My Smith and Wesson .45 acp........

[3006guns]

I was going through my handguns a few days ago........just a general checkup to make sure everyone's happy, you know. I pulled out my commercial (1920's) version of the 1917 Smith and Wesson .45 acp and realized that I'd never fired it! It was over 20 years ago when I found it in the local gun shop and weasled a lower price because the bore looked a little shaky and the bluing was pretty well worn. Mechanically it checked out fine, so I bought it and tucked it away......then life got in the way and I forgot about it.

I've always like that model Smith and felt that it was the ideal "belt gun" when out in the boonies.

So, I grabbed a box of my .45 Auto Rim handloads (200 gr. swc over 5.9 gr. of Unique) and headed for the local range this afternoon. I loaded and aimed an Osama Bin Laden target someone left up and squeezed off the first shot. What a joy! I'd forgotten how wonderful the wallop of a big bore revolver was. The shot struck high but I used the same aiming point again and the second boolit hit very close to the first. I lowered my aim to his chin and the third shot hit him right square in the nose.

From that point on I started picking out small rocks and dirt clods on the range. Most of my shots were high (my reloads I suspect) unless I really concentrated and held low......then I could bounce them all over the place. 40 rounds later I was done. That somewhat worn looking revolver still shot well....very well indeed. I feel like I just renewed an old friendship.

Now I just need to find someone that really knows how to reblue a gun with no overpolishing, etc. and maybe we'll put the old girl back in her Sunday best! :)

[OS OK]

LOL...I know you said Osama but I read it O'Bama, wishful thinking I suppose?

I dunnoh, about the new suit thing. She's earned her 'patina' of sorts and still does her job well!

[Walkingwolf]

Is anyone marketing ANTIFA targets yet?

[Der Gebirgsjager]

203185
click to enlarge

Very interesting story, because it somewhat parallels mine. This is a 1920s vintage 1917. At the time I purchased it I already had a Colt 1917 and wanted a Smith, but didn't run across any. I spotted this one in a gun shop and bought it, but found that it shot very high. Not on the paper even with a hold below the target frame. I tried SWC, LRN, and JHP loads with no results at all. I took it back to the shop, which had an attached indoor range. The shop's owner had a box of miscellaneous .45 ACP loads and he proceeded to fire away with the same results I had experienced. He even climbed up on top of a chair, and found that by aiming about 2 ft. in front of the target he could hit the paper. But things changed dramatically when he tried some G.I. hardball. Holes started appearing in the center of the target! When that happened I was glad to take the Smith back home with me, and the next trip to the range confirmed that hardball was the only thing it would shoot with. I was also unhappy with the condition of the finish and did reblue mine. I wonder if this condition was common to all of them with that barrel length?

[nicholst55]

Now I just need to find someone that really knows how to reblue a gun with no overpolishing, etc. and maybe we'll put the old girl back in her Sunday best! :)

Ford's Refinishing (https://www.fordsguns.com/)

[Dan Cash]

Spend your money on ammo and leave the blueing alone.

[9.3X62AL]

Spend your money on ammo and leave the blueing alone.

Kinda my M/O as well. If the engine is good, I don't give a rip about paint job.

[3006guns]

I wasn't able to get back to this thread until now. After really thinking about it, I think I'll leave the old girl alone. She's earned that wear, most honorably no doubt......

I pulled my copy of Smith and Wesson history by Roy Jinks, in hopes of getting a better idea of when this gun left the factory. Alas, Roy's otherwise excellent history only lists when a certain model started, along with number changes designating a mechanical change. My gun's number is 186xxx, which I'm guessing is late twenties........and that's all it is, a guess. It's also wearing the old style, pre magna grips with diamond checkering and the SW medallion. Does anyone have a more accurate way of dating this revolver?

[3006guns]

203185
click to enlarge

Very interesting story, because it somewhat parallels mine. This is a 1920s vintage 1917. At the time I purchased it I already had a Colt 1917 and wanted a Smith, but didn't run across any. I spotted this one in a gun shop and bought it, but found that it shot very low. Not on the paper even with a hold below the target frame. I tried SWC, LRN, and JHP loads with no results at all. I took it back to the shop, which had an attached indoor range. The shop's owner had a box of miscellaneous .45 ACP loads and he proceeded to fire away with the same results I had experienced. He even climbed up on top of a chair, and found that by aiming about 2 ft. in front of the target he could hit the paper. But things changed dramatically when he tried some G.I. hardball. Holes started appearing in the center of the target! When that happened I was glad to take the Smith back home with me, and the next trip to the range confirmed that hardball was the only thing it would shoot with. I was also unhappy with the condition of the finish and did reblue mine. I wonder if this condition was common to all of them with that barrel length?

That is a beautiful old Smith. They had craftsmen and standards back then.......mine is more "white" than "blue".

You may be right about the G.I. hardball. I have some around here someplace so I'll give it a go next time I take her out for a spin. :)

[Texas by God]

I've owned two and both shot 230 hardball over the best boolit I could pour. Elmer Keith said it was due to the shallow rifling of the 1917.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Shallow rifling...that it has. But the bore appears to be in pretty good condition.

[Dale53]

I do not have a Smith 1917. However, I have two 625's (a 5" Model 625-6 and a 4" Model 625-8 JM Special). I have fired NOTHING but my home cast bullets in these revolvers. Either will group five shots under 1" at 25 yards off a rest on demand.

However, if I did have a 1917, the first thing I would do is slug the cylinder throats and size the bullets to the throats. I would expect 230 gr. cast bullets at factory velocities to hit closest to the sights. Keep in mind, that different people see the sights differently. What hits center for one person may not for the next. It is reported by people I respect, that harder bullets may shoot better in the shallow rifling of the 1917's. They DO have to be sized correctly, tho' (throat size).

I shoot mostly #68 H&G bullet (from a Mihec mold), a 200 gr. SWC, sized to my throats (.452"), lubed with Lars' White Label Carnauba Red lube, and cast of WW's+2% tin. My 625's are an absolute PLEASURE to shoot. I have over ten thousand rounds through my two revolvers.

FWIW
Dale53

[35remington]

For shallow rifling, do try lightweight cast bullets with a long bearing surface, cast not super soft but rather on the somewhat harder side, which may be a good policy to try with all bullet weights. These tend to skid less in the shallow rifling and this tip may help. Best accuracy in my 45 revolvers of shallow rifling type is the discontinued Lee 190 SWC or something similar. This may not shoot to point of aim in fixed sight revolvers but my 625-3 is not fixed sight so I get away with it.

[tazman]

For shallow rifling, do try lightweight cast bullets with a long bearing surface, cast not super soft but rather on the somewhat harder side, which may be a good policy to try with all bullet weights. These tend to skid less in the shallow rifling and this tip may help. Best accuracy in my 45 revolvers of shallow rifling type is the discontinued Lee 190 SWC or something similar. This may not shoot to point of aim in fixed sight revolvers but my 625-3 is not fixed sight so I get away with it.

What 35remington said. The only chance for lead boolits to grip shallow rifling well is to make them as hard and tough as you can. Usually this only works for low pressure cartridges(38 special,45ACP).
I had a similar problem with a shallow rifled Taurus PT92 barrel. It shot jacketed fine but no cast boolit would group or even not tumble consistently due to the pressure of the cartridge. I changed out the barrel for a Beretta barrel that had more than adequate rifling and the problems immediately disappeared. That isn't an option for you though.