Not sure what t make of this.

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Ummmm, very unique gun. I'm kinda speechless. Mom always said that if you have nothing nice to say.....
 
I read the description. Apparently the guns were offered in .357 and this particular example was fitted with a .357 cylinder.

Some people have emailed me about the difference in pressure between the .45acp and the .357. Here is some info on the subject. This link is to Wikikpedia, it states the “New Service” was made in 9 calibers (including the .357 Mag). This is just a Model of 1917 US Army (which were all built on the "New Service" Frame). This one has a .357 cyl and barrel fitted to the revolver. The frame was the same for all calibers. Here is the link for more info https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_New_Service CALIBERS: 45 Colt, .455 Webley, .476 Enfield, .45 ACP, .44-40, .44 Special, .38-40, .38 Special, .357 Magnum
Click to expand...
 
Not my cup of tea, but it should be OK to use. New cylinder and barrel, and the frame should be strong enough to handle .357 Magnum seeing that it is a large frame Colt and every bit as good as an N-frame S&W.

Possibly this was a gun that had suffered damage, such as a barrel bulge, and someone decided to resurrect it.
 
Converting a 1917 to .357 is pretty simple - new barrel, new .357 cylinder, and a quick file job on the sideplate should do it. It is true that the New Service was made in .357 Magnum (c,. 1935), but even so, those New Service guns had special heat treatment (as did the N frame S&W .357's) so for any long term use, a better bet would be to buy a revolver made for the .357 Magnum. The problem with such a gun is that it is neither fish nor fowl; not quite what it should be for .357, yet overkill on size and weight for .38 Special.

Jim
 
Thanks, Ajumbo and Sarge7402! Always good to learn something new about a favorite subject.

As of now, that gun's life divides neatly in two: 50 years before conversion, and 50 years after. Nowadays, even rough 1917s are preserved or restored, not converted, as The Evangelist Cowboy says.

PS: Are those "medallions" in the grips thumbtacks?!
 
So it's been re-barreled and re-cylindered, and it's only going for 235$ ?
JMHO, wouldn't buy it, wouldn't fire it, if I were aware of it's history. There is
just something wrong there.
 
Dang Sarge......
Those old ads put me of a mind of a week spent debating whether or not to be a good boy or not. My Grandmother had gifted me a mechanical type writer and a bud and I had promptly copied the wording required to order ammo and guns. We got hung up on that "I am at least 18 years of age" We had big plans for the stuff we could buy with saved up summer job, lawn mowing Christmas and Birthday money...... but neither wanted to sign a lie.

Oh well.

Guess it was good for "Building character".........and we could buy most ammo at the grocery store or bait and tackle shop anyway.

-kBob
 
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