S&W M1917 to keep my Colt company.

[pabicyclist]

Found this one locally. Based on the excellent condition I'm guessing it was refinished. All the lettering and proof marks look sharp so I find it hard to determine. Serial says it's from Dec 1918. My Colt was getting lonely and needed a companion.

 

[StrawHat]

The touchmark on the upper corner of the frame suggests it was built after the Government takeover of the factory. From the images posted, it is hard to tell if it has been refinished.

Kevin

 

[pabicyclist]

I'm not too concerned about the refinish since I buy to shoot.

 

[quinn]

December of 1918... it may not have been issued, so maybe not refinished. Looks good enought to shoot to me!

 

[JH1951]

That one looks pretty nice to me. Obvious signs of a refinish are not visible in the pictures you provided. Better pictures will tell the story. I would be happy to have it.

 

[murphydog]

I too see no evidence of a refinish on the S & W. Prices on very nice examples of 1917 Army revolvers went up substantially a few years back.

I would opt to say your S & W has an older stepbrother...nothing against that other revolver with the horrendously heavy DA trigger . Enjoy!

 

[sodacan]

I also have both versions, and they are both shooters. Both are in factory original condition. Once you shoot the S&W, it's hard to go back to the Colt.

 

[TheTinMan]

I found a Colt 1917 covered in spooge on the bottom shelf of a pawn shop in Lynchburg, Virginia about 20 years ago. My search for a S&W brother ended a year or 2 ago:

Colt accepted by the US Army June 1918
S&W accepted by the US Army November 1918

The single action trigger pull on the Colt is over 8 pounds. I can't measure the double action pull because my gauge doesn't go up high enough. My theory is that if soldiers with spikes on their helmets suddenly appeared in your trench, it didn't matter. Accuracy is pretty good though!

The Smith & Wesson 1917 could not have seen service. I haven't shot it yet.

 

[pabicyclist]

My Colt is only a few months older than the S&W, both 1918.
It does appear the Colt has led a harder life.

 

[Green Frog]

Hey TimMan, was that pawnshop Oppelman's, by chance? At that time, they were about the only pawnshop in town except for the one out at Fort Hill. I haven't been to Oppleman's for years, but they weren't all that great for guns back in the '80s and '90s when I was really trying to find that "great buy". Did you deal with Petrey's as well? Things were looking pretty sparse there when I stopped be recently.
Froggie
PS The last "old time" gun shop downtown was SO Fisher. When I was a kid in Lynchburg, that place was really special.

 

[Shoebox1.1]

I want a new service something bad… then a SW

 

[pabicyclist]

It took me a long time to find the SW since I only buy locally where I can see what I'm getting. These just don't show up often enough.