1917 Eye Candy

[Anna Retzik]

Hello, For My 1st real post, I thought I would throw out some eye candy.

I got this 1917 from My Father.

It was made in 1917 and has no US Govt. markings, but it does have a heck of a lot of British stamps on if.

There are no markings on the right side and bottom of the bbl.

The left side and top of the bbl have writing. The left side of bbl, frame and cylinder have a lot British stamping.

The S/N is located on the butt by the lanyard loop.
As for the finish I would put in the high 90's percentile.

There are no markings on the backside of the grips or the frame under them. There is another Brit stamp just above the left grip.

I would appreciate any information that you can give Me and I will answer any that I can.

Get out the Clorox, this eye candy is almost a 100 yrs old.

 

[Modified]

That's no 1917, that's what is known as a Triple Lock.

It looks like it was probably originally chambered in .455 Webley but a gunsmith shaved the face of the shield to accommodate .45 Auto Rim or .45acp with half moon clips.

It's really late and I just got off an airplane, but other folks will be along to tell you a lot more about it. Very neat gun.

 

[Muley Gil]

That's no 1917, that's what is known as a Triple Lock.

It looks like it was probably originally chambered in .455 Webley but a gunsmith shaved the face of the shield to accommodate .45 Auto Rim or .45acp with half moon clips.

It's really late and I just got off an airplane, but other folks will be along to tell you a lot more about it. Very neat gun.

Welcome to the Forum.

SS has nailed the ID for you. Not a 1917, but a converted 1st Model .455 Triple Lock, built for the Brits at the beginning of WW I.

 

[Hondo44]

Welcome to the forum. More specifically you have a:

".455 Mk II Hand Ejector 1st Model", (nicknamed 'Triple Lock' for it's three cyl lock system) in the .455 British contract serial # range 1 to #5461 [H of S&W pg. 201] made 1914-15; thus creating a possible c. 68 duplicate serial #s of the 812 ".44 1st Model" TLs, also in .455 chambering.

It's a different gun and earlier made than the Model 1917 45 ACP revolvers with heat treated cylinders.

Yours is stamped 45 AR (Auto Rim) because that is safe to shoot in your gun, having a similar pressure level of the .455 Mk II cartridge. Although it will chamber 45 ACP with clips, the pressure is too high for your non-heat treated cyl.

Your gun was produced and exported to England under contract for WW I. It has acceptance stamps as well as later stamps such as the "Not English Make" indicating it was exported from England thru proper channels.

 

[Anna Retzik]

Gentlemen, Thank You for the information. Now the only thing left to do today is take it out and shoot it.

 

[shouldazagged]

Gentlemen, Thank You for the information. Now the only thing left to do today is take it out and shoot it.

Welcome from Louisville. Stick around, you'll like it here.

 

[handejector]

That gun appears to have been proofed TWICE.
Interesting.
Perhaps it was proofed after the conversion.

 

[Modified]

That gun appears to have been proofed TWICE.
Interesting.
Perhaps it was proofed after the conversion.

Given the "not english make" stamp I would suspect that's exactly what happened.

I'd be curious to see the face of the cylinder and the shield on it to see how the conversion would accomplished, and to see if there are any stamps on it (maybe under the stocks?) that indicate who did the work on the gun.

 

[Hondo44]

Given the "not english make" stamp I would suspect that's exactly what happened.

I'd be curious to see the face of the cylinder and the shield on it to see how the conversion would accomplished, and to see if there are any stamps on it (maybe under the stocks?) that indicate who did the work on the gun.

From Post #4:
"Your gun was produced and exported to England under contract for WW I. It has acceptance stamps as well as later stamps such as the "Not English Make" indicating it was."

When exported from England thru proper channels, it was proofed again. Likely it wasn't converted until after it was imported back into the US. English conversions will often have the converter's name. Not so in the USA.

"Once they left service there, they had to go through the British decommissioning and proofing process in order to enter the commercial market."
DC Wilson

"From 1925 to 1955 the "NOT ENGLISH MAKE" was stamped on 1911s and 1911A1s so the same rule was applied to revolvers; this is from a reference book on military pistols." Lee Barner

The markings were added during the 50's when WW I & II surplus guns in England were sold to US importers to be brought back to the States.

 

[Anna Retzik]

Given the "not english make" stamp I would suspect that's exactly what happened.

I'd be curious to see the face of the cylinder and the shield on it to see how the conversion would accomplished, and to see if there are any stamps on it (maybe under the stocks?) that indicate who did the work on the gun.

Here are more photos, hope this is what You want to see.



Made a trip to the indoor range today, and it shoots well at 7 yds.