Hand Ejector Brasil 1937

[Dolf]

Can someone tell me when the revolver was made?
Are the grips original?
The gun has been re-blued I think?
Thanks in advance
Christian

 

[steelslaver]

Very nice looking Brazilian. I would suspect it was refinished simply because the vast majority of them look well used

 

[Eddie Southgate]

Do a search of the forum and read the many threads on these . Yours is very nice and if refinished was well done . I don't think the medallion diamond grips are original .

 

[steelslaver]

I would guess early 1938 because I have a 1917 commercial model with the serial 193100 and Roy Jinks said "it appears to have shipped in August 1938, but it is open on the records and is on a page where some of the guns were shipped to Brazil".

Yours is numbered less than 4000 before that

Mine is in very nice shape. Maybe yours got pulled from production after being stamped as a Brazilian and never made the trip down and back.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Don't know when it shipped. But, it has definitely been refinished. The rebound slide stud was polished flat and should look like this.

You can check if the stocks are original by taking them off and seeing if the serial number on the back of the right panel is the same as the frame.

 

[Dolf]

Yes, they have the same number, I could have figured it out myself.
But they could also have been made afterwards.
I wanted to know whether the revolver was also available with checkered grips and when it was built approx.
Yours is also revised, in any case, re-blued

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Yes, your grips are original to the 1937 Brazilian model. My grips are also matched to my gun. As you can see, your grips and mine are identical. This was the style of service grips that S&W put on their guns from 1930 to 1942. The 1917 parts were actually manufactured in 1917 and 1918. The Brazilian guns were assembled from the inventory of those parts.


Yes, my 1937 has been refinished, but it was not blued. It was Parkerized or coated with a phosphate finish.

 

[Pig Hunter]

The flat top frames were in the first shipment. The round tops that were left over from WWI were put together for the second shipment.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

The flat top frames were in the first shipment. The round tops that were left over from WWI were put together for the second shipment.

Yes, my error. The 1937 Brazilian guns were made with the flat top, square notch frame that was introduced in 1926-27.

 

[Jack Flash]

I was thinking not a re-blue.
Here's a blow up of the left hand side. Does that pin look flattened?
However, the S&W logo does look a little washed out.
I guess it's too hard for me to really say, but if pressed I would say original finish.

Either way you have some very nice revolvers, Dolf.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

That's the hammer stud, Jack. The rebound slide stud is the small pimple just to the left of the top of the left stock panel on my picture. Notice that Christian's gun is missing that pimple because it was polished flat.

 

[Jack Flash]

From my notes, the shipping date for your revolver should be 1938. This information came from a letter written by Roy Jinks.

First Group of Brazilian M1917s serial numbers, 1938:
181,983 to 207,043

From Mr. Jinks' book, these were shipped February - October, 1938.

 

[Jack Flash]

That's the hammer stud, Jack. The rebound slide stud is the small pimple just to the left of the top of the left stock panel on my picture. Notice that Christian's gun is missing that pimple because it was polished flat.

I definitely see what you mean now.

 

[Dolf]

Yes on the side the pin is flat, that's right.

 

[.357magger]

Out of curiosity, what is the stamping on the left side upper frame?

Something77something?

Just curious as to where it might have traveled prior to your acquisition.

Just as a market observation, most Brazilian 1917s look like they were rode hard and put away wet so to speak. Many have been refinished, by an armory or Bubba'd, over the years. Yours presents very well and many, including myself, would be proud to own it.

Thanks for sharing it.

 

[Muley Gil]

Judging by the fit of the side plate, this revolver has been refinished.

 

[Qmark]

About 1988-89 as an FFL I bought two one dozen batches of these. I paid apx $90 each shipping free with dozen order. There was an option for a few bucks more to get the revolvers with a Brazilian arsenal re-bluing. The bluing job although not polished it was an excellent deep blue/black reminiscent of early S&W's. Wish I had ordered them all that way but as you likely guessed they sold out fast. I assume as they were all stamped 1937 along with the Brazilian crest it would have to be 1937 or 38. Included with each was a copy of a Jinx letter to Navy Arms covering the entire 1937 series. Wish I had save one, does anybody have a copy??

 

[Qmark]

Don't know when it shipped. But, it has definitely been refinished. The rebound slide stud was polished flat and should look like this.


You can check if the stocks are original by taking them off and seeing if the serial number on the back of the right panel is the same as the frame.

Of the two dozen I got, any with original S&W grips the grips were pretty well toast. There were several that had grips I assume replacements made in Brazil had grips looking very similar to WW2 Victory grips that were still intact and a few with Phillips head replacement screws.

 

[MG34/bar]

I have had many 1937 models pass through my hands and I tend to buy everyone that comes my way at a reasonable price. I once read a description of these revolvers as having been shipped lovingly packed in the "finest grade of barbed wire". That about says it all.

 

[StrawHat]

About 1988-89 as an FFL I bought two one dozen batches of these. I paid apx $90 each shipping free with dozen order. There was an option for a few bucks more to get the revolvers with a Brazilian arsenal re-bluing. The bluing job although not polished it was an excellent deep blue/black reminiscent of early S&W's. Wish I had ordered them all that way but as you likely guessed they sold out fast. I assume as they were all stamped 1937 along with the Brazilian crest it would have to be 1937 or 38. Included with each was a copy of a Jinx letter to Navy Arms covering the entire 1937 series. Wish I had save one, does anybody have a copy??

I have page two of the letter saved.

Kevin