Smith & Wesson S&W U.S. Model 1917 .45 ACP Hand Ejector 5.5″ Revolver C&R

SOLD FOR: $1065

LSB#: 201106MW85

Make: Smith & Wesson

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

Serial Number: 161730

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 / 161 / 730”. 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 over “S34”. The bottom of the barrel is marked “”UNITED STATES PROPERTY””. The left side of the frame is marked with an eagle head over “S4” on the rear bow of the trigger guard. The interior of the right grip is marked “72611” 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 checkered walnut with diamonds around the grip screws and S&W medallions. There are some little dings and light draglines. There is some thinning on the bottom edges and there is a ring of thinning on the butts from contact with the lanyard ring. There are some marks into the wood on the bottom edges. The checkering is mostly intact with some rub wear and a few light compressions and little marks. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Fine condition.

Type of Finish: Matte Blued

Finish Originality: Refinished

Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright and the rifling is shallow. There are scattered patches of pitting in the bore.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 95% of its metal finish. There are some spots of light erosion under the finish, the most noticeable are on the recoil shields, on the barrel at the muzzle, grip frame, and on the cylinder in one of the grooves. There are a few little marks and light scuffs. There is a faint turn line. There are some spots of discoloration from previous oxidation on the hammer and on the trigger. The screw heads are sharp to lightly worn. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in about Fine 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 barely perceptible 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 and 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!