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S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961 All 5-Screw & Vintage 4-Screw SWING-OUT Cylinder REVOLVERS, and the 35 Autos and 32 Autos


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Old 10-07-2020, 10:10 PM
FinnMike FinnMike is offline
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Default Another Brazilian query

My Brazilian has a 1917 surplus (?) rounded frame, and the SN is 163,591; features that do not fit the usual configuration. The frame, cylinder, extractor and (I believe) barrel match, although some ape stamped the importer's mark over the number. The inspector's mark is S34. The S&W DA 45 is on the left side of the barrel. The cylinder has a very faint plum color, but I see no sign of refinish, as both the small S&W and the Brazilian crest are sharp with raised features. Overall, the finish is VG plus per Supica. The lanyard ring is present. The stocks do not match, having a stamped SN of 167,906. I would appreciate suggestions that would resolve these inconsistencies to my mind. Thanks....
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Old 10-07-2020, 10:45 PM
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tenntex32 tenntex32 is offline
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If you are referring to the rounded rear sight frame and the 163591 s/n then I can say that Brazil took 2 shipments of M1917 revolvers.

The first shipment (prior to WWII) consisted of M1917 examples built identically to the commercial models of that time frame, except for them having the Brazilian crest on the sideplate. Those serial numbers typically run from around the 180xxx serial number range and up.

Your example has an earlier serial number and more rounded rear sight due to the fact that it was built on a rejected/leftover/found WWI era U.S. military production M1917 frame. It may also have the small eagles head/S-(number) inspector markings on various parts commonly found on delivered U.S. contract M1917 examples. They will usually look identical to U.S. military M1917 examples except for them having the Brazilian crest on the sideplate.

S&W found a batch of parts/partially assembled WWI era M1917 stuff at the factory and sold the Brazilians revolvers built with those parts. Many/most of the post-WWII Brazilian M1917 delivery was the revolvers built on the rejected/leftover/found WWI era U.S. military contract M1917 frames/parts. (Or so I have read.)

Many of the post-WWII delivered Brazilian M1917 examples built with the rejected/leftover/found WWI era U.S. military contract parts will fall into the entire range of serial numbers delivered to the U.S. military. I have a factory letter pic stating that Brazilian M1917 examples can fall anywhere in the M1917 serial number range from s/n 1 to 210,000 due to the found WWI era parts guns delivered to the Brazilians and of course the later serial numbered range commercial model framed examples from the pre-WWII delivery.

I still need to add a nice post-WWII delivered Brazilian example built with WWI era U.S. contract M1917 parts to my M1917 collection. It'll happen eventually.

HTH,
Dale
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Last edited by tenntex32; 10-07-2020 at 11:07 PM.
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Old 10-08-2020, 08:23 AM
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I'm not sure what you're finding inconsistent. The stocks not matching could easily be explained. They may have been put on at the factory because they were the set closest at hand, or (more likely) over its long years of service in Brazil, it was in a batch of revolvers that were disassembled for cleaning, etc., and during reassembly little or no care was given to which stocks went on what gun.

I'm wondering if the plum cylinder was blued way back in 1918 and if so it's been aging for a hundred years. I believe people here have observed M1917 cylinders are prone to this color change.

Since the post-WWII run was done make some money and get rid of outdated components, S&W probably went the cheap route and didn't re-blue all the steel to get a perfect match. Good enough was good enough.
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