1917 model 1937 Brazilian Contract .45

[ralph7]

Congrats...I've also got an early issue Brazilian model, it was my first revolver chambered in .45acp. I immediately found a new pistol to shoot. If you like to mess around with cast bullets you can have alot of fun with these little .45's. I've become so addicted to shooting mine that it sent me off on a quest for a serious revolver in the same caliber and ended up with a terrific pre-number model of 1955 from a forum member. Find the grips that suit you best and enjoy shooting it. My hand completely swallows magnas, I've got them on an Outdoorsman and even with the T-grip its not comfortable to shoot, if it ain't comfortable your not going to shoot it as good as you could if it was. I had a pair of rosewood target stocks intended for the Outdoorsman, they ended up on the Brazilian and thats the end of that problem. If you don't already know what fits your hand, go to a local gunshop and try a few on, you can usually find a bit of everything if you look around. For me its always been N-frame square butt presentation target stocks, I even had John whip me a pair for a round butt framed 629...perfection. I don't care for rubber grips, I ain't saying they don't work....just don't care for them. Find what fits your hand and feels good to you, forget the rest, its a shooter...unless your going to use it in a WWII reenactment and dress up like Juan Valdez.
You will find that it will shoot factory hardball 230 gr bullets real well, thats what it was basically designed to do. They have real shallow rifling. I use a 200 grn SWC with Lyman #2 alloy over 4.5grn of Bullseye, I'm also experimenting with Titegroup and 185 grn Hornady XTP's. The trick is to find the right load that shoots to your chosen point of aim. I'm finding I need to beef up my cast bullet load or maybe switch to a heavier bullet...thats half the fun of a new pistol is figuring out what it likes.

I have an old beater and you are quite right about the shallow rifling, probably the most shallow I have seen. Mine shoots low and I could probably get it to come up some with heavier slugs, but I just hold a little front sight in the rear notch and it hits well.

 

[Hondo44]

Ralph,

Hold he front sight to fill the rear notch flush with the top and it may shoot right on center.

 

[ralph7]

Jim, it was hitting low with that hold for me, kinda strange but true!

 

[damienph]

Here is a pic of my 1937. I do have the grips that came with it but they are just way too small for me to shoot comfortably. These N-frame targets have been on it since the mid '90s. I traded a pair of Pachmayer Signatures and $10 for these at a gunshop in Jeff City, MO.

This is actually one of my favorite revolvers to shoot and I am lucky enough at almost 62yo to have a pretty good selection.

 

[spad124]

I had one of these First Group revolvers (shipped circa 1938) with the square notch. It was in much worse shape than yours, but it did have the original stocks (at least I believe they were original). They were checkered with S&W medallions (gold, IIRC), not smooth like the book says. I suppose it is always possible that they were replaced somewhere along the line.

From a purely functional perspective, you may want to try shooting it with the rubber grips (Pachmayrs?) that are now on it. You may be able to shoot it much more accurately and comfortably than you could using the "correct" stocks.

That's a nice old warhorse! Have fun shooting it.

With my 1917 I've found that I have a hard time shooting accurately with the original stocks. I found a pair of Sile wood target grips in a LGS for $10. I relieved the bottom of the grips for the lanyard ring. The targets made my 1917 much easier to shoot accurately.

I suspect you'll be more accurate with the Pachs that are on your 1917, but if it were me, I'd hunt down a pair of original grips also

 

[spad124]

OP, I think that you did great for $300! I bought my 1937 Brazilian in the late '80s when a bunch of them were imported, I don't remember what I paid but it was around $200. I still have the original grips somewhere but mine have been fitted with factory targets since the mid '90s because they are most comfortable to me.

Enjoy your Smith, mine is surprising accurate with 230gr LRN handloads in R-P Auto Rim brass.

Hedrin,

I have the same experience as damienph, my 1917 gives 5"@15 yard combat sized groups with ACP hardball, but with R-P Auto Rim brass, W231 powder, and Berry's plated bullets and I can get 5 of 6 touching at 15 yards-shallow rifling and all. The load is to .45ACP hardball specs. I suspect it's the Auto Rim cases.

 

[Hedrin]

Finally got around to replacing the grips. If there were such a thing as feng shui for guns, this was the totally right thing to do.

Now I need to find a replacement lanyard.

 

[Hondo44]

Lanyard swivels available at the following sources:

Gun Parts Corp: Successor to Numrich Arms; many guns parts.
226 Williams Lane, West Hurley, NY 12491
Phone: 845-679-2417
e-Mail: [email protected]
Web Site: Firearm Parts & Accessories | Military Surplus | Numrich Gun Parts

Poppert's Gun Parts: Poppert's Gun Parts Main Menu
P.O. Box 413
Glenside, PA 19038
Tel: 215-887-2391 Fax: 215-887-5816
Email: [email protected]

Liberty Tree Collectors Phone:207-285-3111
139 Main Street, Corinth, ME 04427
Email:[email protected]
Liberty tree collectors has original, CCH lanyard rings (but without the pin) for $25.

 

[Hondo44]

Interesting experience:

7 years ago I bought my dad a 1937 contract Brazilan, well worn but not abused or reblued. He cleaned it up and wanted the barrel shortened to 3 1/2" which my son and I did for him.

We took it to the range with a 1917 w/added pre war target sights, a 1950 Coml model 1917 with added S&W micro click sights, and my pre Model 26 with it's original factory sights. I shot all four with the same favorite handload of mine, with hard cast 230 grain bullets. They all shot very well, but the Brazilian, you guessed it, shot the tightest groups of all four guns.

 

[StrawHat]

Jim,

Might have something to do with the new crown?

Kevin

 

[Hondo44]

Jim,

Might have something to do with the new crown?

Kevin

Kevin,

I just don't know. My son and I are not gunsmiths, we just try to do careful work cutting, crowning, and soldering the front sight back on.

The 1950 pre 26 and the 1950 coml 1917 had both been cut to 4" and re-crowned as well; and both by gunsmiths. The other vintage 1917 was the only one with its original barrel length, 5 1/2".

I shot all of them from a bench rest. Anyway, the three of us had a good laugh over the fixed sighted and cheapest gun, shooting the best! It was my dad's favorite and it or his 1911 was always by his side until he passed away 6 years ago.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

My 1917 is a post war gun with the smooth WWI grips. I like their feel, but they don't fit my larger than WWI hands. I put a Tyler T-Grip on them so I could use the lanyard ring and it turns out they fit my hand perfectly!

Ivan

 

[dogngun]

The Brazillians can be very rough...they were well used and yours is actually pretty good! They are good shooters, generally, and IMO are a bargain!

 

[quinn]

Man, that bargain price has started you down the slippery slope. The Brazilian started my addiction. Then it moved to my son's house and gendered his addition.