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

SOLD FOR: $1,059.00

LSB#: LSB250830TW026

Make: Smith & Wesson

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

Serial Number: 101577

Year of Manufacture: 1917-1946, C&R (reference Standard catalog)

Caliber: .45 ACP 

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 an ordinance flaming bomb proof at the top corner behind the cylinder. The butt is marked “U.S. / ARMY / MODEL / 1917” and “NO /101/577”. 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 bottom of the barrel is marked “UNITED STATES PROPERTY”.  

Barrel Length: 5 1/2?

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

Stock Configuration & Condition: The smooth military style grips are two-piece smooth walnut. There is some light wear, particularly on the bottom edge of the left panel. There are some scattered light handling marks. There are no cracks. Overall, in this writer’s opinion the grips are in Very good condition.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion. The bore rates at 9/10 in this writer’s opinion.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 80% of its metal finish. There are some scattered areas of light freckling, scratches, dings, scuffs that have thinned the finish, and some finish loss on the edges. There is some patina on the grip frame. Some of the most noticeable dings are on the trigger guard. There is a turn line through the finish on the cylinder. The screw heads are sharp to lightly worn. The markings are clear. Overall, this revolver is in Good to Very Good condition as a C&R.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The double-action trigger pull is smooth, single-action is crisp. The cylinder lockup is good on all chambers. 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 and has its original finish. 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.  I encourage you to see our detailed high quality photos and good luck on your bid. 

BF