Smith & Wesson S&W U.S. Model 1917 .45 ACP Hand Ejector 5.5″ Revolver C&R
SOLD FOR: $1925
LSB#: 210418FW55
Make: Smith & Wesson
Model: .45 Hand Ejector U.S. Army Model 1917
Serial Number: 88628
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 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 / 88 / 628”. 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 yoke, yoke cut and sides of the grip frame have inspection marks. There is a eagle head over “S2” in the yoke cut. The barrel flat has an eagle head with no numbers. The bottom of the barrel is marked “”UNITED STATES PROPERTY””. The left side of the frame is marked with an eagle head over “S9” on the rear bow of the trigger guard. The interior of the right grip is marked “88628” 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 little draglines and compressions. There are a few little dings, mostly on the bottom edges. There are some spots of thinning. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Very Good Plus condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright and the rifling is shallow. There is scattered erosion, mainly in the grooves.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 85% of its metal finish. There are some scuffs that have thinned the finish, light scratches, little nicks, and some scabs on the barrel. There are some little scabs and light erosion on the front sight. There is finish loss on the edges. There are some scuffs, scratches, spots of oxidation and thinning on the cylinder. The cylinder has a patch of light erosion with some scratches over it. The frame has some scattered spots of oxidation, light scratches, and some spots of light erosion. The scratches are most noticeable by the cylinder release and the erosion is most noticeable on the top strap at the rear. The grip frame has some oxidation and light patina. There are some marks into the top and bottom of the cylinder release. The screw heads are sharp to lightly worn. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in about Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The double-action trigger pull is smooth, single-action is crisp. The cylinder lockup is good on all chambers, some are solid some have light 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 revolver is properly marked with U.S. markings though it has been refinished. Collectors of WWI revolvers as used by the U.S. may show an interest, but this revolver would also make a decent candidate for a fun new shooter. Please see our photos and good luck!