950s but I'm just guessing.
I remember reading (don't know where) that during the '30s the Feds gave M1917 revolvers to banks to use to stem the wave of bank robberies by the likes of Dillinger, Bonnie & Clyde, etc.
At that time most bank tellers were men and were fully expected to use firearms to discourage miscreants. IIRC, even BARs were handed out! I guess somebody was serious about stopping crime!
The USBP had them in the 1920's and '30's as well as postal people. But those remied in govt. service.
I'm really curious as to when they were released for civilian sale.
I was interested to read that some sent to the UK in 1940-41 went to the Indian Air Force, as distinct from the RAF. I suspect they fit the .455 holsters in the Pattern 37 webbing gear.
Last edited by Texas Star; 02-09-2019 at 03:50 PM.
I believe S&W felt interwar surplus sales undercut their market, motivating them to include in their WW2 govt contracts a proviso that no such postwar sales would be made by the govt.
I bought my first M1917 in 1959 (I was still in high school) for $24.95 (if I remember correctly) and many were available in stores and pawn shops at the time. In the mid 1980s I bought a lot of the Brazilian M1937 revolvers that came into the U.S. Some were in very good shape, while the ones I bought were a bit rough, but shot quite well. I still have several left.
Surplus m1917s
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