S & W 1917 .455 cal Pistol

It's a .44 Hand Ejector Model 2


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As originally posted, it is a Smith & Wesson Hand Ejector 2nd Model. The first Hand Ejector was the "Triple Lock", and the front lock was dropped on the 2nd Model.

The Model 1917 Revolver was strictly the U.S. military designation for either the 2nd Model S&W Hand Ejector, or the Colt New Service chambered in .45 ACP caliber. Due to a lack of Model 1911 pistols with the outbreak of WWI U.S. Ordnance ordered approximately 150,000 each of the big revolvers to supplement the Model 1911.

As a tip to your photography, use a darker background. The white background is messing up the exposure on the camera. It doesn't know what you want exposed correctly, so it takes the larger white background and exposes it correctly, leaving the pistol under exposed. Also, a tripod is necessary for sharp close-up shots, and an on camera flash never works very well. Try to use open shade outdoors when possible, and make sure camera setting are correct.

Johnny Peppers..............I believe You may be correct about not having a Model 1917?? Reading some info from Smith & Wesson. QUOTE: By June 1915 SW was in full production of the second model .455 Hand Ejector. When production ended on September 14, 1916, SW had manufactured some 74,755 .455 Hand Ejectors, of which 69,755 were the second model type. END QUOTE. According to my Serial Number my Pistol was made in 1918. So what do I have? I have NOTED that my pistol has a Hand Ejector and will take a 45 Long Colt with no Problem? As you can most likely tell I have not had this pistol very long. Should of done my homework sooner. Thank You Johnny Peppers. RICKGEE

So...that would make this one a New Century?

Again, it's a Smith and Wesson "Hand Ejector". That's it's name. It is a 2nd Model large (or .44) frame due to the lack of the barrel shroud (the visible clue) and the lack of the crane lock. It was originally in .455, hence it was called a ".455 Hand Ejector" to be caliber specific. S&W would have likely called it a "First change" for internal purposes, but collectors call it a ".455 Hand Ejector 2nd Model".

It was converted to .45 Colt ("Long Colt", to some) after it left military service, so it's not "pristine".

ETA: I've only ever heard the "New Century" designation in reference to the previous model, i.e., the "triple lock" or "1st Model".

The first big S&W DA revolver was officially the "Hand Ejector" but was also called the "New Century" or "Triple Lock". The Hand Ejector was an expensive pistol to manufacture, and after only 16,000 or so being manufactured it was dropped in favor of the Hand Ejector Second Model which was cheaper to manufacture as it did not have the enclosed ejector rod and third lock.

Rickgee, Your revolver was made before the end of production in 1916 not 1918. The US government had taken control of S&W before 1918 and the only N frame guns being made at that time was the M1917 for the US military.

IIRC, the .455 HE had it's own serial number block. The numders for the M1917 .45 ACP were not at all connected. So when checking maufacture dates by S/N you have to specify the model.