S&W M1917 Snubby

[Cornhusker77]

Those pictures make me want to do something with my old Colt 1917

 

[Blkhrt13]

I want to see what this feels like in my hand. The balance. The heft. For real. It’s got to feel good. I love the idea.

 

[PapaG]

Just thinking the other day, "What happened to you?". Great, naturally unusual, job.

 

[Blkhrt13]

@Michael Tinker Pearce can we get a self published coffee table book of all your projects? I’d pay 30 bucks for it easy

 

[Monster Zero]

Recently someone posted a S&W Custom Shop Model 625 with a 2" barrel on a gun page I frequent and people there lost their minds, calling it stupid and saying it would get 400 fps velocities and all kinds of crap. It was similar to this one, only fancier.
View attachment 1120663

I suspected it was maybe not so stupid. I had a Brazilian-Contract M1917 languishing in the safe and got to thinking. After checking that a replacement barrel was available to me I decided to do a little science.

I have 200gr. JHP defensive loads for my Detonics Combat Master which has a 3-1/2" barrel and a year or two back I tested it. I got a velocity of 848fps, and when fired into Clear Ballistics Gel through four layers of denim the bullet's average expansion was .640" with 14" of penetration. Good baseline.

I chopped the barrel of the 1917 at 2" and chronographed it with the same load. I got an average velocity of *drumroll...*

...841 fps. Huh.

So how can this be? Simple. BBTI.com tested the loss of velocity from a revolver's cylinder. gap and found out it was a lot less than people had supposed. Semi-auto pistol barrels are measured from the muzzle to the breech. If you measure the modified M1917s barrel from the muzzle to the breech it's just over 3-1/2". My particular M1917 has an extremely small cylinder gap (less than .0015".) Given the separation of the tests in time and conditions (temp, humidity etc.) and other variables I can't say the load performs any differently between these two guns. In other words it will work just fine from a 2" barrel. Who knew?

I found I liked the look of the M1917 with the 2" barrel and decided to keep it that way. Now front sight, bobbed hammer, polished the serrations off of the trigger, new front sight and some antler grips and an American Holly grip adapter.

Recoil is definitely a thing, but it's manageable and the gun shoots quite well. After a bit of tuning-up the trigger is a buttery-smooth 8.5 lbs. Anyway, here's the pics of my 'new' gun.
View attachment 1120664 View attachment 1120665 View attachment 1120666 View attachment 1120667

Very cool and pragmatic. Don't Fitz it. JMHO.

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Very cool and pragmatic. Don't Fitz it. JMHO.

Not going to happen; I'd feel weird about Fitzing anything but a Colt.

 

[halfmoonclip]

I was loading some 9s for the 940; load 147s for their more pleasant recoil in that J gun.
Checking my old data, this load did 856'sec from a 3" P365, and 889'sec in a (nominally) 2" 940.
So, yeah, revolver ballistic length should be measured from the recoil shield.
For the OP, near revo.
Moon

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Had some Kydex leftovers from another project and decided to try making a holster for this. Never made a Kydex holster before, so...


It's a paddle-type holster that holds the gun securely. The 'paddle' is hooked at the bottom so I don't draw the holster with the gun. The back of the holster is flat, so it pulls the gun's butt in nice and tight. I've been test-wearing it around the house and shop and it seems to do the job quite nicely.

 

[nofendertom]

I like it---simple and clean for a "meant for business" type of gun.

 

[Monster Zero]

Not going to happen; I'd feel weird about Fitzing anything but a Colt.

On another note, your measured velocity numbers defy the conventional wisdom re 2" or 3" and longer barrels. Itt been said that a 2" barrel on a 38 snub doesn't impart enough velocity to guarantee expansion of hollow points, but supposedly a 3" barrel will.

Similar velocity test on a couple of 38 specials anytime soon?

 

[WisBorn]

On another note, your measured velocity numbers defy the conventional wisdom re 2" or 3" and longer barrels. Itt been said that a 2" barrel on a 38 snub doesn't impart enough velocity to guarantee expansion of hollow points, but supposedly a 3" barrel will.

Similar velocity test on a couple of 38 specials anytime soon?

I think you need to go back and read the original post. Tinker is comparing a 45acp semi automatic to a 45acp revolver with a two inch barrel. The barrel lengths are measured differently. If you include the length of the cylinder similar to when auto loaders include the chamber the true length from firing pin to the end of the barrel are similar.

I think testing a 2" snub nose to a 3" auto in 9mm might be an interesting test.

 

[wcwhitey]

On another note, your measured velocity numbers defy the conventional wisdom re 2" or 3" and longer barrels. Itt been said that a 2" barrel on a 38 snub doesn't impart enough velocity to guarantee expansion of hollow points, but supposedly a 3" barrel will.

Similar velocity test on a couple of 38 specials anytime soon?

Two identical revolvers made on the same day will give slightly different velocities if everything is equal except cylinder gap. Unless excessive cylinder gap loss is overrated though and does not amount to as much loss as some think. A revolvers cylinder is its chamber and should be counted in the equation the same as a semi auto barrel. Tinkers findings do not surprise me. With regards to .38 Special the only semi automatic I think we could find to test would be a Smith and Wesson Model 52 VS. a 3 or 4” revolver using wadcutters. Would not surprise me that velocities would be similar.

 

[kBob]

Boy. I am not around to watch things and Tinker gets loose!

That is fantastic! I love it.

If I had an extra Carman Miranda 1917 I would love to offer to swap it out for that one to give Tinker the chance to do a better job on the next one…if he was willing to toss in the holster!

I can imagine it firing “Boom-chickee-Boom-chickee-Boom….”

Love the Grips and that chunk of “ain’t that Ivory?”

Tinker, your work always amazes me.

Keep it up! (and do not let SWMBO touch it!)

-kBob

 

[StrawHat]

In this case it 'Brazil Pat.,' which has been on the hammer of all of the few Brazilian-Contract guns I have seen.

Can you post an image of the stamping. None of my Brazilians have any stamping but several of my Model 1917s and Model 1917 Commercial variations have the Patent information stamping.

Kevin