Hi James,

I enjoyed seeing the images.

Oh yeah, that old S & W is so cool and honest, it would be a Sin to change or alter anything about it.

Those are Lucite Stocks with paper under them then?

OK, everyone has convinced me not modify it, but I am going to have a gunsmith check it out before I try firing it as its been in storage since 1946.
The grips are lucite or plexiglass, with some kind of wrinkled foil underneath. They were well done as the holes look to be milled or drilled with a drill press, and are well fitted to the frame.
My father-in-law was surprised and pleased that so many liked it and valued the role it played in the battle.

Many thanks to everyone,
JJ

I just lubed my 1917 up with my Skilsaw Oil, and, I must say, the Revolver REALLY seemed to like it.

In a truely Cold clime, this might be a little too viscous, but in a mild or warmer clime, should be fine...

I mention this as a round-about way of making sure you ( or your designated Gunsmith ) Lube the Daylights out of it, especially as it has been sitting so long.

Just about every old Revolver I have gotten, was dry as a proverbial Bone inside...or, what old Lube there was, had turned to Wax and was not Lubing anything no mo'.

Anyway, Yup! Love your old 1917, that is a real Gem..!

This is the one my older son, current Army E5, 68WF, was gifted from the wife of my dear departed good friend & forum member Sandy Jacobs (IBSandy), I've posted about it before (1917 questions (pics in 2nd post)) hope you don't mind me adding it to this thread. The first 2 pics is how it looked when Sandy got it a few years ago, the second 2 after he had it refinished by a local 'smith that did a very nice job with it. It would've been cool if he hadn't refinished it but it means the world to my son as it used to be "Uncle Sandy's", & by the way the action is beautiful & lock up is very good to excellent:

Simply, wow. I'm awed just looking at those pics. I've often wondered, "If only that gun could talk", but most likely even if this old gun could, it would not--like many of the veterans of the day...some things just could not be talked about, except with others who Were There.

Little earlier time period but here's what I got

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I have one of the Brazilians as well, but no handy pics of it.

Dad got this in the 1950s. It had already been nickle plated and converted from .455 to .45acp/autorim. It was orginally blued and shipped to England for WWI.

I had been searching for years for an approaching-reasonably priced Model 1917, then came across a M37 (?), Brazilian Navy contract gun - so I grabbed it. Metal is in real nice shape, but the checkered grips were pretty beat up. I assume that's because it spent its life rattling around in the small arms locker in a Brazilian Navy destroyer or patrol boat, and was hardly ever fired.
So I could use it as a shooter, I got a set of Packy rubber ones, and when I took the wood grips off I discovered that the lanyard ring came off really easy by removing a retaining pin from the grip frame. I saved the grips and lanyard together, of course.
It shoots fine, but my middle-aged eyes don't care for the milled groove fixed rear sight.
Does anybody know if there are any mechanical difference between those later contract guns and the US Model 1917's?

Welcome to the Forum, didactic.

There were two contracts for the 1917 Brazilian revolvers. The first ones were built in the late 1930s and have the square notch rear sight. There was a later shipment of Brazilians in the late 1940s that was built on surplus WW I 1917 frames.

Collectors prefer the US Army marked 1917s.

Are the grips matched to the revolver, with the serial number stamped on the inside?

When these revolvers came back into the US, most often they were just dumped in crates and shipped. It is rare to find a Brazilian that has a good finish.

__________________
John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Mine is well worn but still the best shooting firearm I own.

I've already posted my 1917. I have it since 1973 and it was the cause I started in 2004 a collection of WWI&WWII field gears. At the first I wanted only accessorize my gun with period stuff. Here all three holsters issued for the venerable: M1909, M2 and a cherry mint M4.

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I lucked into an early 1917 a few years back at a local hockshop. Dirtiest gun I ever saw, and I got it for $200. However, it cleaned up nicely and has about 70% original blue. Bore very lightly frosted, but it still shoots nicely with jacketed bullets. As is common, not quite so well with cast bullets, but still OK for most purposes.

GHD inspector's mark, early s/n range, and apparently transferred to another federal agency after the war. The "US Army Model 1917" has been ground off the butt and replaced with a hand-stamped number, but the "United States Property" rollmark under the barrel is intact. I've been told that this may indicate transfer to the Post Office Department. Does anyone know if this is accurate?

FUN gun to shoot!

