Vern Humphrey
Member
True. You would not want to carry that gun for defensive purposes unless you had half-moon clips.
Auction find. Colt Army Model 1917
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Vern Humphrey
Member
The Colt New Service (which is what the M1917 is) is indeed a big revolver -- the biggest Colt ever made.
Iron Sight
Member
You can get 500 new Auto-Rim cases from Starline for $102 and do away with Moon Clips. (If you are a re-loader?)
https://www.starlinebrass.com/brass-cases/45-Auto-Rim-Brass/
https://www.starlinebrass.com/brass-cases/45-Auto-Rim-Brass/
Bama Drifter
Member
A short piece of dowel rod is handy. BTW Jim K. and Vern H, I saw a "snubbie" New Service at the Tulsa Gun Show this past weekend being sold by a bearish looking fellow. When I told him I'd never seen anything quite like it, he responded that it was a modified 1917. I guess it would be ok for CCW if you were built like Paul Bunyan...Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. If you are going to shoot without clips it's a good practice to take a rod along - unless you have strong fingernails.
Took it to the range yesterday. Put eighteen rounds of Blazer 230 grain hardball through it. Shot the center out of the target from 12 yards. The 41 ounces made for a very soft shooting revolver. Akin to a 38 Special. I know some will not agree with me actually firing some rounds through it, but it's a revolver. It should be fired if only now and again. I do have a couple safe queens, but this warhorse needs to get out now and again I think. Sorry. No photos.
Firing is not going to harm that 1917 or lessen its value. It is not a mint Paterson, and likely has been fired many times before you got it.
Those guns can be pretty stiff in recoil, though. Hatcher tells the story of investigating a crime committed with an S&W 1917. One of several men could have fired the gun, but all denied having done so. Hatcher asked them to display their hands; he accused one, who promptly confessed. The secret was not some scientific test, but the split web on the man's hand from the recoil of that pre-Magnum stock S&W.
Jim
Those guns can be pretty stiff in recoil, though. Hatcher tells the story of investigating a crime committed with an S&W 1917. One of several men could have fired the gun, but all denied having done so. Hatcher asked them to display their hands; he accused one, who promptly confessed. The secret was not some scientific test, but the split web on the man's hand from the recoil of that pre-Magnum stock S&W.
Jim
Clark
Member
I think I have (3) Colt New Service revolvers:
455 Eley 1916 $600 [RCMP proofs, lanyard loop] 2013
45 Colt 1943 $550 [George Herters 8" barrel, Dutch proof marks, lanyard loop] 2012
38-40 1920 $475 [reblued] 2013
455 Eley 1916 $600 [RCMP proofs, lanyard loop] 2013
45 Colt 1943 $550 [George Herters 8" barrel, Dutch proof marks, lanyard loop] 2012
38-40 1920 $475 [reblued] 2013
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
I find that pretty hard to believe.
My first real handgun was a S&W 1917 in 1962.
I learned to reload with it, using the old Speer 'blow-up' manual, and over pressure Elmer Keith loads.
I got good enough with it to draw and hit a can thrown in the air six times before it hit the ground.
Recoil was not bad at all, and I can't even imagine it splitting the web of anyone's hand.
Even with those old over-pressure loads.
Let alone, standard .45 ACP.
rc
Vern Humphrey
Member
My Colt M1917 was very pleasant to fire, and my current New Service in .45 Colt is also pleasant, even with loads in the 20K PSI range.
Clark
Member
I used mind control on Nov 2012 to talk the seller down to $550, what he had into it. He said that 200 gr XTP handloads made it the most accurate fixed sight handgun he had ever shot, but he was selling all guns because of a change in political climate.
I became suspicious of the barrel, as it was green-blue, not black-blue like the rest of the gun.
The marking on the barrel says "New Service & 1917".
That sounds more like a spare parts option from Herters than something Colt would roll on there.
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