tenntex32
Member
I've been trying to get some current group pics of different items in my collection and the S&W M1917 items were photographed earlier today. (Just a quick few pics and nothing too fancy as they all still have storage oil/grease on them!)
Starting from 12:00 and moving in a clockwise direction: (oldest to youngest)
1. S/N 18xx. All early features. (GHS upper left side frame marking, radially grooved hammer, concave top grips, "S" inspector marks on various inspected parts.) Matching metal parts, unreadable grip s/n.
2. S/N 166xx. Early features except no radially grooved hammer. All matching including grips.
3. S/N 210xx. Early features except no radially grooved hammer. All matching including grips.
4. Oddity. This is an unused/unfinished frame that was fitted/assembled at the factory with matching assembly numbers stamped on frame, yoke, and removable side plate. The barrel, cylinder, and extractor star are matching serialized from a different "early features" gun which coincides with the radially grooved hammer installed. (Possibly all of the internal parts are from the same donor gun as the barrel, cylinder and star extractor?)
The frame, while in-the-white and still exhibiting pre-polish course wire wheel marks, was stamped with a later era Eagle Head S-number inspectors mark at some point...…possibly after fitting/assembly of yoke and side plate. (Maybe a surplus/left over frame assembly from the end of the WWI contract having already been factory fitted with yoke and side plate.)
It was pitched to me as a possible "Lunch Box" revolver but in reality it could simply be a gunsmith special utilizing a late surplus unused/unfinished in-the-white frame...…..and fitted with donor parts from a different "early s/n" revolver that simply had a damaged frame. Who knows, but since it has parts from an early features gun fitted to a later contract frame I placed it on the wheel between the early features U.S. M1917 examples and the later feature U.S. M1917 examples.
5. S/N 995xx. All later contract production features such as Flaming Ordnance Bomb upper left side frame marking, ungrooved hammer, non-concave topped grips, and small Eagle Head S-number inspector stamps on numerous inspected parts. All matching, including grips.
6. S/N 1131xx. Later production features. Numbers matching on metal parts. Perfectly fitted grips with unreadable grip s/n.
7. S/N 1819xx. 1930's Commercial M1917 built on a commercial frame instead of a leftover/unused U.S. M1917 contract frame. All numbers matching, including the grips. Simply beautiful but possibly/most likely a tasteful refinish looking closely at the usual tell-tale refinish indicators.
8. S/N 2052xx. 1937 contract Brazilian M1917 built on a "non-U.S military contract" commercial M1917 frame similar to item #7. All numbers matching including the grips. Also shows tell-tale signs of a gentle refinish.
There are 4 glaring holes in my S&W M1917 collection right now. I would eventually like to add a WWII era arsenal marked refurbished/parkerized example. It is odd that a decent one has eluded me thus far, as they are typically less expensive than all original examples when found.
I would also like to add an example of an immediate post-WWI commercial model built on a military contract frame still exhibiting the military inspector marks in places, having the checkered non-medallioned grips of that era.
I also need/want a post-WWII commercial example.
And lastly, I also like to add a post-WWII Brazilian contract example built on a spare/unused/found U.S. contract military M1917 frame.
Maybe I will be able to snag one or two of them this year.
Thanks for looking,
Dale
Starting from 12:00 and moving in a clockwise direction: (oldest to youngest)
1. S/N 18xx. All early features. (GHS upper left side frame marking, radially grooved hammer, concave top grips, "S" inspector marks on various inspected parts.) Matching metal parts, unreadable grip s/n.
2. S/N 166xx. Early features except no radially grooved hammer. All matching including grips.
3. S/N 210xx. Early features except no radially grooved hammer. All matching including grips.
4. Oddity. This is an unused/unfinished frame that was fitted/assembled at the factory with matching assembly numbers stamped on frame, yoke, and removable side plate. The barrel, cylinder, and extractor star are matching serialized from a different "early features" gun which coincides with the radially grooved hammer installed. (Possibly all of the internal parts are from the same donor gun as the barrel, cylinder and star extractor?)
The frame, while in-the-white and still exhibiting pre-polish course wire wheel marks, was stamped with a later era Eagle Head S-number inspectors mark at some point...…possibly after fitting/assembly of yoke and side plate. (Maybe a surplus/left over frame assembly from the end of the WWI contract having already been factory fitted with yoke and side plate.)
It was pitched to me as a possible "Lunch Box" revolver but in reality it could simply be a gunsmith special utilizing a late surplus unused/unfinished in-the-white frame...…..and fitted with donor parts from a different "early s/n" revolver that simply had a damaged frame. Who knows, but since it has parts from an early features gun fitted to a later contract frame I placed it on the wheel between the early features U.S. M1917 examples and the later feature U.S. M1917 examples.
5. S/N 995xx. All later contract production features such as Flaming Ordnance Bomb upper left side frame marking, ungrooved hammer, non-concave topped grips, and small Eagle Head S-number inspector stamps on numerous inspected parts. All matching, including grips.
6. S/N 1131xx. Later production features. Numbers matching on metal parts. Perfectly fitted grips with unreadable grip s/n.
7. S/N 1819xx. 1930's Commercial M1917 built on a commercial frame instead of a leftover/unused U.S. M1917 contract frame. All numbers matching, including the grips. Simply beautiful but possibly/most likely a tasteful refinish looking closely at the usual tell-tale refinish indicators.
8. S/N 2052xx. 1937 contract Brazilian M1917 built on a "non-U.S military contract" commercial M1917 frame similar to item #7. All numbers matching including the grips. Also shows tell-tale signs of a gentle refinish.
There are 4 glaring holes in my S&W M1917 collection right now. I would eventually like to add a WWII era arsenal marked refurbished/parkerized example. It is odd that a decent one has eluded me thus far, as they are typically less expensive than all original examples when found.
I would also like to add an example of an immediate post-WWI commercial model built on a military contract frame still exhibiting the military inspector marks in places, having the checkered non-medallioned grips of that era.
I also need/want a post-WWII commercial example.
And lastly, I also like to add a post-WWII Brazilian contract example built on a spare/unused/found U.S. contract military M1917 frame.
Maybe I will be able to snag one or two of them this year.
Thanks for looking,
Dale
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