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SUMMARY About your 1917:
Military 1917s are in the range #1 thru # 169959 were completed in 1918. Not all numbers were used as usual.
Most early WWI 1917s are marked "GHS" in a circle, Gilbert H. Stewart, Gov’t inspector, serial number range 1-42000. Earliest have concave stocks and circular hammer grooves up to about #15,000. Although, many have been observed up to the 20000 range. As with all things S&W, there is seldom a specific serial number cut off. Stocks w/concave top and the hammer grooves were deleted 1st.
War time 1917s did not have S&W trademark logos.
Middle range guns are marked with a flaming bomb beginning c. #42000, April 1918.
Late war time guns are marked with an eagle head and "S" followed by a number like S1,S2, S3, S4,
S6, S9, S24, S27, and S34, April 1918 to war’s end or serial number 169959.
These marks are inspector marks used on Military guns which are also marked "United States Property” on the underside of the barrel.
The butt of the gun will have a two line serial number (when over 3 digits) and U.S. Army Model 1917 in four lines as well as a lanyard ring.
The S&W serial # on the butt, as opposed to Colt, served a dual purpose; it was also S&W's government #. The serial number on COLT 1917s is stamped on the frame, behind the crane, and a different number on the butt of their US Army Model of 1917 is the government #.
Unused serial numbered frames before and following #169959 were assembled thru # 209791 in 1946.
Some were assembled into commercial model 1917s with very varied shipping dates, 2nd Model 44 Hand Ejectors, and military 1917s to fill contracts for the Brazilian government in 1936 and 1946.
If it has the S&W trademark on the frame it is a commercial gun.
A few more were produced up to # 210782, most with S prefix and issued as commercial models post WW II until updated as the ".45 HE Model of 1950, Military" beginning at #S85000 in the existing common N frame S prefix serial # range.
Also in 1937 S&W made some 25,000 1917s for Brazil, most in serial range 181983-207043 with post WW I produced flat top frame and sq notch sight, these are marked with a small Made in USA with the S&W trademark, they also have a Brazilian Crest on the side plate dated 1937.
Another run in 1946 used surplus WW I produced frames with round top strap and u notch.
In my experience every 1917 had the cylinder hold open detent in the yoke bell crank as did all pre war N frames and some early I and K frames. It's been reported that some 1917s do not have the detent as a war time expedient, but of the hundreds of 1917s I've seen all did or at least had the hole with wear evidence that the detent spring and pin were lost.
Here are the 6 serial # locations to look for:
Gun butt
Barrel - bottom of barrel or in extractor shroud
Yoke - on rear face visible thru a chamber with a flashlight
Extractor star - backside
Cylinder - rear face
Right stock – backside in pencil
__________________
Jim
S&WCA #819
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