S&W 1917: Production numbers: Commercial

"If they bored though the cylinder to accept the .45 acp, did they also change the barrel?"

They simply bored a .452 caliber hole through the same stock barrel blanks that were used for the .429 holes for the .44 Spl.

You can still get .44 Spl. barrels for the older frames. Numrich offers them.

And no, I've never developed any conclusive proof that the letters were tied to telegraph ordering codes. I really think it likely, though.
 
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