Help with 1917 DA 45

[les.b]

Wally:

That's a beauty. There are lots of folks on the forum who know a lot more than I do about properly caring for your new treasure. One thing that most folks seem to agree about though, is don't overdo it. You have a real gem there, and just a little light wipe down right now with some light gun oil is all I would suggest until some of the experts come along. You can seriously undermine the value of your Smith by an overzealous application of elbow grease!!!

Some folks will probably suggest a cleaning product called, I believe "Flitz", followed by an applicatIon of one of the preservative waxes.

Right now I'd wait un til the experts weigh in.

I repeat, that's a beauty.... Now pick up that little Colt!!! You know that it's calling your name!

Best Regards, Les

 

[Hondo44]

Cool, you got it!

Old gun cleaning protocol for heirlooms & new gun owners:

Simply put, the only usual issue with these marvels of yesteryear is they are gummed up and dirty. Old oils of its time do not match the quality of these old guns nor the science of today, and actually dry up and harden to the point of impeding operation and accelerating wear. The simple solution does not need a gunsmith or removal of the side plate. Just one of many premium modern gun care products from any sporting goods, gun store or hardware store.

Most are both cleaning and preserving agents; Breakfree, Kroil & M-Pro7 are some of the best, but there are others. Disassembly is not necessary. With grips removed and a spray can version of the product, flood and flush the revolver thru every opening and crevice until the black gunk stops flowing out, let it drain for an hour and wipe it down thoroughly with the same product.

Scrub barrel bore and cylinder chambers with a simple cleaning rod kit found at the same places as the cleaning agents above, any observed exterior and crevice crud with an old toothbrush with bristles cut off short for stiffness.

For rust spots, Blue Wonder cleaner will remove the rust but leave the bluing. Rust pitting must have all red color removed to arrest it's cancerous growth (use 5x glasses or stronger to see progress).

Polishing isn't required after a good cleaning but a gentle application of wax will make the gun look almost new if there's lots of blue finish left and you want something to do while watching the news! Tarnish or cloudiness on the nickel should only be done with fine polishes like Flitz, Semichrome, or Mothers Mag Wheel polish, etc.

Then re-oil or wax over; Renaissance wax is the favorite of most.

 

[Kinman]

Congratulations Wally, You are gonna love that old revolver.
My Brazilian model of 1917 had some spots in the cylinders and a fairly heavy old build up of lead in the barrel in a few places.
I followed the advice of a couple of old timers and went to the store and bought a "copper" Chore Girl scrubber, went home and wrapped the copper fibers around an old brass .45 caliber cleaning brush and stuck it on a short cleaning rod adapter, put it in my Makita drill and spun that baby in the cylinders with a little Hoppes for added cleaning....it really did a nice job of cleaning things up. Since then whenever I get a little more lead in the barrel I just put a couple of wraps from that copper wire around the brush and push it through just like during regular cleaning, keeps everything nice and shiney and from what the old boys say and common sense tells me that no harm can come to the barrel since everything is softer than steel.
If your a reloader I've been having very good luck with both Berrys and Rainier plated bullets, no more lead problems. I like the 185gr SWC or HP over 5-5.5gr of Titegroup, very comfortable and quite accurate.

 

[Kinman]

I wanted to make sure I was real clear on the fact that you need to make sure you are using a solid copper chore girl, apparently there are copper plated ones out there, you need to make sure the one you get is pure copper, the one I got is made by O Cedar and specifies 100% copper.

 

[handejector]

Until this 1917 Commercial appeared, my gun no. 167382 was the earliest on the Smith & Wesson Collectors Association database.
My Commercial was shipped in October 1922, and like yours does not have "Made in U.S.A." stamped on the right side of the frame.

I was thinking that also!

That is a significant factor for the value. Even though a little rough, the lowest known number for a 17 Commercial boosts the value. Bear in mind it may not be the earliest one built.
Even though it shows a lot of wear, it appears original.
So, lowest known number would easily bring $1500. On a good day, marketed aggressively, perhaps $2000 or more.

NEAT gun.
Clean GENTLY! Too little beats too much.
GET A LETTER.

 

[wally05]

I was thinking that also!

That is a significant factor for the value. Even though a little rough, the lowest known number for a 17 Commercial boosts the value. Bear in mind it may not be the earliest one built.
Even though it shows a lot of wear, it appears original.
So, lowest known number would easily bring $1500. On a good day, marketed aggressively, perhaps $2000 or more.

NEAT gun.
Clean GENTLY! Too little beats too much.
GET A LETTER.

That is very good news! I'm hoping to shoot it a little bit and pass it down to my son. We are finally in a financial spot where I can hold onto my collectibles. I am confident I can clean her up without affecting what's left of the finish. I'll use the tips on here and go very slow. Just a light rub down with oil removed a lot of the grime and cleaned it up. I'm getting the ball rolling on a letter today!

 

[DWalt]

I wanted to make sure I was real clear on the fact that you need to make sure you are using a solid copper chore girl, apparently there are copper plated ones out there, you need to make sure the one you get is pure copper, the one I got is made by O Cedar and specifies 100% copper.

Several weeks ago, I found my M1911 in its gun case covered with a coating of light rust. I don't know the cause, but I think it may have been the result of degradation of the foam rubber padding inside the case, possibly releasing corrosive vapors. Where I happened to be at the time, I had no access to brass wool. I did have a green Scotchbrite pad and bottle of bore cleaner, so I used those. It did a surprisingly good job of removing the rust without damaging the bluing. Fortunately, it was not a collector-condition M1911, but rather well-used, so no real harm. Has anyone else used Scotchbrite?

 

[bruce5781]

I have used the gray scotchbrites. I belive they are finer than the green. Used to use them in auto restoration.

 

[handejector]

I would NOT put Scotchbrite on any blued S&W.
The bright carbona blue will be scratched by it.
4/0 steel wool will also scratch it.

If scouring needs to be done on a bright blue S&W, FINE bronze wool is all I will use.

 

[les.b]

Wally:

I concur 100% with Lee. Please don't ask how I know, but it happened a long time ago, when I thought #0000 steel wool and a little gun oil were OK stuff. Well, there might be a time when they would come in handy, but you have a valuble firearm there, and this is no time to experiment or learn the hard way!!!

Also, I would do all of that flushing and cleaning with the stocks off. They are valuble in their own right, and since they match the guns serial number, are in this case even more valuble. There is no need to get them soaked with oil or cleaning products. Wood care and preservation is a separate skill set from metal care and preservation. Depending on how the gun was maintained or not maintained over the years, the stocks may already be soaked in old gun oil.

Lee (handejector), and Jim (Hondo44) have been around for a long time (if they'll forgive me for saying it), and know a thing or two about gun care and preservation. Follow their advice!!

Best Regards, Les

 

[wally05]

The finish under the stocks was perfect. I removed them prior to wiping it down. Any red surface rust came off fairly easily without affecting the finish underneath. I'll probably have to bronze wool a little bit of it, but I'm going to keep it in the condition found. I just don't want it to pit.