Civilian S&W M1917 History Question

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shep854

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I recently bought the above gun. The S/N is 23xxx, and it has normal commercial markings, but no military. However, it has the CAI import stamp under the barrel.
Besides Brazil, where else were M1917s exported to?
 
S&W cataloged that gun up to the end of WWII, but I doubt any were actually made after the war began. After WWI, the commercial model was sold along with other S&W guns, so it could have been just about anywhere, in any use - civilian, military, police. 23000 in the U.S. military model would have been shipped to the Army, but the civilian model was numbered in a new series from the military gun. The most obvious difference is that the civilian guns had checkered stocks with medallions, where the military stocks were plain wood.

CAI does not import just ex-military guns, though that is the bulk of their business. They will buy any guns they can buy and sell legally, which would include civilian and police guns.

Jim
 
Thanks, Jim. Background on these gems is always enlightening. Mine is wearing the 'Magna' stocks, obviously not original to the gun. I first thought about getting plain military stocks, but will try to find appropriate period civilian ones, along with an accurate lanyard ring.
If it could only talk...
 
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