Colt New Service Model 1917 U.S. Army .45 ACP Military Revolver, 1920 C&R

SOLD FOR: $807.43

WOA#: WY240309GJ003

Make: Colt

Model: New Service Model of 1917 US Army

Serial Number: Government Serial Number: 114633, Factory Serial Number: 267095

Year of Manufacture: 1920 (https://www.colt.com/serial-lookup)

Caliber: .45 ACP

Action Type: Double Action Revolver with Swing Out Cylinder

Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “COLT D.A. 45”. The top of the barrel is marked “COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD, CONN. U.S.A. / PAT’D AUG. 5, 1884. JUNE 5, 1900. JULY 4. 1905”. The crane cut and crane are each marked “267095”. The left trigger guard bow is marked with a verified proof. The butt is marked “U.S. / ARMY / MODEL / 1917 / No / 114 / 633″. The sideplate has a rampant colt logo. The left of the frame above the sideplate is marked with eagle’s head over “S20”. The bottom of the barrel is marked “”UNITED STATES PROPERTY””. The crane, crane cut and front face of the cylinder each have arsenal refurbish number “846”. The crane, crane cut, and the cylinder under the ejector star each have arsenal refurbish number “3971”. The inside of each grip panel has “299620” hand-written in pencil.

Barrel Length: 5 1/2”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a tall Patridge style blade. The rear sight is a “U” shaped groove in the top of the receiver.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece smooth walnut panels. The grips have several scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches. The left panel has a loss at the bottom-front corner. There are no cracks. Overall, the grips are in Good condition.

Type of Finish: Parkerized

Finish Originality: Arsenal Refurbished

Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with sharp rifling. There is no erosion in the bore. There is some stubborn fouling and there is some leading along the edges of the grooves. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 8 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 60% of its current metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is scattered finish wear with the grip straps mostly worn to white. There is wear on the butt from the lanyard ring. There are scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches. Some worn areas show minor oxidation. The recoil shield has peen-marks around the firing pin bushing. The action shows operational wear including a turn-line on the cylinder. There is also a turn-line on the cylinder from the sideplate screw. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are generally clear, some are shallow. Overall, this revolver is in about Good condition as arsenal refurbished.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The cylinder lockup has no play with the trigger depressed on all chambers. The single action trigger pull is crisp and the double action is smooth. 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: With America’s entry into WWI, it was found that Colt could not produce enough Model 1911 pistols for the U.S. Army. Some .38 revolvers were distributed to rear echelon troops, guard, and the Navy, but the Army also wanted some commercial revolver production to be used for a revolver capable of using the same ammunition as the 1911 semi-auto. Both Smith & Wesson Hand Ejector and Colt New Service revolvers chambered for .45 ACP were approved as substitute standard and designated the Model 1917. Colt’s M1917 was built on the same large frame as the Colt New Service revolver, making for a very rugged service revolver. There were many still in inventory when the United States entered WWII and, for much the same reasons, they were once again pulled from inventory and issued out as a substitute standard. Most of those which were issued during WWII were arsenal refurbished and given a parkerized finish.

This example has been arsenal refurbished not once, but twice. There are two sets of matching refurbish numbers on the frame, crane, and cylinder. This likely indicates that the revolver saw more than its share of use during its service. It still has a good bore and strong mechanics. This revolver would make a nice addition to a U.S. Military sidearm collection and should still make for a fun shooter. Please see our photos and good luck!

Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud