I think I've gone and bought a Frankengun. Update! Range report post #55

Joined
Aug 4, 2011
Messages
2,142
Reaction score
1,480
Location
Mountlake Terrace, WA
Ran across this consignment piece in the pawn shop I use for firearm transfers. I'm killing time looking around while he does the NICS check for the gun I'm there for (Nickel 4" 27-2). I go past all the polymer and I see a hump-back hammer N-Frame with moon clips next to it, tag says it's Model 1917 in .45 ACP. That means I'm definitely going to want to look at it. But the barrel is wrong for a 1917. Looks too new, like a post-war (WWII) gun. Have them get it out of the case, and sure enough barrel says 45 cal. Model 1950. So it's had the barrel replaced, if it is in fact really a Model of 1917.

Pull off the obviously not factory grips and sure enough the bottom of the frame says US Army Model 1917, No. 147904.

It's obviously lost whatever collector value it may have had due to the barrel replacement, and the finish is only average. But for a fun shooter, that came with a load of moon clips, I think I did okay for $545.

Any recommendations for a moon clip tool?
 

Attachments

  • thumbnail (4).jpg
    thumbnail (4).jpg
    166.3 KB · Views: 822
  • thumbnail (1).jpg
    thumbnail (1).jpg
    99.1 KB · Views: 689
  • thumbnail.jpg
    thumbnail.jpg
    99.9 KB · Views: 632
  • S&W US Army Model 1917 No 147904.jpg
    S&W US Army Model 1917 No 147904.jpg
    41.7 KB · Views: 578
Last edited:
Register to hide this ad
That is not hump back hammer just a regular pre war hammer. Look like some one wanted a 45 ACP target gun and got it. If it shoot good then it was a good deal.
This is a gun with a hump back hammer.
toyman-albums-s-and-w-gallery-1-a-picture10060-kansas-city-mo-p-d-humpback-hammer-registration-number-5141-shipped-october-1939-a.jpg
 
Last edited:
There used to be some DIY home made tools on YouTube, maybe some survived the purge. Buying the tool will save you a bunch of money if you shoot it much given the price difference of 45ACP and rimmed brass even if you do reload. There are some plastic moon clips available that are supposed to be easy to use without a tool but I have never tried them.the tool I had came from Dillon, the reloaded people. It worked well enough and was not expensive at all. Look around, find the one that suits you, shoot the Hell out of it.
 
I like it to. For someone with a mill and some machining skills cutting a fix sight gun to take an adjustable rear sight is not difficult. 1950 barrels mate up to 1917 style frames fairly well.

Your gun looks great and should be a great shooter.

I have a couple Brazilians and recently found a chopped 1950 barrel, so will have another one like yours with a short barrel. I already have one with a cut down 1950 barrel on a 1917 frame.
 
. . . cutting a fix sight gun to take an adjustable rear sight is not difficult. . .

Before the introduction of the Model of 1950 the S&W factory experimented with making the 1917 into a target model . . . the front sight didn't turn out near as well as the one on your ribbed 1950 barrel.

Below is a 1917 Commercial Model 1917 that the factory converted in July 1949 for a customer.

Russ
 

Attachments

  • 1917 45 Target 002.jpg
    1917 45 Target 002.jpg
    76.5 KB · Views: 270
  • 1917 45 Target 009.jpg
    1917 45 Target 009.jpg
    99.3 KB · Views: 197
  • 1917 45 Target 016.jpg
    1917 45 Target 016.jpg
    93.9 KB · Views: 209
  • 1917 45 Target 013.jpg
    1917 45 Target 013.jpg
    45.6 KB · Views: 1,040
  • 1917 45 Target 014.jpg
    1917 45 Target 014.jpg
    53.1 KB · Views: 182
As I am a shooter , I would be tickled pink to have it !
$545.00....Not a bad deal at all , I would have jumped on it.
45 acp N frame with adjustable sights and a nice barrel...AWESOME !
Gary
 
Personally, I think $545.00 was too much to pay for a cobbled together gun, but that's me. Get a BMT tool for the moon clips. It is the best one, bar none. If you spent that much for that gun, you won't mind paying the price for it. 45 auto rim is really expensive and hard to find. Moon clips are cheap and 45acp is everywhere. Enjoy your new revolver. 45acp is fun to shoot out of a wheel gun. I have five in my collection.
 
I have the Mooncliptool which is not as fast as the BMT but is less expensive.
MOONCLIPTOOL - Home

The Rimz plastic clips are easy to use without tools. They SAY the -25 will not lose rounds if dropped. The -625 is softer and easier to load but less secure. Samples available.
Sample Pack..45 acp

I keep a batch of dedicated revolver .45 ACP brass so I don't run into problems with rims burred and bent by automatic extractors and ejectors binding up cylinder rotation. A friend used the @#$%^& .45 small primer brass for his revolver shooting.
 
Last edited:
Here is a picture of my homemade moon clip loader. I grabbed up a scrap of two by four and some hardware scraps out of a coffee can. I wrapped some electrical tape around a bolt as a comfortable grip handle. Took ten minutes to make and it works great. The yellow handle de-mooner came free with some moon clips I purchased off of Amazon.

Ain't it pretty.
 

Attachments

  • 100_3996.jpg
    100_3996.jpg
    93.4 KB · Views: 151

Latest posts

Back
Top