Colt 1917 in 45 ACP.

I've got the S&W version made for the Brazilian contract. Very sweet shooter! No lawyer trigger on this one. I was utterly astounded at it's performance. Just wish the sights were a little friendlier to older eyes.
Bob
 
I love the Smith version as well. There is a shop in Huntsville that has several of those right now, but I don't think they have a 45 ACP.

The prices are right, but those were definitely issued at some point if they are from the military. They are rough.

On the Colt cylinder you have a step so the case mouth can headspace. That allows you to fire the weapon w/o using the moon clips. Do the Smiths have this feature?
 
Way back when, ie=1967-ish, you could pick these up for about 50.00 at gun shows. I had three or four of the S & W equivalent, and they are fine pistols.

I used to handload for them using the "auto-rim" cases and a Kieth-style 240 gr. semi-wadcutter over about 7 grains of unique. Would have made a superb defense load. More than a few police officers carried these, using the auto-rim round in the cylinder and .45 ACP cases in half-moon clips for a quick reload.
 
Terry Newton said:
I had a very interesting trip to the range last week with a handgun I have wanted to shoot for years.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=381755

Thanks.
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I responded yesterday but evidently I didn't have enough push [send button ] so here I go again.

I have one of those 'hand cannons' made by S&W . It was military issue because it has the U S Army Corps of Engineers stamp on it.I'd rather fire it than the .45 GI semi-auto although I haven't fired one of those since '51.
I didn't like the recoil back--jerk forward action & didn't fire expert. The revolver is smooth & simple. Easy action ,no herky-jerky motion. Good grouping with mine also.
Not to be misunderstood, I'd love to have the GI semi as a collectible . Problem is they're too darned expensive .

Safe shooting !

:) Uncle Alan
 
Terry Newton said:
On the Colt cylinder you have a step so the case mouth can headspace. That allows you to fire the weapon w/o using the moon clips. Do the Smiths have this feature?
Click to expand...

Yes, the Smith's have it also.

Man these are great guns, I am still kicking myself for selling my Brazilian contract one.
 
uncle Alan said:
..................t was military issue because it has the U S Army Corps of Engineers stamp on it............................
:) Uncle Alan
Click to expand...

They were made for the military during WWI as a substitute standard to offset the shortage if model 1911, 45 autos that they just couldn't turn out fast enough. They were made for the British too in .455 Webley caliber in WWI and WWII
Both the Colt and S&W were called the model 1917, IIRC, and were used in both world wars.
 
Mike Hull said:
They were made for the military during WWI as a substitute standard to offset the shortage if model 1911, 45 autos that they just couldn't turn out fast enough. They were made for the British too in .455 Webley caliber in WWI and WWII
Both the Colt and S&W were called the model 1917, IIRC, and were used in both world wars.
Click to expand...




Until Colt managed to fill orders for the semi & because they were ONLY tooled up for the semi,S&W made them as a stop-gap.

Safe Shooting !

Uncle [ old goat ] Alan:confused: :)
 
Back when I was in the army in Germany, we could get the big .455 Webley pistols that had been converted to .45 ACP. I never bought one, but they had a reputation for being inaccurate due to the slightly oversized bore.

Big, ugly pistol; no doubt scare folks to death....
 
uncle Alan said:
Until Colt managed to fill orders for the semi & because they were ONLY tooled up for the semi,S&W made them as a stop-gap.

Safe Shooting !

Uncle [ old goat ] Alan:confused: :)
Click to expand...


"Colt Revolver, Caliber .45, M1917. Official designation Colt service model 1917 .45 ACP Military use: Used as a substitute-standard sidearm by the United States and Great Britain.
The British model .455 caliber revolver is identical with the U.S. Model 1917 except for the cartridge used."

"Initially adopted to replace the .38 caliber revolvers around 1910 as the .38 was a failure in stopping muslim Moro tribesmen in the Philippines, and called the model of 1909, but was only a stop gap measure as we adopted the model 1911 .45 auto.
During WWI the great expansion, blah, blah, resulted in severe shortages of small arms. England ordered Colt New Service revolvers in .455 Webley.
When the U.S. Entered the war in 1917 production or automatic pistols could not be increased rapidly enough to supply immediate pistol requirements.
It was decided to order Colt and Smith & Wesson .45 caliber revolvers, already in production for commercial sale, as substitute-standard handguns.

This revolver was placed in to production in November, 1917 as the Colt revolver, Cal .45, 1917...................With the end of the war in 1918, military production was canceled. A total of 151,700 U.S. Colt model 1917 revolvers had been manufactured.

During WWII the reserve stocks of M1917 revolvers were again issued for emergency use. British and American forces used them to supplement their standard sidearms.
After the end of WWII, the model 1917 was withdrawn from all service, except in military police units where it was considered suitable for use in their types of duties."
The above was taken from International Armament First Edition, by George B. Johnson and Hans Bert Lockhoven.
Just one of many publications on this subject.
 
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