SMITH & WESSON DA 45 MODEL 1917 COMMERCIAL

weaponscollector · Nov 27, 2015

I am trying to date this S&W M1917, and gather any info I can. I've read in the forum that Serial numbers for 1917 - 1919 range from 1 - 169959. If I've got that right, then this pistol would probably date from 1919. Its serial number is 168729.

Muley Gil · Nov 27, 2015

Welcome to the Forum.

You have a nice condition commercial 1917 S&W, not a version that shipped to the US Army.

Only a factory letter from the historian can tell you the exact shipping date and to whom it was shipped.

Jack Flash · Nov 27, 2015

That looks very nice. The commercial M1917s bring a premium. Per the website below, yours dates to February, 1919. This was after the war ended of course. I would take that date with a grain of salt. It could be that was when the frame was made, but when it was actually finished, assembled and shipped may have been significantly later. If you pay for a factory letter, it will tell you the shipping date.

U.S. Military Dates of Manufacture

weaponscollector · Nov 27, 2015

Thanks for the info Muley Gil and Jack Flash. I am not sure having a factory letter would add much, but you never know.

Jack Flash · Nov 27, 2015

Sometimes a factory letter doesn't tell a whole lot more than what hardware store it was shipped to and what stocks it had on. For newer revolvers, the letter may not add much to its value at all. The same goes for any revolver that is in poor condition, modified, shortened barrel, non-original stocks, etc. Why would you want to letter something like that?

But yours is an older revolver, still in very nice condition, and would command a hefty price if you ever want to sell it. If it were mine, I would spend the $50 and get it lettered.

weaponscollector · Nov 27, 2015

You make a good point Jack Flash. I think that I'll take your advice. Thanks!

weaponscollector · Nov 27, 2015

I inherited this pistol with some other grips installed. See attached photos. The checkered wooden grips were in the box with the revolver.

Hondo44 · Nov 27, 2015

Welcome to this forum.

You have a beauty. I can pin it down by the stocks to at least 1920 and the absence of the "MADE IN USA" indicates before ~1923.

Hondo44 · Nov 27, 2015

weaponscollector said:
I inherited this pistol with some other grips installed. See attached photos. The checkered wooden grips were in the box with the revolver.

You will know if the grips are the originals to the gun by looking for the gun's serial # written in pencil on the back of the right grip. You'll need magnification and bright light to read it.

weaponscollector · Nov 27, 2015

Hondo44 said:
You will know if the grips are the originals to the gun by looking for the gun's serial # written in pencil on the back of the right grip. You'll need magnification and bright light to read it.

I'll check that out in the morning. Thanks for the suggestion Hondo44.

shouldazagged · Nov 27, 2015

Very nice indeed. You said you inherited it, so I assume you know some history on it that would add to its appeal.

frankynohankypanky · Nov 28, 2015

My Commercial 1917 in 99% condition and in an original box,serial no. 167382, shipped October, 1922.

BUFF · Nov 28, 2015

I bought my 1917 Commercial from a cool, old fashioned gun shop (Saddleback Valley Gun Center) in Laguna Niguel, California in 1995. Incredible single action trigger pull. SN # 181772. Shipped December, 1930. The small sights make me work hard, but it puts 6 swaged Speer 230 grain round noses into teeny, tiny little groups right at the point of aim at 25 yards.

CZU · Nov 28, 2015

This one, serial number 174737, shipped in May 1921 to a hardware store in New Orleans.

bettis1 · Nov 28, 2015

As desirable as that commercial M1917 is, those yellow grips may be even more valuable! From what I can see they may be the very rare factory "Tuscoid" which appeared on a few Reg. Mags. in the 1930's.

Bob

Hang-Fire Hank · Nov 28, 2015

BUFF said:
I bought my 1917 Commercial from a cool, old fashioned gun shop (Saddleback Valley Gun Center) in Laguna Niguel, California in 1995. Incredible single action trigger pull. SN # 181772. Shipped December, 1930. The small sights make me work hard, but it puts 6 swaged Speer 230 grain round noses into teeny, tiny little groups right at the point of aim at 25 yards.

Buff: Was George, the past owner, still there at the time? Made some good buys there too. I lived near So. Coast Plaza & would stop at that shop at least once a month, usually on the way down to the beach via Crown Valley Parkway.

Hank M.

weaponscollector · Nov 28, 2015

frankynohankypanky said:
My Commercial 1917 in 99% condition and in an original box,serial no. 167382, shipped October, 1922.

Thanks for the info frankynohankypanky. Does your box look like mine?

weaponscollector · Nov 28, 2015

bettis1 said:
As desirable as that commercial M1917 is, those yellow grips may be even more valuable! From what I can see they may be the very rare factory "Tuscoid" which appeared on a few Reg. Mags. in the 1930's.

Bob

Thanks Bob. I have had some private messages about those grips, so they do seem to be desirable.

Kinman · Nov 28, 2015

Welcome to the forum, congrats on the great pistol with extras. I enjoy hearing about cool finds other people run into. A guy that I shoot with at the rifle club drug out a coffee can the other day and asked me if I was interested in anything. I opened the can and saw about a dozen boxes of old...I mean old .22 rimfire target ammunition. I pulled the boxes out and told him that there are people that collect that stuff, there was a bunch of loose stuff in the bottom and I dumped it on the bench. I saw two magazines and picked up on that looked vaguely familiar, a very distinctive curve. I looked on the bottom and read Winchester and patent date 1919. I also shoot with some guys that shoot Model 52 Winchesters ever now and then and told the guy he might be onto a small goldmine. We waited until one of the guys came in later that day and handed them to him for an appraisal. He said "Winchester model 52's started in 1920, these could be VERY early mags and one of them is stepped for .22 short, making it very rare." My buddy asked him what they might be worth, the expert said "This long rifle mag might be worth an easy fifty bucks, let me call a guy about the .22 short mag because he is always looking for stuff like that, it could be worth an easy hundred bucks." I asked my buddy where he got the stuff, he said "One of the guys I work with knew that I shot alot and just gave the stuff to me." Cool! Hes the kind of guy you can wish stuff like that would happen to and when it does, its really cool. I did offer him twenty bucks for the pair....

BUFF · Nov 28, 2015

Hang-Fire Hank said:
Buff: Was George, the past owner, still there at the time? Made some good buys there too. I lived near So. Coast Plaza & would stop at that shop at least once a month, usually on the way down to the beach via Crown Valley Parkway.

Hank M.

Yes, his last name was Hoenig or something like that. I was staying in Laguna Beach on a family vacation. Nice guy, had some cool inventory.

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