1917 Revolver Horror Stories...

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Whoever did the blue job on that Brazilian knew what they were doing. Very nice.

[Char-Gar]

Whoever did the blue job on that Brazilian knew what they were doing. Very nice.

That was done by the Smith and Wesson factory 20 years ago. I got a phone call from the shop manager and he told me they didn't want to blue the gun as it had collectors value. He had it on his desk and I told him to look at the muzzle. It had a badly dinged muzzle when I got it and it was shoot one foot off at 25 yards. I recrowned the muzzle before I shipped it to them. I told him some fool had recrowned the muzzle and destroyed the collectors value. He then agreed to blue the revolver. It shoots just fine now.

Here is another pic of the same revolver with different grips.

[Char-Gar]

Char-Gar,

The 1937 called for a Flat-Top frame, and Square Notch rear sight, vs the 1917's Round-Top frame an U notch. The first batch of 1937's used new production frames. My 1937 is one of these.

The 1937's called for checkered grips w/ the S&W roundel. But, many first batch guns had 1917 grips instead. My 1937 has 1917 grips.

Many of the second batch 1937's used left-over 1917 frames! Second batch guns will be see With either type grips also.

Correct the 1st. contract of 25K were all new production. The 2nd. Contract was just after WWII and was also 25K and has a mishmsh of left over 1917 parts and newer parts. The first 25K was numbered 1 - 25000 on the backstrap, but the second 25 K were not numbered.

My parked Brazilian is from the first contract and my factory blued is from the second. The second one (blued) has a 1917 barrel and frame and a newer (1937) cylinder and yoke. There is no telling about the hammer, trigger and various other internals.

[MakeMineLead]

here's that K38 W/ the relieved triggerguard it came w/ the grip adapter. I put on goodyears






15 yards off hand. 5 grains Herco, a 150 cast, 10 rounds SWC Bless my shaky old hands!

[Der Gebirgsjager]

MakeMineLead-- that's the first one I've ever actually seen. Interesting that the modification to the trigger guard is in combination with a wide tartet trigger. It doesn't detract from the overall appearance of the weapon. Last photo of it, very nice looking piece. Thanks for posting these photos.

[MakeMineLead]

You're most welcome! It's the first one I had ever seen either.

[beagle]

Nice guns guys. Here's my 1917 story. I was raised in NC and we had fairly strict handgun laws as to purchases in the 60s. I went to college in Raleigh and was in school with a fellow from Alexandria, VA. After talking, it came to light that he had worked for "Ye Olde Hunter" in Alexandria in the in processing room. One thing led to another and when he went home at Christmas, he took $25 (a lot of money in those days) and came back with a Smith M1917. He had selected it out of a fiberboard barrel of them they had on the display floor up there. I kept that old Smith for years and it digested untold thousands of rounds of Lyman 452460s and Lyman 452423s over the years. Wish I still had it./beagle

[leebuilder]

No horror just goodness. Bought a S&W 2cd variation for 125.00 out of frustration for finding .455 a converted to 45ACP. I use standard or low velocity ammo, because of all the horror storys. Anywho it is very accurate for a beat up WW1 relic. I can cut down a fair sized christmas tree with three or four rounds at 12 paces.
be safe

[Outpost75]

No horror just goodness. Bought a S&W 2cd variation for 125.00 out of frustration for finding .455 a converted to 45ACP. I use standard or low velocity ammo, because of all the horror storys. Anywho it is very accurate for a beat up WW1 relic. I can cut down a fair sized christmas tree with three or four rounds at 12 paces.
be safe

Your counterbored cylinder to accept .45 AR is a far more elegant conversion than the usual "shaved" job. Nice gun!

[OldManMontgomery]

These are three I have.

A 1917, cut down into a 'belly gun'. When I got it, it was devoid of much in the way of finish and the stocks looked like forty miles of bad road. The stocks on it now are pretty sad looking, but fit my hand very well.

A year or two ago, it started getting 'iffy' about setting off rounds. I thought perhaps it was dirty enough inside to slow the hammer fall. I cleaned it, but haven't shot it since. Maybe it needs a mainspring. Soon...

