New to me model 1917!

[Nframe_is_no1]

I am celebrating Memorial Day weekend with a new acquisition. What better way to celebrate the freedoms our soldiers give their lives for than to buy a gun? It is a S&W model 1917. The bore and chambers are mirror bright. It looks like it spent most of it's time in a drawer. The only modification that was done to it is that someone removed the lanyard loop and installed a set of 1970s era walnut football target stocks. The serial number is 991xx, making it a late model, made between April of 1918 and the end of WWI, according to SCSW. Best of all, it is my first pre-war N-frame and my first 5 screw N-frame! This gun was offered to me for $350! I figured any functioning N-frame was worth that, so I took it home. I removed the football targets, which looked brand new. I figure they are worth at least $60 by themselves, so that leaves $290 or so in the gun itself. I'm going to use the footbals on one of my 70s era 28-2s. For the pics, I installed a set of 70s era magnas which I think look more in proportion, and they were the oldest N frame service stocks I had in the wood pile. I know our motto here is "It didn't happen without pics!", so here they are:



Now for a shootout at the range with it's rival (forgive me for using the C-word here), my Colt model 1917:

 

[Muley Gil]

Nice! And a great price to boot!

 

[Crab Bait]

Nice buy! I love my S&W 1917 and wouldn't mind matching it up with a "C-word" 1917 someday. Have fun!

 

[Hondo44]

Very nice and what a buy!

I don't see the flaming bomb, does it have the military inspector stamps and US on the butt? Or is it possibly a coml model?

 

[Muley Gil]

Very nice and what a buy!

I don't see the flaming bomb, does it have the military inspector stamps and US on the butt? Or is it possibly a coml model?

"The serial number is 991xx, making it a late model, made between April of 1918 and the end of WWI, according to SCSW."

It doesn't have the small S&W logo on the left side of the frame and the SN falls into the US Army block of revolvers.

 

[Nframe_is_no1]

Nicely explained by Muley Gil. Instead of the ordinance bomb, it has the eagle's head proofmarks as described in SCSW. The mark is an eagles head with "S24". There is once on the cylinder face, one under the barrel, and one in the frame in the yoke cutout. It also has "UNITED STATES PROPERTY" under the barrel, as well as the "U.S. ARMY MODEL 1917" on the butt.

 

[Tom Kent]

That is a beautiful pistol. Almost looks new. Those grips look good on it.

 

[Hondo44]

Nicely explained by Muley Gil. Instead of the ordinance bomb, it has the eagle's head proofmarks as described in SCSW. The mark is an eagles head with "S24". There is once on the cylinder face, one under the barrel, and one in the frame in the yoke cutout. It also has "UNITED STATES PROPERTY" under the barrel, as well as the "U.S. ARMY MODEL 1917" on the butt.

Thank you for that info. Because w/o it, a lack of inspector's initials or inspection mark high on left side of frame could be a clue that it's a Commercial model. But a serial # in the US Army block of revolvers (because of the ever present exceptions) or of course the lack of logo are not positive indicators that it's not a commercial:

"Production started on the 1917 in March, 17, and they have no logos. S&W was constantly hounded for more production by the Gov't. Eventually, using the possibility of Bolshevik inspired labor problems, the Gov't seized the [S&W] factory in Aug, 18. The machine for rolling logos had long been inactive by then, and POSSIBLY converted to some other use or pushed into a corner and buried. S&W does not get control again till Jan, 1919. We see little and slow production thru most of 1919. It gets better in 1920. Guns shipped in 1919 and 1920 usually lack logos. Some guns shipped in 1921 MAY lack them."
__________________
Regards,
Lee Jarrett

 

[jack the toad]

Congrats on a nice piece with a nice price.

 

[mkk41]

If ya got one , ya need the other!

I hadn't considered a S&W 1917 till I bought my Colt 1917. I added some smooth Magna grips to mine even though I have the originals because I just can't shoot it with the tiny stocks. The Colt feels much better.

Got 1 of each 1917 rifle too!

 

[Texas Star]

Has the Colt been reblued? Hope you can find unchipped grips for it.

Is the S&W a commercial model?

 

[Nframe_is_no1]

The Colt,to my knowledge, has not been reblued. A couple of experts who have checked it out said it has not. The one grip panel was chipped when I bought it. The Smith is not a commercial model. It has all the military markings and the serial number falls in the military range. See above posts for more info.

 

[Hondo44]

Nframe_is_no1,

That's a great pair! Nothing wrong with the C word here, many of us with the addiction cross "party lines". The chip in the Colt wood is the easier kind to repair.

Are you planning to replace the Smith lanyard ring?

 

[guzzi]

I celebrated Memorial Day with a bbq, range time with my 1917 and a beer toast to my younger brother who passed away serving this wonderful country of ours. (No thanks to Jimmy Carter who basically caused his needless death) jb

 

[Nframe_is_no1]

Hondo 44,
If I come across one, I wouldn't mind replacing the lanard ring to make the revolver more original. I didn't know that chip in the Colt's grips could be repaired.

guzzi,
Very sorry to hear about your late brother. I offer my thanks for his service to our country.