Got me another Colt 1917

[GunnyUSMC]

A friend of mine told me last year that he had picked up a 1917 revolver for just over $400 and could not wait to go out and play with it.
Later he told me that he had some issues with the revolver.
About 2 monts ago I asked if he had fixed the revolver and he said no and that he was going to try and sell it for what he had in it.
I knew that he likes building rifles and told him that I had a Savage Mod. 10 barreled action chambered in 270 Winchester Short Mag. The rifle had been in a house fire and that the stock had been scorched. The problem was that it sat in the closet of the house for a few weeks before the owner did some cleaning up and found the rifle. Then the rifle sat in storage for some time before I took it in on trade for some stock work. The poor thing was covered in light rust and a dirt dober wasp had pluged the barrel with it's nest.
I told my friend about the Savage and his eyes lit up. He told me that he would sell me the 1917 for $300 and the Savage action.
So we met up to do the trade. He was very happy with the Savage action and the revolver looked good. He also threw in a Repro holster, 90 rounds of 45 Autorim ammo and 4 full moon clips.


























It appeares that the trigger has been replaced, the finish does not match the rest of the gun. It may just need a minor adjustment. I plan on sending it off to a Gunsmith that knows Colts.

 

[meterman]

Don't worry about the trigger. Shoot her the way she is.

 

[Old Fuff]

Don't worry about the trigger. Shoot her the way she is.

From my point of view that's bad advise. Looking at the pictures I see too many badly burred slots and dinged-up screw heads.

Most likely someone has been inside who shouldn't be allowed to have a screwdriver, and what else might have been done isn't known. Send it to the qualified gunsmith first and have whatever problems it has corrected. Then go shoot it.

 

[Cornhusker77]

I like those old Colts
I picked one up a year or so back at Cabela's, but mine is a short barrel
I think mine has been refinished in the distant past because the logo is gone

 

[Dframe]

I agree a Colt qualified gunsmith should go over the gun to make sure everything is working ok. THEN I'd take it out and shoot the heck out of it, though in deference to it's age (nearly 100 years) I'd feed it only mild ammunition.
Cornhusker I've been looking for a New Service snubby, forever. Congratulations. That gun is fantastic. I missed out on a similar one a while back and have been kicking myself ever since.

 

[Old Fuff]

The revolver in post #4 has had the original barrel shortened and a new (non-standard) front sight installed. It may or may not have been re-finished.

Finding an original 2" barrel for a New Service model is next to impossible because it was never featured on a cataloged version. Most of the few that were made ended up on Fitz-Specials, which in themselves are rare. Cut-down barrels are fairly common.

 

[Dave T]

Gunny,

The advice about getting that old warrior checked over by a good gun smith is sound, but I'm more taken by just looking at it and imagining all the stories it could tell. When you get it checked out (and it's good to go) I wouldn't shoot anything but Ball in it. That's what it was made for and I bet that's what it will love. (smile)

Dave

 

[Cocked & Locked]

Nice 1917 Colt! Mine has been molested but I like it anyway.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

I do have another Colt 1917 that is in great shape and shoots great.
This one has a timing issue and needs to be fixed, it's not safe to shoot as is.
I really love the look of this revolver. It has that old war horse look and that is the way I like my milsurp guns.
A friend of mine has advised me of a Colt qualified gunsmith up in Ohio. He does have a back log, but that ok with me. As soon as I get his info I will be shipping the gun off just to have the needed repairs made, the finish and grips will not be changed.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Cornhusker77 and Cocked & Locked, Great guns.

 

[Dframe]

Cocked & Locked I am SO jealous. That is EXACTLY what I had in mind.

 

[Cornhusker77]

Cocked & Locked,
That's what I want my gun to look like

 

[Jaywalker]

I think my dad paid $17 for one of those back in 1960. He wasn't much of a shooter, but liked to mess around with things so he polished and blued it with a kit from Herters. Did a pretty good job on the frame, too, IIRC, but the cylinder was deeper than his tray and came out a little odd.

We shot it a few times with 45 ACP and half moon clips. It would be fun to have another, but I don't recall being able to work the stiff trigger double action. It was decades later before I recognized that it probably needed work. Single action worked fine, though.

You might want to call Cylinder & Slide in Fremont, Nebraska. They're usually backed up some months, but you reserve a spot and don't send them your piece until they're ready for it.

 

[scaatylobo]

@ cocked & locked

That worked over snub of yours had me drooling on my keyboard.

I would grab that in a NY minute.

You one velly lucky man !!.

 

[ghitch75]

nice 17 GunnyUSMC.....don't give it a diet of modern ammo......825fps and under is the best.....




Cocked & Locked who molested?......very nice i like big bore snubbie's!!!!!

 

[kBob]

I wonder how many of the shortened 1917s started out as Post Office Guns.

The story goes that immediately following WWI that Colt 1917s got moved over to the post office as anti robbery devices. To fit one of the compartments of the standard Post office safe something like an inch and a quarter of the barrel was loped off and the thing was left without a front sight on the theory that its use would be near contact.

I have seen two guns that were supposedly surplused by the PO in the 1950's and came very near buying one with the idea of further shortening the barrel and equipping with S&W style adjustable sights....

Unfortunately my father and gunsmith talked me out of "wasting" my money on one of those old clunkers.......hindsight IS however 20/20.

-kBob

 

[Old Fuff]

I suspect that not many got sawed.

It is true that a number of military surplus Colt 1917's ended up in Post Office service, but if the need was very great it's probable they would have been sent back to Colt and either shortened and re-sighted, or rebarreled. At the time the New Service was still in production and 4" barrels were a stock item

They were mainly used to arm pilots flying Air Mail, and mail-sorters working on railroad cars carrying mail. The folks working on the railroad didn't like them, and they were ultimately replaced with special Colt Police Positive's with 2" barrels, chambered in .38 Colt New Police/.38 S&W. Smith & Wesson got into the act by coming up with a similar (but only 5-shot) version of their Regulation Police model with a 2" barrel - also chambered in .38 S&W. A round butt version was sold commercially called the .38/32 Terrier.

 

[kBob]

One of my buddies had a Terrier his dad gave him just after high school. Neat little guns. Thanks for jarring that memory loose! Twas the first snubby I ever tried to shoot a ways off with. Other young punks were startled that I could ring an empty 55 Gallon drum with it at 100 yards. They were however un impressed with the dents and lead smears on the drum rather than holes.....

Based on my experience with Officers ACPs and Star PDs I'll bet the revolvers featured in this thread would do more than dent the drum.......

-kBob

 

[Old Fuff]

Actually the problem was (and still is) that the .38 S&W cartridge is downloaded to hopefully be safe in cheap, sometimes cast iron top-break revolvers made during the late 19th century. In Colt or S&W hand ejectors (Colt's in particular because you can use .358" rather then .361" bullets) loads that duplicate .38 Special performance can be safely used, and these will do more then dent the drum.

The Post Office deliberately went for the less-powerful .38 S&W cartridge because it was expected that any shooting would be at close range, and they're mail handlers got little or no training.