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S&W M1917: A US Army revolver in .45 ACP (Ad-free)
🕑 Added 2024-06-03 12:00:01 +0000 UTCWhen the United States entered World War One, it had a significant shortfall in military handguns. The M1911 pistol production was expanded as much as possible, but more guns were needed. Both Colt and Smith & Wesson adapted revolver designs to Army standard .45 ACP ammunition, and both were accepted into service as the M1917, despite being different guns with no interchangeable parts.
The most interesting mechanical element of the M1917 is the development of half-moon clips to allow easy extraction of the rimless .45 cartridge. The clips were designed by S&W, but also licensed to Colt for use in their M1917 revolvers as well.
The S&W M1917 began as Smith & Wesson's Triple Lock design, which was simplified a bit (by removing the cylinder crane lock and the barrel lug) and rechambered for .455 Webley to sell to British and Canadian forces before the US entered the war. About 75,000 were sold like this, and it was then rechamberewd again for .45 ACP for US military sales. The first US deliveries were made in October 1917, and about 163,000 were produced by the time production ended in 1919. Only about half of them actually got to the front lines by the end of the war, and many of the guns went into storage. They were actually brought back out and used in significant use in World War Two as well.
Comments
Logan
Thanks for this episode! I have my great grandfathers. Don’t have the original grips though…
Dana Arbeit
I have both Colt and S&W M1917s. Great revolvers! Over the years, I have picked up some 'half-moon' clips, some 'full-moon' clips and even found some 'one-third moon' clips. Only the hslf-moon ones were used by the military. I also acquired a quantity of .45 Auto Rim cartridges before they went out of production. The only fault I have found with the revolvers is that the hump in the backstrap tends to hurt the web of my hand under recoil. Thanks for a great video on a great military handgun.
Lawrence Wills
Before our Firearms Act in '98 removed these 'weapons of mass destruction' from our shores, a old friend of mine (sadly no longer with us) owned one of these in 455 and a handsome piece it was too! Sadly surrendered after the act came into force but I recall him saying that he recovered more for it from the compensation scheme than he might have in a straight sale. Still galling though. 😬
Guido Schriewer
what's a (DA) colt. ah.. the origin of the moonclip. best invention since the revolver itself. as much as I love hks loaders... moonclips beat them handsdown. ...uh, a spectre.... I'm with patton on this one. say for folks not likely to use one some compact light single stack. hey I'd MUCH rather have that 1917 45acp than a 38 victory on me starting with the better caliber. bet ya a bunch were in use by someone as late as vietnam.
z c
I have one of these in beautiful condition that whoever owned it before me actually had reblued. It has the US Government marking but none of the Army acceptance stamps. Still shoots great with the proper half moons!
