U.S. Marked Smith & Wesson S&W Model 1917 .45 ACP Hand Ejector Revolver C&R

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Sold for $2010.00

Make: Smith & Wesson

Model: .45 Hand Ejector U.S. Army Model 1917

Serial Number: 136865

Year of Manufacture: 1917-1918, C&R

Caliber: .45 ACP or .45 Autorim

Action Type: Double / Single Action, Swing-Out Fluted Cylinder Revolver

Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “S&W D.A. 45”, the top is marked “SMITH & WESSON SPRINGFIELD MASS. U.S.A. / PATENTED DEC. 17. 1901. FEB. 6. 1906. SEP. 14. 1909”. The bottom of the barrel is marked “UNITED STATES PROPERTY”. The left side of the frame is marked with a flaming bomb at the top corner behind the cylinder. The butt is marked “U.S. / ARMY / MODEL / 1917” and “No / 136 / 865”. The rear face of the cylinder, barrel flat, rear face of the yoke and the underside of the ejector star are marked with the serial number. The barrel flat, yoke cut, rear face of the cylinder, and left side of the frame at the rear of the trigger guard have an eagle head. The interior of the right grip panel is marked with the serial number in pencil.

Barrel Length: 5 1/2?

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a half-round blade integral to a rectangular base fixed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is “U” notch in the end of a groove in the top of the frame.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece smooth walnut. There are some scattered draglines, compressions, little nicks, and a few dings through the finish. There are light handling marks. Threre are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Fine condition.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 92% of its metal finish. There is some finish wear on the edges, most noticeable on the muzzle. There are a few little nicks and dings through the finish, the most noticeable are on the edges of the rear sight channel and on the barrel. There are a couple of scratches, the most noticeable is on the trigger guard. There are some scattered light marks from use and storage. There is a turn line on the cylinder. There are a few little spots of oxidation on the hammer and trigger. The screwheads show light use. Overall, this revolver is in about Fine condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The cylinder lockup has some side-to-side play. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None

Our Assessment: This is a Smith & Wesson .45 Hand Ejector Model of 1917 that S&W made for the U.S. Army during WWI. The Army wanted more 1911 pistols than Colt could make so they contracted with both Colt and S&W to produce the Model 1917 revolver in .45 ACP, so that both pistols and revolvers would use the same ammunition. The cylinders were designed to hold the cartridges in half-moon clips for ease of loading and extraction. The chambers were stepped so that individual cartridges could be loaded and fired when there wasn’t time to load the clips, but then the empty cartridges had to be removed manually. This one has a lot of original finish remaining and looks nice, the mechanics are good and this will be a nice addition to your arsenal. Please see our photos and good luck!