I inherited this M1917 from my grandfather, who has since passed, and want to know more about it. Any info is greatly appreciated. I was thinking the finish was nickel but it seems awfully shiny. Butt # looks to be 77693.
M1917 Help
- Thread starter JBL5
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There is both good news and bad
The good , its a cool heirloom of US issue 1917, hang on to it for nostalgia. Made in 1918
sadly, the bad news... it been nickeled and a poor job was done.
The Gun was pitted and then buffed over , hammer & trigger are nickeled and the swivel is missing.
United States Property is buffed, almost erased, I think I can barely see what's left.
Others way more knowledgeable than me may chime in.
Butt # looks to be 77693. Note: the one in my avatar is 77666
The good , its a cool heirloom of US issue 1917, hang on to it for nostalgia. Made in 1918
sadly, the bad news... it been nickeled and a poor job was done.
The Gun was pitted and then buffed over , hammer & trigger are nickeled and the swivel is missing.
United States Property is buffed, almost erased, I think I can barely see what's left.
Others way more knowledgeable than me may chime in.
Butt # looks to be 77693. Note: the one in my avatar is 77666
Last edited:
It's been refinished at some point in it's life. The factory never produced any 1917's in nickel for the war effort. A dead give away is the
nickel finish on the hammer and trigger. Also the grips are a mis matched set. The left panel is from production in late 1917 to early 1918. Based upon your serial number that revolver was probably made mid 1918. I could be wrong. Look on the right grip panel, see if there is serial number on it that matches the butt serial number.
Not much in the way of collector value but probably a good shooter.
nickel finish on the hammer and trigger. Also the grips are a mis matched set. The left panel is from production in late 1917 to early 1918. Based upon your serial number that revolver was probably made mid 1918. I could be wrong. Look on the right grip panel, see if there is serial number on it that matches the butt serial number.
Not much in the way of collector value but probably a good shooter.
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The gun has some character, the proof marks on the cylinder show up well It would be fun to shoot and a conversation piece at the range. They are rugged and shoot well. However you will need 1/2 moon clips or full moon clips for the 45 automatic colt pistol rounds this was designed for. Or 45 auto rim cartridges but they are pricey. You can find more on the ammo topic in the "hand ejector forum" just below this one on the forum menu
I have seen on other forums where they said 45 acp rounds could be used in these guns without the clips. Is that not recommended? Thanks for the info on the other forum.
You can shoot .45 acp rounds in an otherwise original M1917 without moon clips. You may have difficulty extracting the fired cases however without a dowel or #2 pencil.
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I have always used the clips. They are actually very easy to use. But I would concur with Cololab.
Shotgunner
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I have shot a lot of 200 gr SWC lead bullet loads in S&W 45 ACP revolvers without the clips. The cases come right out with your fingernails. You will find that the clips sometimes give poor ignition when shooting double action. You need a stiff trigger spring to use them.
How is the barrel bore condition? If OK, the gun will still be fun to shoot no matter what it looks like. It's more fun than just hanging it on the wall.
I see that the original style extractor rod with mushroom shaped knob has been replaced with a blued post 1929 version with the barrel knob.
Enjoy!
I see that the original style extractor rod with mushroom shaped knob has been replaced with a blued post 1929 version with the barrel knob.
Enjoy!
VinnieL59
Member
.45 Auto-Rim works well in a 1917-type revolver. They do eject. I personally use the Full-moon type clips in my 2.5 inch. Those hold all 6 rounds kind of like a Speedloader that stays in the gun. If you use those, you will want to get the tool from Brownells to help extract the casings from the clip after firing. It will keep you from tearing up your hands and uttering words that would make a Sailor blush.
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My condolences on your loss.
My neighbor (he has since passed) was issued a S&W 1917 as a Supply Sergeant in WWII. He kept it after they returned to the US.
I bet it was beautiful when it was originally nickeled however it was neglected for a long time.
My neighbor (he has since passed) was issued a S&W 1917 as a Supply Sergeant in WWII. He kept it after they returned to the US.
I bet it was beautiful when it was originally nickeled however it was neglected for a long time.
Being a government contract gun for the military, none were supplied with nickel finish. It was originally blued. It could have been refinished in nickel beautifully if all the rust pits had been correctly brazed and filled first,
I inherited a 1917 Army just 7 days before my 13th birthday. I have had it for 59 years as of November. I have shot it with regular .45 ACP and .45 Auto rim. I have used both half-moon clips and full moon clips. Never had any problems with them or without. Starline Brass has Auto Rim brass listed as available right now on their website. Thet are not cheap and the smallest quantity they have listed is 500 at .32 cents each. One good thing is there is no shipping charge at that quantity. They are usually very prompt with their shipping. You can use the same dies to reload the .45 ACP you only have to change the shell holder. Pics are same gun with different stocks. There is one with barkless elk stags from Grashorn and the other are a more modern N frame Magna stocks. The holster is a Lawrence, not the big maker but made by my dad. Nothing fancy but it works.
