I stumbled upon what appears to be a very nice Model 1917 .45 caliber revolver by Colt. However, searching here the serial number may be high for WWI production. Also, the hammer has the same finish as the rest of the gun instead of being clear metal, so I'm wondering if it was refinished.
Here are most details:
Serial # 227,xxx on frame & on crane
"U.S. Army Model 1917 No. 73 6xx" on butt with loop for lanyard
Rampant horse Colt logo in the correct spot on the left side
"Colt D.A. 45" on left side of barrel
"United States Property" (including quotation marks) under barrel
"Colt's PT FA MFG CO HARTFORD CONN USA" top of barrel
small "H" just above serial # on frame and on rear of cylinder
small "n" or "h" just below serial # on frame
small "8" on left side just above point where trigger guard joins frame
marking on left side above cylinder release, near top of hammer which looks like vertically superimposed "S20" or "520" with something above it (not clear on that detail)
on the frame under the left grip there are several more marks:
large "G" very near pin at base of mainspring
small "h" above and to the right (rear) of the "G"
"M" & "1" forward of pin for bottom of grip
"8" in bottom rear corner (behind pin)
The serial number is pencilled in on the inside of both grips except the last digit looks like a "0" with the left side open instead of a "3". These pencil marks are definitely pretty old.
Also, the chambers (?) in the cylinder have a shelf for a .45 ACP cartridge to headspace on. The ejector does not grab a .45 ACP case though.
Even though the hammer is finished like the rest of the revolver, the rampant horse logo and other marks are very clear. There are two parallel lines/spears diagonally through the horse.
Does this sound like a re-finished gun?
Can somebody help me date it?
Is it safe to use .45 Auto Rim cases or should I stick with a full-moon clip?
Any other info?
Was $825 a good buy? (pretty sure I know the answer to that one)
Last, there's white crust on the mainspring and it appears to be inside the frame as well. My guess is that it's very old grease. Should I (a) leave it alone, (b) remove as much as possible without disassembling, or (c) clean & lube the inside myself or have a gunsmith do it.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Here are most details:
Serial # 227,xxx on frame & on crane
"U.S. Army Model 1917 No. 73 6xx" on butt with loop for lanyard
Rampant horse Colt logo in the correct spot on the left side
"Colt D.A. 45" on left side of barrel
"United States Property" (including quotation marks) under barrel
"Colt's PT FA MFG CO HARTFORD CONN USA" top of barrel
small "H" just above serial # on frame and on rear of cylinder
small "n" or "h" just below serial # on frame
small "8" on left side just above point where trigger guard joins frame
marking on left side above cylinder release, near top of hammer which looks like vertically superimposed "S20" or "520" with something above it (not clear on that detail)
on the frame under the left grip there are several more marks:
large "G" very near pin at base of mainspring
small "h" above and to the right (rear) of the "G"
"M" & "1" forward of pin for bottom of grip
"8" in bottom rear corner (behind pin)
The serial number is pencilled in on the inside of both grips except the last digit looks like a "0" with the left side open instead of a "3". These pencil marks are definitely pretty old.
Also, the chambers (?) in the cylinder have a shelf for a .45 ACP cartridge to headspace on. The ejector does not grab a .45 ACP case though.
Even though the hammer is finished like the rest of the revolver, the rampant horse logo and other marks are very clear. There are two parallel lines/spears diagonally through the horse.
Does this sound like a re-finished gun?
Can somebody help me date it?
Is it safe to use .45 Auto Rim cases or should I stick with a full-moon clip?
Any other info?
Was $825 a good buy? (pretty sure I know the answer to that one)
Last, there's white crust on the mainspring and it appears to be inside the frame as well. My guess is that it's very old grease. Should I (a) leave it alone, (b) remove as much as possible without disassembling, or (c) clean & lube the inside myself or have a gunsmith do it.
Thanks for your thoughts.