is there anywhere to get a new barrel for a 1917. I have a all matching s/n with 88xxx on all parts . it is in real good condition except for the barrel rifling. I would like to make it a 3" but keep all the parts original. is there an aftermarket source or do I have to find an original and cut it down.

also is it ok to cut an 11degree forcing cone on the original or will that affect collector value.
thanks

For many years (also many years ago) I bought many Brazilian M1937 revolvers with shot out barrels. In those days I could get either new real S&W barrels or at least the Brazilian made replacement barrels from Numrich. However, the last revolver of that type I purchased needing a barrel I had a heck of a time finding one. I finally located a new S&W barrel on the web for $100, and considered myself lucky to get it. They seem to have really dried up.

There is no new parts supply for the pre-war 1917's. It took me over a year to run a Brazilian replacement barrel down. They are still out there in parts bins but you have to scrounge and ask to find them.

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

Found one on ebay last month for $96, like new.

Create a search and you'll be emailed every morning there's a new listing for one.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

About the time that last big batch of Brazilian 1937s was coming in (early ‘90s??) there was also a small flood of Brazilian-made replacement barrels that came here as well. IIRC, they were marked on the left side with the letters INA for something like “Industria Nacionale de Armas” or something similar. If you can find one of these, it will probably be less expensive, but they fit the Model 1917 just as well... personal experience here.

Froggie

I HAVE TO ASK Just what can make one think a barrel is 'shot out?' Are they really shot out, or it is it just neglect?? Thanks.

The ones I had to replace were bulged rather than worn out inside... although I’ve been told they would sometimes shoot just as well as their undamaged counterparts, I just couldn’t abide the whole “snake swallowed a frog” look (for obvious reasons!)

I did own a Hartford Arms single shot 22 whose bore was pretty much washed out... it had seen long duty in dusty West Texas and had just about lost its lands completely. More likely bores get damaged long before they get worn out though.

Froggie

I have seen some 1917s that the bore was so bad, you could barely tell that the barrel was once rifled. '17s have shallow rifling to begin with, so using corrosive primed ammo with indifferent cleaning rapidly degrades the bore.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Have you listed an ad with the Forum "want to buy". I have had good luck from forum members that have large stashed of parts.

I have a factory refinished barrel. It has never been on a gun. No military marks at all, it has a diamond and the number 8 on the barrel flat. Nice shiny bore. If your interested, I'm asking $125.00 shipped.
Don Mundell

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Don Mundell

If it's still available I'll take it, if it's 45 ACP. Never did this here, don't know the procedure. Thanks

It's yours. PM me your mailing address and we'll talk.

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Don Mundell

Jumping in here, is anyone else sees a 1917 barrel I'm looking for one.

Related question: will other N-frame barrels work on a 1917 frame, for example one from a 625?

Before anyone decides to change the barrel of a 1917 because the bore looks "shot out", they should be aware that compared to many other revolvers the 1917 bore looks shot-out even when brand new. The rifling they selected for those 230 gr. hardball loads is quite shallow and almost faint-looking compared to that in, say, a M&P 38 from the same era. Now, if it's pitted and looks like a 100-year-old cast iron sewer pipe, go right ahead and replace it if you wish...

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Pisgah

I don't know about a 625 but I have seen a Model 1955 barrel installed on a 1917 frame, and it was ugly as hell. The rib of a post-war barrel will not match the contour of the 1917 frame.

What about having the barrel relined, would that work?

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James Redfield
LM #497

Yes, but very expensive. Also the walls of the 1917 barrel are quite thin and the steel is 103 years old. Makes it unlikely that a gunsmith would want to tackle it.

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S&WCA 1729

I have been unable to find anyone who will work on a pistol/revolver barrel (e.g., re-rifling) at an affordable price. Most of the re-rifling shops have completely stopped doing this work at any price.

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

Bobby Hoyt is the go to gunsmith to reline muzzle loaders. I am not sure if he would tackle a cartridge revolver but it could be worth contacting him.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

Any N frame barrel will screw into any N frame. All used the same .670x 36 to the inch threads. But, some of the profiles don't match up.

One could machine off the top rib of a later barrel and leave the ejector shroud. Or machine the frame for adjustable sights and when doing so silver solder a short piece of grooved material off an old sight or barrel rib in a slot in front of frame so it matched barrel.

Bit of a shadow on this, but it is the junction between a Brazilian frame I added sights to and installed a 1950 45 barrel to and installed a piece of grooved material from the rib of another cut down barrel. Near perfect match. Viewed up close like this it seems I could trim front the sight piece a bit. Good as the new factory standard at least. LOL




Another option I have thought of is turning down .452 blank (I bought 2 from Green Mountain) to the profile you want. then machine in a small key way type slot in the right spot and use an old lug from a junk barrel machined to fit the slot and silver soldered in.

Just spit balling here, but I‘m wondering whether it would work to mill the sides of a modern barrel rib to make it narrow enough to match the frame... along the style of an early, narrow rib K38. If a post-War set of adjustable sights were then installed it should all match up nicely.

Or have I not had enough coffee this morning?

Froggie

The problem is the old frames are round on top and the rib on a modern barrel sticks up about an 1/8th inch over the rounded part. Making the rib into a shallow ramp from a bit out on the barrel and cutting new grooves might look OK.
But, another problem is that the fix sight frames sight groove is so low you would see the rib in the bottom of groove and you would need to remove the ramp and install an blade that just peeked up out of rib.

A 1950 style bbl, the narrow profile bbl makes a nice fixed site bbl for a '17 or a HD if you remove the rib. You leave a small section of the rib at the muzzle to use as a pin in place base for the front site blade.

Not exactly an inexpensive item to find in the first place and then to modify it into a fixed site bbl would only make sense to us gun project types.

1917 bbls are around,,just not hanging on trees anymore like a lot of things we find usefull.

Too bad the bbl rebore/re-rifle mechanics are just about gone. Those that are still at it don't seem to interested in handgun bbls.
Orphan HD bbls are still pretty common and can be rebored right up to 45..
Cost to get there can be another issue these days however as well as turnaround.
The last one I had done was by Jim DuBell in 2009 I think.
(He's gone now,, 2015).
That one took over a yr to get returned, but the price was more than fair at $110 IIRC.
He was doing all the rebore work for Bowen and a few other Pistolsmith's at the time plus rifle rebore work and gunsmithing. Very highly rated
My single entry probably sat on a shelf marked 'Other Requests'..!

Hello. I'm new to this forum. I hope I'm posting in the right place. I'm looking for a barrel for a Smith & Wesson M1917 Revolver .45 cal for a Christmas present. Anyone have one to sell. Thank you. Sharon

Welcome to the Forum Sharon.

You should also post in the "Wanted to Buy" section.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

In the 1950s when S&W and Colt Model 1917 .45acp revolver could be purchased from mail order sites for $25.00 I purchased a number of them. I found that most of the Colts would have nice bores but most of the S&Ws would have pitted bores ?

VERY MUCH WORTH REPEATING.....

J.

There was a well known local gun shop owner that had a big box of them on the end of the revolver counter, we used to joke about handing them out as party favors. Their value went right over my head at the time and like many others are kicking themselves for not grabbing at least a half dozen or so, or at least three.