S&W Brazilain Contract Fail to Fire on 6th round in Double Action

[jmoore]

I've never shot a 1917 in 455 or 44 spl.

Technically, the 1917s (U.S. Military issued .45 ACP revolvers) are a variant of the pre-WWII large frame hand ejectors, of which there are quite a few calibers- .38 Spl. (AKA 38-44), .44 Spl., .45ACP/AR, .455, .45 Colt, plus a few really odd ducks, and later, the .357 Magnum. Not as wide a range of calibers as the Colt New Service, which also has a "M1917" variant, but enough to be entertaining for collectors.

Although the Brazilian contract revolvers are often thrown into the same bucket as M1917s, they have their own production quirks, esp, those later on in the run.

THe pre-WWII revolvers are generally quite smooth in operation, but I can't seem to get them to work when the trigger pulls are lowered to what is common now. The internal geometry seems to have changed just after the end of WWII, but finding good late 1930's examples is more difficult than examples made earlier or later, so just exactly when the major internal changes started I don't know (aside from the evolution of the internal safeties, which is well documented). My favorite "vintage" Smiths from an "action" standpoint seem to be those built from about 1947 through 1955. The high point being roughly 1949-50.

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