"Can we talk about swivels?
There are actually THREE verified varieties, and I suspect FOUR are possible.
1- Originally, swivels have a pin through the lump or boss to keep the loop centered. It is ground flush. Swivels were always case hardened, but
2- June 1, 44 Eng. Order eliminated pin- "new method makes pin unnecessary". I suppose that means there is a partition in the hole for the loop and the loop is folded in. If anyone has one with no pin, tear the loop out and tell us please.
3- Dec 20, 44 Eng Order changed Case colored ["military guns only"] (don't expect a lot of vivid colors) to sandblast and blue because case colors were not uniform." Lee Jarrett
Yes, there's a partition in the 6/1/44 and later lanyard swivels w/o the pin. But I didn't tear the loop out. I was cleaning one to install and put a couple of drops of penetrating oil in one side of the boss to see if it would run out the other side. It did not; must be partitioned. Hondo
Notice the flush pin in Richard's lanyard swivel below. This was deleted by June 1, 44 Eng. Order. So it generally corresponds with the CCH deletion by Dec 20, 44 Eng Order:
Photo credit: RKmesa
S&W vs. Colt lanyard swivels:
There are lanyard swivels with a longer stud on the upper end, which are Colt. They do not fit my S&W 1917 without shortening the stud but the pin hole in the grip frame still will not align with the groove in the stud.
Blued S&W on left, parkerized S&W in middle, and the one on right is the Colt with longer stud on far right (smith's is .225"). Notice retaining pin groove is also in a different position:
Photo credit: Walter Rego
S&W:
The 1917 stud length for reference, original to my gun is .225" and of course that's indicative of the hole depth in the grip frame butt.
All the K & N frame elongated (oval) butt swivels are the same, have the same stud that goes into the frame, and are case colored until the Dec 1944 change order.
CCH swivels, ideal correct one for a 1917 and for a 455:
Photo credit: lestert357
