|
|
 |
11-27-2011, 06:46 PM
|
 |
US Veteran
|
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,990
Likes: 181
Liked 2,719 Times in 724 Posts
|
|
Interesting M1917 Commercial
Just spent the weekend at the Dallas Mkt. Hall show. Several nice Smiths but none that really called out to me. Yesterday one of my friends here on the forum stopped by and said that he was reducing his collection. Today, as I packed up, he stopped by and handed me a nice, lettered M1917 Commercial. When I read the letter I had to help him reduce his collection.
It (#1799xx) shipped on May13, 1929 to Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles, CA, attn. Captain Hodson. It was ordered with a grooved trigger and grooved backstrap and the shipment was 25 units billed at $22.15 ea.
Other than having a lanyard ring, which isn't too unusual, the gun is the usual Commercial M1917. I haven't seen the grooving before but apparently the LAPD thought enough of the grooved trigger and back strap to special order their guns that way.
Bob
|
11-27-2011, 06:51 PM
|
 |
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sebago Lake, Maine, USA
Posts: 5,434
Likes: 6,726
Liked 6,725 Times in 1,862 Posts
|
|
Nice Bob! So can we see some photographs? You raised my curiosity! Now I'm gonna have to go down to the vault and check all my 1917's for grooved backstraps!
|
11-27-2011, 07:54 PM
|
 |
Administrator
|
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 27,023
Likes: 8,998
Liked 48,769 Times in 9,262 Posts
|
|
Bob,
The one I had was grooved on both straps. Is yours?
Neat gun.
__________________
Regards,
Lee Jarrett
|
11-27-2011, 08:27 PM
|
|
US Veteran
|
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,990
Likes: 181
Liked 2,719 Times in 724 Posts
|
|
Lee,
No, grooves only on the blackstrap (6 of them). Was yours also sent to LAPD or other PD?
Drew,
If you go down into your man cave and get lost in all those crates of guns we may not hear from you for a while.
Bob
|
11-27-2011, 09:14 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sebago Lake, Maine, USA
Posts: 5,434
Likes: 6,726
Liked 6,725 Times in 1,862 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by bettis1
Lee,
No, grooves only on the blackstrap (6 of them). Was yours also sent to LAPD or other PD?
Drew,
If you go down into your man cave and get lost in all those crates of guns we may not hear from you for a while.
Bob
|
I know Bob, I know... I've been putting it off for some time now...
|
11-27-2011, 10:40 PM
|
|
Administrator
|
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 27,023
Likes: 8,998
Liked 48,769 Times in 9,262 Posts
|
|
Bob,
LAPD. Letter pic attached.
As I say, both straps were grooved.
Hmmmmm. It appears they bought 25 twice. This shipment was a year later in May again. Spending money before the fiscal year ended?
__________________
Regards,
Lee Jarrett
Last edited by handejector; 11-27-2011 at 10:49 PM.
|
11-28-2011, 06:26 AM
|
|
US Veteran
|
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,990
Likes: 181
Liked 2,719 Times in 724 Posts
|
|
Lee,
Our letters letters are very similar. Mine doesn't mention the butt swivel but it has one and they both only describe the grooved back strap and trigger. Perhaps the Factory just threw in the grooved front strap as an extra on yours or just the inspector just overlooked it on mine since it wasn't common on that model. I note that the price has also dropped by $0.25.
Since they ordered the same number a year apart, my guess is that they might be to arm a new class of rookies.
Bob
|
11-30-2011, 06:24 PM
|
 |
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: big sky country montana
Posts: 1,332
Likes: 720
Liked 6,411 Times in 545 Posts
|
|
Bob
I just went thru my records I have a 1917 Commerical 180027
it was shipped in May 1929 to a police dept and it has the Grooved Trigger and Back strap.but it also has a Half target front sight.
Jim
I will go check it out to see if the front strap is Grooved or not.
front strap is not grooved
Last edited by bmg60; 11-30-2011 at 06:56 PM.
Reason: add text
|
11-30-2011, 07:05 PM
|
|
US Veteran
|
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,990
Likes: 181
Liked 2,719 Times in 724 Posts
|
|
Jim,
My gun is # 179996. So, that has grooved guns in 179996, 180027, and 181398 ranges and spread over at least two years.
Do you know which PD received your gun? See if it shipped on May 13. Your number is close enough to mine (32 apart) to perhaps have been in the same shipment to LAPD. Does the front sight appear to be factory or an armory addition?
I have asked Roy for any other info he might have on these Commercial 1917's in the Question Room over in the SWCA forum.
Bob
|
11-30-2011, 09:28 PM
|
|
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: big sky country montana
Posts: 1,332
Likes: 720
Liked 6,411 Times in 545 Posts
|
|
bob
It looks like a factory job the only thing I see is the pin is a little high up
on the base. but one of yours was that way two.
jim
|
12-01-2011, 01:23 PM
|
 |
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Henderson,Nevada
Posts: 2,624
Likes: 1,876
Liked 9,107 Times in 1,288 Posts
|
|
I have the Gun Lee Jarrett mentions earlier in this post. I have been reserching the LAPD 1917 models to see if they were general purchase or for special squads. I found a photo of a plain clothes officer hold what appears to be a 1917 and the caption mentions a squad of 50 to combat eastern gun men.
Mine was shipped in May 1930 and in a book on Colt New service rvolers I found LAPD also ordered 25 Colt New Serice relovers in 45 acp in May 1930.
|
12-01-2011, 03:40 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 225
Likes: 0
Liked 20 Times in 11 Posts
|
|
[QUOTE=bmg60;136220674]Bob
I just went thru my records I have a 1917 Commerical 180027
it was shipped in May 1929 to a police dept and it has the Grooved Trigger and Back strap.but it also has a Half target front sight.
The front half target front sight grabbed my attension, do you have a photo of this to share? I ask as I have an old 455 with a similiar front sight, would love to compare, sorry for the side line, cheers Dale Z in Canada 
|
12-01-2011, 04:43 PM
|
|
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: big sky country montana
Posts: 1,332
Likes: 720
Liked 6,411 Times in 545 Posts
|
|
hI
Dale
here is a picture of the front sight. Not a good picture light is bad.
jim
Last edited by bmg60; 12-02-2011 at 12:40 AM.
|
12-01-2011, 05:31 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 225
Likes: 0
Liked 20 Times in 11 Posts
|
|
Jim is there a reason I cannot find the picture of the front sight on your reply? thanks Dale Z!
|
12-07-2011, 08:27 AM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 225
Likes: 0
Liked 20 Times in 11 Posts
|
|
Jim thanks for the picture this is very very similiar to my S&W mark II 455 that has a Paine adj. rear sight, windage only and the very same front sight as your half target, now I will half to have this gun lettered to see if it is a ligit target, thanks agin, Dale Z in Canada!
|
12-07-2011, 11:50 AM
|
|
US Veteran
|
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,990
Likes: 181
Liked 2,719 Times in 724 Posts
|
|
Dale,
I know that Jim has seen this sight on my half target 4" Triple Lock but you probably haven't.
It shipped June 8, 1917.
Bob
|
|
Posting Rules
|
|
|
|
|
Linear Mode
