handejector
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A very decent 1917 Commercial, shipped in May, 1926.
Not bad for 88 years!
Have you ever thought about how WW I depleted the supply of walnut?
The 1920's grips are the plainest wood S&W had ever used, except for the military contract Model 1917's.
If you handle enough guns, you will eventually find some non-medallion grips that have shrunk and/or warped.
Still, in high condition, they can be quite attractive-
The often obliterated penciled number, always on the upper half of the right grip-
During WW I 1917 production, the yoke detent was dropped from the military guns. In military guns, you will sometimes find a yoke that is drilled but has no detent, and the frame is not dimpled for it. You can also find a dimpled frame with a yoke that is not drilled. There were probably some that had both drilled, but no detent was installed.
After the War, the yoke detent was again installed in the N frame guns, and this one has it-
However, with this gun, they forgot one important detail- the frame is not dimpled for the detent to catch on!
Apparently, they didn't always make 'em like they used to even back in the Good Ole Days when they used to make 'em like they used to.
Note the line that the detent has rubbed in the blue-
I always found it interesting that military 1917's had the fouling cup. Why didn't they drop that early on as an expedient? 45 Ball ammo was ALWAYS loaded with smokeless powder and jacketed bullets, so it wasn't very necessary.
Did they drop it for later production? I honestly can't remember.
Do you have a military 1917 without the cup?
Not bad for 88 years!
Have you ever thought about how WW I depleted the supply of walnut?
The 1920's grips are the plainest wood S&W had ever used, except for the military contract Model 1917's.
If you handle enough guns, you will eventually find some non-medallion grips that have shrunk and/or warped.
Still, in high condition, they can be quite attractive-
The often obliterated penciled number, always on the upper half of the right grip-
During WW I 1917 production, the yoke detent was dropped from the military guns. In military guns, you will sometimes find a yoke that is drilled but has no detent, and the frame is not dimpled for it. You can also find a dimpled frame with a yoke that is not drilled. There were probably some that had both drilled, but no detent was installed.
After the War, the yoke detent was again installed in the N frame guns, and this one has it-
However, with this gun, they forgot one important detail- the frame is not dimpled for the detent to catch on!
Apparently, they didn't always make 'em like they used to even back in the Good Ole Days when they used to make 'em like they used to.
Note the line that the detent has rubbed in the blue-
I always found it interesting that military 1917's had the fouling cup. Why didn't they drop that early on as an expedient? 45 Ball ammo was ALWAYS loaded with smokeless powder and jacketed bullets, so it wasn't very necessary.
Did they drop it for later production? I honestly can't remember.
Do you have a military 1917 without the cup?
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