Don't have any pictures right now but I have what I believe is a M1917 it has been nickel plated and the barrel cut down to about 3in and the lanyard has been removed. It is SN118567. What year would that make it?

Like a few others here, I well remember the 1950s, when 1917 revolvers were sold by Ye Olde Hunter and others for $35. As a high schooler in NJ, I scraped together then dough and ordered a Colt by mail, no questions asked. It arrived Parkerized and pristine in Cosmoline, and I shot it a lot, but because I have fairly small hands I never liked the feel, so I sold it. Bad decision. Years later though, I was lucky enough to find a 1917 S&W, like new, taken as a trade-in by a dealer at a gun show. He let it go for well under Blue-Book "value" (don't get me started on that subject!). Oddly enough, the S&W looks like all the others here, dished stocks and all. I have also owned for years a really nice 1911 GM Colt made in 1917, so I'm the fortunate owner of two WWI sidearms, as well as some original .45 ACP rounds from 1916 in the original half-moon clips. As both these classics approach their century mark, I can still appreciate the quality of American design and manufacture of a bygone era. Lucky me.

Welcome to the Forum.

Is your 1917 marked on the butt "US ARMY" above the lanyard loop (or it's hole; some have been removed), with the serial number underneath, in two lines? If so, it would have been built in 1918.

__________________
John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I'm kinda disappointed-- 6 long pages of discussion and lots of beautiful photo's, but only about a half-dozen cut-down 1917 S&W's! I guess maybe it's sacrilegious, but I really like the looks of a 1917 S&W snubby-- ditto for a Colt 1917 or New Service. Don't care for a fitz-style trigger guard, but a big old 45 caliber revolver with a short barrel is just plain cool.

Here's one that has been to England and back. Somehow ended up with the OSS issued to my friends father.

If anyone has an idea where I can find a set of original grips for less than a small fortune I'm all ears. I've been flirting with having a restoration completed by Turnbull or the like...

Picked up 6 years ago from WWI vet owner when visiting a retirement community in Vero Beach, Florida. It was his issue gun as a 1st lt. in the artillery. He felt the time to have it around had passed. My plan would be to play it forward eventually in like manner. In the meantime it holds a respected place in my collection.

Larry, .45 H. E. serial number 47411 was shipped in April 1918. Hope that this helps.
Roy
Roy G. Jinks
Historian, Smith & Wesson

There probably isn't too much history about this one, it's in too nice of shape to have acquired any!













I just bought it recently from a LGS. Must have been in safe keeping for a long time.

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SWCA 2082

I'd like to find a beater in mechanically good condition to cut down to a 3". From the pics I've seen, it looks very nicely balanced and handy--a nice packing pistol.

Shot this at age 7, which my Grandfather carried in France, as an Army machine-gunner in WWI, and I was the one who he willed it to when he passed in '74. My best friend, an LEO armor for his dept., took it to Springfield when he went thru the "Smith" school, and had it all checked out and tuned at that time (he has since passed), so this will never leave our family !
I still shoot it sometimes when I go to the range, although not as much as I once did.
Although this in only my second post, I've been around awhile, only lurking, until I saw this thread on the 1917. Funny how a lot of other folks, this was one of their first pistols to shoot at a young age, as well as how they were able to buy these once they mustered out of the Army after the war.
It's sitting on my Dad's flight jacket, along with my Gunsite and a couple of Bark River blades (something else I collect) This is one of four other S&W's in our home, and this one has a very special place in my heart, for sure. It is about 85%, but shoots like it came out of the factory a few months ago, so they tell me in Springfield after they went through it completely. Love to shoot it, and have become quite fond of full-moon clips as well.

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Hi Gary, I have questions about what I would call a S&W Model 1917 in .22 with target sights. This is my 82 year old neighbor's gun that belonged to her father. Would you be willing to contact me via email? [email protected] Thank you.

This revolver belongs to my good neighbor who is 82 yrs young. Her mind is sharp and she says this gun belonged to her father who wore it in the Army. I don't see any US markings, and it is .22 Long Rifle. I doubted this info, but she also has the original leather holster. It does not say US on it, but is tapered (Slim Jim?) brown leather, has flap, and does have the wire hanger that would insert into the holes of the old Army pistol belt.
This gun is in amazing condition. Not a scratch. Only some holster wear near muzzle.
Note the target sights.
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Could I get some feedback as to when it was made, and if the military connection is possible? While I'm at it, if those of you could give us an estimate of value (with holster), that would be great.
I may be able to get her to sell it.
Thank you for your time and effort.

