I found one at a gun show today with all matching #s including grips. it has all teh right matking according to the SWSC. It's in very good condition- excellent.. It has the flaming bomb by teh trigger on the side plate. They only made 163000+ of these between 1917-1919.
Anyway I want a .45 ACP revolver to shoot and this would be pretty cool.
I think I can get it for around $900. Of course he is asking more...
1. Is that way out if line?
2. Is there anything to check as far as forgery?
3. Can some if you show me pics of yours?

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John 1:17
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By the time I left at 10:30 Berea was a zoo. Seems high to me unless it was very nice.I didn't see it but there were a lot of Smith's there. Watch the public lounge abt Mar 4th for the next NE Ohio S&W group. All the details will be in the Post. Larry

We didn't get there until 1:30pm it was starting to thin but still very crowded. The guy selling the .45 Army had no clue what he had. He was selling it so he could buy an auto loader...

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John 1:17
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the place was a zoo..... bunches of smiths..... did anyone see the engraved 1917? ( i think it was a 1917 )or the four inch 57 for 600?
I didn't even get a chance to see everything
step, step. wait..... step....wait....step....

Bump to top please ... new and more questions/ info.
mike

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John 1:17
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"...all matching #s inclyding grips in very good condition.. No box. SN is in the 30,000s circa 1920 maybe."

These are the smooth walnut grips, correct? Do they have a convex or a concave shape at the top? Is the number stamper on the inside or is the SN written in pencil? Does the hammer have grooved sides?

I believe this one would have shipped in 1918.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I plan to go back tomorrow for another look and serious inquiry..
The hammer did not have grooved sides. They were smooth walnuts stocks but I didn't notice a concave shape. I will have to check stamper #. I also want to check for stamp that says "SW DA 45" on the side of barrel. I don't remember that. The rest of the markings ll line up including the 4 lines on the Butt that say "US ARMY Model 1917". And the barrel is also stamped property United States property. The SN is in the 70Ks not 30Ks. That was a mistake... different gun today.
My biggest concern is that the barrel, although original has been reworked or reblued at SW. How would I know that?

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John 1:17
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"My biggest concern is that the barrel, although original has been reworked or reblued at SW. How would I know that?"

Why do you suspect the barrel has been changed? Color of the bluing?

The early 1917s had the grooved hammer and concave topped grips. A '17 in the 70,000 range wouldn't have these features.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Yes the blueing seems better on the barrel than the side plates. The blueing in the saddle between front strap and trigger guard is almost gone. The Blueing at the muzzle tip is worn but the main barrel seems very good for it's age. I took a pic but it's not very telling... I'll post anyway.

Attached Images

photo (8).jpg (68.2 KB, 142 views)

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John 1:17
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It's hard to tell from the photo, but it doesn't look refinished to me. There can be a slight variation in bluing between the barrel/cylinder and frame, so that may explain what you see. If the barrel has a matching SN, it's also hard to understand why someone would have just refinished that part.

PS How did you have two hands on the gun and take a photo?

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

He held the camera in his teeth.

Howdy

I paid $800 for this one just a few weeks ago. SN is 98XX. I have not had a chance to have it dated yet, but I am pretty sure it left the factory in 1918. The box of ammo was part of the deal, the ammo is dated 1918 on the box. It has the concave grips. if you look real close at the first photo you can barely make out S&W DA on the barrel. It's there, just did not show up too well in this photo.



This one does not have the flying bomb, instead it has the GHS inspector marks. And the grooved hammer.



Salts and sweat from hands can remove blue over time. It is not unusual to see bare metal on the backstrap as well as the front strap and trigger guard area of a revolver from years of use, particularly if the gun was put away often without being wiped down.

Generally speaking when a gun is reblued it is first polished to bring the metal to a uniform shine. Any pitting or surface scratches can be removed at this time. But it is easy to over polish the gun, particularly if there is a lot of pitting.

Some dead giveaways of over polishing with a reblue job are sharp corners that have been rounded over, lettering that is no longer distinct, and screw holes that are no longer round but have been 'dished'. When lettering is stamped, the stamp actually slightly raises the edges of the metal around the letters. Unrefinished stamping usually still has a slight raised edge around the letters that can be felt with the fingers.

The joint where the sideplate fits into the frame should be almost invisible. A poor refinish job will often round off the edges of the sideplate so that the joint becomes very visible. This Victory model exhibits a sideplate with rounded over edges from a poor polishing job.



A blued hammer and/or trigger is a dead giveaway of a refinished gun, S&W never blued hammers or triggers, they were always case hardened.

A top notch refinish job requires a very skilled touch. Any gun refinished at the S&W factory will get a first class refinish and it is often difficult to tell a factory refinish from a new gun. Poor refinish jobs by other than the factory usually announce themselves.

Thanks for the info. Very informative. And that would be the Mrs. holding the gun in the pic. Notice the thumb ring... she approves all purchases ahead of time, (keeps me from sending us to poor house) buys all the bottom feeders she can get her hands to fit and is an all around good sport. Married almost 32 years.

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Hi Mike, you're up early today. Couldn't sleep huh, is there a 45 entering you're life in the near future? Thank God you don't wear thumb rings. Good luck today, post pics of you're new gun later... Larry

Larry its off to church first. Priorities. Then I'll head over TI see what happens. Either the 547 or the 1917 army 45.
Mike

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John 1:17
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Well you never know what will happen when you walk into a gun show. The guy with the 1917 Army .45 wasn't there. I do have his # and we will hook up this week. He lives close by.
The 547 wasn't there! I was disappointed. When I asked the dealer about it he said he just didn't bring it.. He also lives very close by.
So I went all the way for nothing...
Except for the 19-3 nickel 4" P&R with matching box that just jumped into my bag...

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John 1:17
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Thats a shame. I was hoping to see some pics and a big smile. I had an M&P target for sale yesterday, lots of bites on it but no sale. Also have a 28-2 with the ser # S250,000 for sale if you know anyone. It was sold to an employee as per the letter. Larry