A 1955 Target Model. Before I got it, someone had put a telescopic sight on it and put some wear where the mount fits. The front sight was buggered as well. It looks like somehow the red insert was broken out. It's still the 6.5 inch barrel length. It shoots rather well, but I can't wear a six inch holster very well. (I look like a chubby, short-legged Paladin when I try.)

The solo 1955 Target Model was just like this when I got it. It was cut back to four inches and the front sight altered and remounted. The muzzle was re-crowned and it looks like a professional job. I changed the target grips for the ones on it now.

I bought 500 rounds of .45 Auto Rim from Starline; some time ago I purchased four or five HKS speedloaders (#25 if anyone cares) which fit .45 Auto Rim and oddly enough, the 1917 and the N Frame S&W revolvers.

My 'standard' load is essentially a .45 ACP duplication load for hardball. The gun shoots them to the sights out to twenty-five yards, as far as I can tell. And a lead 255 grain SWC (usually for .45 Colt) works very well, also. (The one on the far right.)

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Thanks for sharing those photos with us, Monty--some unusual items. The grips on No.3 look like they might be Herretts? Nice looking gun. Better get that mainspring replaced in the snubby in case you need it for a serious social engagement.

[Frank46]

Have to admit for a fondness for the 1917 S&W. I've a 1 st contract for the Brazilian military and fun to shoot. One thing back in the 60's these revolvers were cheap and subject to a lot of gunsmithing good or bad take your choice. While the barrel on mine is in nice shape I got lucky and found a 1917 Smith barrel in mint condition as a spare. Frank

[OldManMontgomery]

The grips on No.3 look like they might be Herretts? Nice looking gun.

Thanks. The stocks aren't Herrett's, although I tend in that direction as much as possible. I think they might be Fitz (not to be confused with J. H. FitzGerald) products, but they are marked 'Made in Philippines' with a sticker on the inside. They fit me well and they have just a bit of 'rock' on the revolver. I may need a couple drops of bedding compound.

Better get that mainspring replaced in the snubby in case you need it for a serious social engagement.

Yes, probably so. However, I don't carry that snubby so much anymore. (Not at all recently.) But it is too good a revolver to leave lay around doing nothing.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I hear you on those Philippine grips. They are a mixed bag. Several times I've ordered some on e-bay. They look good, and aren't priced too bad, but the fit can be problematical. They're always pretty close, but often not quite right, and that's odd because they must have sample guns to work from. Maybe just a lack of craftsmanship. Sending the ones that aren't right back to the Philippines is a pain, so I try to make them work. Here's the latest example. Note the daylight around the top of the grip.
Attachment 168357

[Char-Gar]

MakeMineLead-- that's the first one I've ever actually seen. Interesting that the modification to the trigger guard is in combination with a wide tartet trigger. It doesn't detract from the overall appearance of the weapon. Last photo of it, very nice looking piece. Thanks for posting these photos.

Bill Jordan modified the trigger guard of his Smiths and wrote about it in popular guns magazines back in the late 50s and early 60s. About 1965, I did that to a Chief Special and later to A 3" Model 65, as well as bobbing the hammer on both. It does shave a smidge of time off getting your finger on the trigger. Is that smidge worth the modification, probably not, unless a fellow thinks it does.

[MakeMineLead]

Bill Jordan modified the trigger guard of his Smiths and wrote about it in popular guns magazines back in the late 50s and early 60s. About 1965, I did that to a Chief Special and later to A 3" Model 65, as well as bobbing the hammer on both. It does shave a smidge of time off getting your finger on the trigger. Is that smidge worth the modification, probably not, unless a fellow thinks it does.

The barrel on mine was cut from 6 to 4", and the front sight refitted. The crown & sight fitting look professional. The guard cutting and rounding of the grip frame look Bubba-Ized. The gun is an early 50's vintage and the dates you give of late 50's early 60's fit well.

when I saw it in the pawn shop, it was filthy! the finish looked terrible. I did the old trick of cocking it very s-lo-w-l-y. I could feel old, Dried up oil in the action. Of course it didn't come into battery correctly. The pawn shop knocked off enough so I got OTD for $160.00.

A good cleaning, the finish is fine and the action works perfect!