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This nice gun belongs to my 82 year young neighbor. She tells me her father carried it in the Army in WWI. I doubted that as it is a .22 and there are no military markings. The original holster is leather with flap and no "US" but there is the old wire hook which would hang from the old style pistol belt.
She also has what she said is the original box. But the box says it is for a "32 Winchester". Now I read there is a 22/32! What the heck is that?
I welcome any information from the experts out there. Condition is fantastic. Not even a scratch. Very little holster wear on muzzle of barrel. Let's get the discussion going. Thank You!

Union Mack,

Your neighbor's revolver is indeed a .22/.32 Heavy Frame Target revolver. It is a .22 rimfire built on the .32 Long frame. I doubt that is a military gun, though it was not uncommon for servicemen to carry all sorts of handguns that were NOT official issue. General Patton carried a Colt Woodsman .22 pistol while on maneuvers in the US Southwestern desert before leaving for Europe.

A box marked .32 Winchester once contained a K frame Military & Police revolver chambered for the .32-20 cartridge.

The 1917 patent date on the grips refers to the shape of the grips, which basically modify a round butt frame to a square butt.

__________________
John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I don't have mine anymore, but I'm looking for another one. But here's what it looked like

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THX , Roy

I purchased this in 1966 for less than $50. I haven't fired it for many years, but am confident it's ready if I ever need it (let's hear it for revolvers!).

The serial number indicates it was made in 1917.

I used it with magna grips, as I have large hands. Now I need help re-attaching the lanyard ring.

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Just received from a fellow forum member.

+1
I like the big-bore snubbys too.

I just closed an auction for this one on GunBroker. It looks great from the pictures posted to the auction. I can't wait to take delivery of it!!!

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There are a couple hanging around at my place too.
The lower one is a commercial model that shipped in 1925; it has no original finish, and it's been rebarreled. Still a nice shooter though; I keep it next to my keyboard as a home defense measure.
The military one has been to England and back.

Very nice Geezer. Does either or both have the cylinder hold open detent?

I'm researching 1917s to determine if any did not have it.

Thank you,

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Jim
S&WCA #819

The GI gun still has the detent and spring, and there's a nice 'turn line' inside from it. this gun was made in 1919 iirc, serial is 163,7xx.
The commercial model does not have the spring or detent, though the hole in the yoke is there and there's a seat cut into the frame.
The machining marks in the commercial frame are a lot rougher than in the GI frame, and I can't say for certain if there ever was one installed.
I can make a photo if it would help.
I hope this helps.

Geezer,

Thanks much for taking the time to respond! That's very helpful especially the observation that it doesn't look like the spring and plunger were ever installed. If the yoke is removed by someone unaware of the detent parts, they go flying across the room, often never to be recovered. This may have been the case when the com'l model was very new.

Not necessary to provide the photo. But I will post for others. If you wish to restore that feature it's quite simple to do and I can provide a link to a thread explaining how to.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

I would like to see that link; my .455 triple lock is in need of one as well.
Thanks

Geezer,
Posts 67 thru 69 on page 2 here:
N-frame but what is it? What's it worth?

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Thanks, I read the whole thread, very informative.

Here's a Brazilian I picked up today and a Colt I picked up last year. The Colt is in desperate need of a new ratchet to solve some timing issues, but the Smith has a very smooth action.

Very nice! 1937 or 1946 contract revolver? Round or flat top frame?

The Colt star responds well to a little judicial peening and/or stretching of the hand to resolve the timing issue. Very simple cure.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Thanks- it's a flat top, ser# 198xxx- that makes it a '37, right?

Yes. That's right.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Here's my 2nd latest S&W I couldn't walk away from. It's got all matching #'s (1723xx) and I'm told its a commercial model. The one grip panel has a slight crack in it, so I took them off so I can fire it. It's in nice shape with some honest wear.

"...I'm told its a commercial model."

Yes, it is. The commercial models have the S&W trademark on the left side of the frame (shown) and have the standard serial number stamped on the butt, without the US Army markings.

__________________
John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Mounted Signal Corps Officer's Bringbacks.

I need more closet space.

Regards.

Bob

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R. M. Bob Horton
#2170

Dang Bob, that's a splendid array of period accouterments!

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Here's another one, nothing special, but still a good shooter. SN is 83613

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"Nothing special" but very nice.

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Registration? NEVER!