45 ACP "Hand Ejector"

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HOUSTON RICK

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A nearby pawnshop is selling a Smith revolver with DA 45 on the side. I had other things to tend to, so I did not try to identify it further, or count screws, at the time as it is in good condition at best and one of the grips was broken and held together with scotch tape. There were little "dust bunnies" mixed with oil between the 5-6" barrel and cylinder. I could not dry fire it but it did not seem too loose. First blush it is a 45 ACP hand ejector with nickel finish. They were asking $400 as is and I discounted it at the time, but having been thinking on it since and I am going back again tomorrow to check the action and ID it. Looking through S&W 3rd Edition, but have not exactly identified it yet. There is probably someone who can give me the exact model from the DA 45. Thanks for help in identifying and current value in good condition. Thanks, Rick
 
Rick, it is likely a Model 1917. If it is nickel, it probably is not original. Of course, it could be a commercial version. The military version will likely have acceptance stamps and Property of US under the barrel. The barrel is 5.5". The 1917 was reintroduced in 1951 as the .45 Cal Model 1950. It is either stamped that on the barrel or is stamped S&W DA 45 on the right side. If so, it will have an S series SN. These were blue.

Irrespective of this, if you like the gun and can get it for less than $400, go for it!
 
"Made in USA" on the right side of the frame is absent on 1917s. The commercial version has it.
 
The nickel plating is a danger sign for a Model of 1917. Also if hammer and trigger are nickeled, they should not be. S&W did not nickel plate those components, but many aftermarket platers did. Butt stamping (and everything else stamped) information is needed in order to make a good ID.
 
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Thanks everyone, I am going to ask for pictures and post if I get them, at first I thought it might be a good find, it looks like some kind of 1917 variant, but the condition put me (and the other buyers apparently) off. It has been there, the lone S&W for two weeks. I am curious, but no vintage revolver expert other than some knowledge of 357's. I may offer $250-$300 and see if they will sell it. Probably not a $400 revolver, something that might be ok to acquire on the cheap. I would probably really rather have another S&W Model 28 or 686 anyhow, but a 45 ACP revolver would be nice because I have plenty of ammo purchased for my semi-automatic S&W's.
 
Pictures: Civilian 1917? Not a $420 gun due to condition in my uneducated opinion. Diamond in the ruff to be nursed back to health at lower price or paperweight to leave alone? What do you think:




 
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Muley Gil said:
What are the markings on the butt?
Click to expand...

Pitting and yellow scotch tape as far as I could see. I did not look there closely, or remove the yellowed tape, as I was in a hurry. If it is still there Saturday, I may get a look under the grips and look closer at the butt. I do not think the shop has sold a gun yet. I think that I would have seen U.S. Army if it was there, but maybe I need to lift the tape. If it were military wouldn't also have some marks on the frame? Thank you, Rick
 
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DWalt said:
The nickel plating is a danger sign for a Model of 1917. Also if hammer and trigger are nickeled, they should not be. S&W did not nickel plate those components, but many aftermarket platers did. Butt stamping (and everything else stamped) information is needed in order to make a good ID.
Click to expand...

Hammer and trigger are not nickled. Butt maybe plain, but I need to look again, I did not move the yellowed scotch tape around the grip. Thanks, Rick
 
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Wiregrassguy said:
Rick, it is likely a Model 1917. If it is nickel, it probably is not original. Of course, it could be a commercial version. The military version will likely have acceptance stamps and Property of US under the barrel. The barrel is 5.5". The 1917 was reintroduced in 1951 as the .45 Cal Model 1950. It is either stamped that on the barrel or is stamped S&W DA 45 on the right side. If so, it will have an S series SN. These were blue.

Irrespective of this, if you like the gun and can get it for less than $400, go for it!
Click to expand...

Thank you, it has the S&W DA 45 on the right side, in fact the chain pawn shop is calling it an S&W Model DA 45.
 
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HOUSTON RICK said:
Pitting and yellow scotch tape as far as I could see. I did not look there closely, or remove the yellowed tape, as I was in a hurry. If it is still there Saturday, I may get a look under the grips and look closer at the butt. I do not think the shop has sold a gun yet. I think that I would have seen U.S. Army if it was there, but maybe I need to lift the tape. If it were military wouldn't also have some marks on the frame? Thank you, Rick
Click to expand...

It could have a Springfield mark that is an eagle's head with a numerial, but that mark would have probably been polished away during the nickeling process. That mark would be on the left side, above and to the rear of the cylinder release.
 
I would do a function check and inspection of the bore/chambers, and look for the stampings under the barrel and bottom of the grip frame. I would ignore the stocks, as they would be replaced 4 milliseconds after purchase (I hope) :). Nothing visible in the photos confirms or rules out this being a military or commercial gun.

Two encouraging signs are the thin sideplate seam and the unplated hammer/trigger, suggesting that whomever did the nickel refinish didn't go hog wild on the polishing and plating. Please let us know what else you find.
 
Rick, here is a "good" picture of my 1917 that has been refinished in nickel and the hammer/trigger plated in TiN. It was missing the upper sideplate screw (replaced) and has some pitting through the nickel on the sideplate. I haven't gotten around to removing the TiN and it needs a trigger job (rough action). The grips on it are worth about 1/2 what I paid for it.

wiregrassguy-albums-large-frame-revolvers-picture10706-1917-left.jpg
 
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The grips on this one are trash. The finish is also pitted. It seems to have kept tight action, so it maybe a shooter, but unless it ends up with some special owner it has no collector's value and needs work to halt the deterioration. A "rescue gun" is not my area if expertise, but if it survives to next weekend, I may offer $175 - or not. Thanks as always. Rick
 
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It is still there in the pawnshop. They would only deal down to $399 because of "how much they have in it". I told them that I would have to pass, and wished them luck on getting their price. It has "US Army 1917" on the bottom of the frame between the grips.
 
If it does not also have the SN on the butt opposite the "US Army", I recommend passing at any price. If it is present I think your $175 offer is reasonable enough if mechanically sound and their $399 bottom dollar is a pipe dream.
 
There are numbers on the butt end opposite the US Army, but they are faint and only the four numbers toward the center can even be read. I am confident that unless they reduce their price, it will remain there, in any event, I am not paying that much for that (unless it turns out to be used by the Texas Rangers, but how do you prove that with no legible serial number?).
 
Stopped by the pawn shop today and I was not surprised that this revolver is still there priced at $420 ($419.95). Rick
 
Go read the serial number thread that got quite a few entries recently. Serial numbers on the cylinder and barrel mean a lot to collectors, but nothing at all to the ATF. What counts is what's on the frame. If you can't read that, the question is how much the pawn shop would pay YOU to take it and throw it off a bridge.
 
+1 to the last post. The 1917 is the single most common prewar N-frame in These Parts, and unfortunately they are frequently seen with either the serial number, the "U.S. ARMY", the "United States Property", or some combination of the above obliterated. People had the idea years ago that if the gun *said* "Army" or "US property" on it, then the Government could come after them for having stolen Government property. Or they would obliterate the serial number, thinking that if there wasn't a serial number the Government couldn't prosecute them for 'stealing' an item of military property.

Strange, but true. If I have seen one 1917 with defaced markings, I have seen 100.
 
The shop is praying for the ultimate "Dummy-of-the Day" to drop in and fall in love with that junker. Surely they know how to move stuff on GB and other sites so this thing is just sitting there hoping to be adopted.

Don't do it Rick!!
 
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