1917 information

[GaryinOKC]

I shared this one after I picked it up a year or so ago. 1917 SN 93240 in excellent condition. SW archives show it shipped on 8-15-1918 to "US Govt". Is there any resource or database that may have more information on where in the US Govt it went?

[/IMG]

 

[Muley Gil]

I shared this one after I picked it up a year or so ago. 1917 SN 93240 in excellent condition. SW archives show it shipped on 8-15-1918 to "US Govt". Is there any resource or database that may have more information on where in the US Govt it went?

[/IMG]

IIRC, they were all shipped to Springfield Armory in Mass. From there, who knows?

After the war, a number of the 1917s were sent to the post office and some went to the Border Patrol.

 

[DWalt]

That is the situation common to nearly all military firearms. There were few, if any, official records kept as to where they served after initial receipt from the factory. Nearly all military issued S&W M1917s were shipped in 1918.

 

[Oscarflytyer]

I have one almost exactly 2000 serials later - 95231. It is one of the 1918 leftover guns "found" and used to fulfill the 1946 Brazilian contract.

 

[JimFr]

My Smith came to me in a trade . . .
Way back, when dirt was young, I had a Navy Arms repro Zouave musket ($90) that I traded to a member of the rifle team.
His brother-in-law worked at the post office, and when he retired, he absconded with TWO Smith M1917s.
My team-mate wound up with them, and subsequently offered ONE of them to me for my Zouave.
I chose the better-looking of the two!
Still have it! Shoots GREAT!

 

[GaryinOKC]

1917

My Brazilian contract is in the 166K range. Need to do a little research on it as well.

I have one almost exactly 2000 serials later - 95231. It is one of the 1918 leftover guns "found" and used to fulfill the 1946 Brazilian contract.

 

[GaryinOKC]

1917

Good trade!

My Smith came to me in a trade . . .
Way back, when dirt was young, I had a Navy Arms repro Zouave musket ($90) that I traded to a member of the rifle team.
His brother-in-law worked at the post office, and when he retired, he absconded with TWO Smith M1917s.
My team-mate wound up with them, and subsequently offered ONE of them to me for my Zouave.
I chose the better-looking of the two!
Still have it! Shoots GREAT!

 

[murphydog]

As noted above, absent a personal or family story knowing about the history of a specific gun is nearly impossible to track down.

Interestingly, I have seen more specific information on USMC Colt M45A1s and military trial Sig Sauer M17s than was ever available in the past.