I haven't really been able to buy guns for quite a while. I sold some grips at the local gun store and was able to pay off this thing that I had on "layaway" for months. (Technically too long for layaway, but the shop is really owned by the nicest people in the world and they understood my "just got married thing" and let me take a long time to pay it off).

In any case. I've been after a basically unmolested 1917 forever, for a decent price (sub $400), and this one finally cropped up. It had Pachmayr grips on it (of course) and some former owner helpfully engraved his name on the frame.

After a bit of scrounging I replaced the lanyard ring, and put the "right" stocks on it. Sort of. It's the only "set" I have. I think you guys will spot the issue pretty quickly.

So here's some pictures of the only gun I've been able to buy in months, and going to probably be my only new gun for many more months to come. I can't say as I am displeased with it in any way. It's a mostly honest 1917, and man alive are these things hard to find these days for what I want to pay.

I would be tickled to end up with 1 like that at your price! They are not the deal they used to be. Wanted 1 myself. Looked for quite a while. Settled on a 625 JM. Congratulations! I like your pictures too! Bob

It's coming up on it's 100th birthday! May have battled the Hun (twice!).
Nice catch, but not as nice as the one you made, that caused a longer layaway. (Mrs. SixgunStrumpet)
Congrats on Both!!

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PTLAPTA!

I failed to see the "engraving" but regardless, it looks good to me.
Congrats on both acquisitions.

I think he's refering to the "US Army" and "United States Property" scratch marks. I was scratching my head for a minute too.

That's a nice one SS. I bought one myself and paid...well...a lot more. Congratulations, and enjoy it.

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John 3:16 .

Under $400? The last one I saw priced that low had the wrong barrel on it and was missing some parts. I'd be amazed to find one for under $500...no, make that $600.

Dave

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RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

I kinda like the mis-matched grips myself.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I would buy that for sub-$400 this afternoon. Very nice.

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Pisgah

That's a nice one.. Ain't hardly broke in.

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Eccentric old coot

Oh, it's not in the pictures. It is on the frame, under the stocks. Guy put his name and social security number on there I think. It doesn't bother me much being on the frame, under the stocks. If it were visible I would have been pretty annoyed.

So, it begs the question....does your new bride know about
this 1917?

She does not.

Although that's mostly because she doesn't care. I could probably be buying more guns without her actually having an issue, but I have too many other things I need to make sure I have the cash to square away in life here. She's just finishing up her child psychiatry fellowship (end of June!) and she will have her first free time in like, a decade, so I want to give her a nice vacation.

Then we move to Montana (up near Glacier National Park). Getting a starter house for now, I wasn't keen on the idea of buying an expensive house until we had lived there a while and figured out where we actually want to settle.

So I'm pretty much saving up most of my money to put into a good house and a piece of property, which we will start looking for next year. I hope that my dream of a secure gun room and enough property that I can shoot on my own land can finally be achieved. The city here on the east side in the Seattle area has encroached on me all my life. The Californians just keep squeezing, squeezing. Can't drive anywhere anymore without them clogging up traffic, or go anywhere without their absurd gigantic garbage houses filling up every patch of woods or cow pasture.

Yeah. I hate not getting to buy guns for a while, but if I can put that money instead into enough land that the Californians can't do this to me again? Worth it.

Man I can't wait to get out of here.

Welcome to Montana!!!

When I was buying me a piece of dirt, I asked the realtor about shooting on my property and the neighbor's reaction. He told me I may have a problem with that.

He felt that the neighbors may come by and shoot up all of my ammo.

It is a great feeling to be able to walk about 20 yards from the house and shoot. I do have to go to either the front or to the rear of my 20 acres to shoot 100 yards or more.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Considering how hot and heavy you were going at it for a while, it isn't surprising that you've had to slow down. (Talking about the gun buying here! ) Sounds like it was for a good reason though. Congratulations on a classic. (Talking about the 1917 here! )

I would have expected one in that condition to be twice that price. Nice job.

Congrats on the super low price on a great gun, but even more on getting out of California. I wouldn't be able to live anywhere near that level of humanity for any period of time.

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Dr. B

It wasn't California when I was born or grew up here, but Californian's saw to in short order.

A man with a plan! In todays world of "I want it now", that's rare! Congrats on the marriage and the wisdom.

Name on the frame is just part of it's history. Nice that it's under the grips as well.

Always wanted one when I was a kid in the 60s; the going price was, as I recall, around $29.95 and the Shotgun News was full of ads for them. I figured that I had forever to pick one up later on--so I bought other stuff instead.

By the time I figured I really, really ought to get one they were all in other peoples' sock drawers and hidden from the light of day. The few left out there were suddenly $1000 for a nice one.

Now I really didn't need one back then, and still really don't NEED one now, but you'd think that at least one widow would ask me to look at an "old gun" and it would turn out to be a shooter grade 1917.

Hope springs forever.

Sixgun, Don't forget to give us a shot on the Eastside while on your way to "The Big Sky". Spokane's cost of living is quite easily a quarter of what Seattle is and most of the Californios came here after Expo and now consider themselves locals and for the most part they have managed to fit in OK, we generally don't give newcomers much attention and as far as most of them are concerned that seems to be just fine. Although I live in what used to be referred to as the suburbs about five miles out of town I am only three miles to the Spokane Rifle Club on the river, I'm there three days a week and often more. I'm sure with a move near Glacier your bride will be interested in bear protection, I think that might be a good time to break out the old 1917 and see how things progress from there.

I have to say that Spokane has the weirdest feel to it of any town I have ever been in. It's not small, but it *feels* small. It feels like the town the time forgot, but then it got big, so it's the city that time forgot, but it isn't really a city, just a lot of town.

I enjoy my time there when I pass through, but I'm done with cities if I can help it.

We are actually in the process of buying a house right now just south of Big Fork MT. It's just a little starter house, but when she is established in her job and we know the area better we will look for a bigger house with more property. The thing is that my wife signed a 3 year contract at Kalispell Regional, so we are going to be there a while, the hope is to permanently settle there.

Sounds like we're in the same position. I got married last year and moved to Nashville for my wife's medical residency. So I've only bought guns after selling others. But since you "finally" have an authentic 1917... I will very gladly buy that custom chopped King sighted 1917 you bought awhile back!

You're a smart man to marry a good woman and move to the country! As soon as we can my wife and I will buy some land where I can shoot in my own backyard.

Hoosier...wait, which King 1917? I have a couple

Seriously though, when we were dating we had a sort of awkward time when she was interviewing at hospitals, but we were still dating. So there was this weird dynamic where she wanted my input in case we did get married, but of course I didn't want to sway her unduly in case we didn't.

It was pretty much all good though, since she was thinking about places that I wanted to live, and it just worked out that of all the places she could have ended up she chose one of my favorite places in the world.

I am really looking forward to settling down and seeing about some children with her. And going to the local gunshows.

Caleb,

The best thing you can do is put WA ST. in your rear view mirror!! But as you well know I am sure......the Californians are trying to take over Kalispell, Whitefish, etc......so keep your guard up buddy and keep them in check!!

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

The Colt cousin 1917.

Attached Images

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I purchased my only S&W 1917 (which shipped March 1918) back in 2012 from Wade's Gun Shop in Bellevue, WA for $875 including correct holster and tax. I feel I did good and the condition is excellent.

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303