S&W 1937 Brazilian ?

N

novus collectus

Moderator
I have just acquired a 1937 S&W model 1917 Brazilian in .45 caliber. Every book or website I have looked this up in has said that there were only 20,000 made for Brazil in 1937. Why is it that mine has a serial number of nearly 200,000? Is it because S&W just continued the serial number of that particular model while fufilling that contract, or is it that there really was more than 20,000 made?
 
During that period S&W ran their serial numbers by frame size. Your gun's number is just part of the N-frame series of serial numbers.
 
Smith & Wesson made two distinct batches for the Brazilians. They delivered most of the guns, between serials 181,900 and 207,100 prior to WW II. Final delivery was delayed by the war.

Some of the ones that fulfilled the remainder of the contract in 1946 MAY have been made on frames that S&W bought back from the US Government.
 
I bought a 1917 S&W Brazilian contract revolver back in 1988 from a friend who was an FFL here in NJ. The guns came through Navy Arms Company here.

In a letter dated 12/28/87 from Roy G. Jinks to Val Forgette, Jr. of Navy Arms Company, a brief history of these revolvers is given and is quite interesting.

As stated above, there were two groups of revolvers delivered to the Brazilian government. The official designation is the .45 Hand Ejector Model of 1917. The original Brazilian contract called for 25,000 units.

"In general, the first group of revolvers shipped fall into the serial number range of 181983 through 207043. There was a second group of revolvers purchased for shipment to Brazil through the New York exporter John Black & Company. These revolvers were shipped beginning in May of 1946 with approximately twelve thousand units delivered in 1946. These revolvers fall in two basic serial number groups. These groups are: 166000 to 175150 and 207196 to 209878.

The 1917 that I have is serial number 208XXX so it was one of the second group shipped in 1946. I've always stated simply that it was manufactured in 1937 in that Brazilian contract. I believe the grips on mine not to be original because they are a checkered S&W commercial type grip with S&W medallion and a diamond around the screw hole

The .45 Hand Ejector Model of 1917 revolvers manufactured for the U.S. and its allies between 1917 and 1919 (approx. 175,000 units), were marked "United States Property" under the barrels and "U.S. ARMY MODEL 1917" on the frames. There is also an "S" stamped on the rear of the cylinder for Colonel Gilbert H. Stewart, Inspector.

My 1917 or any others that I've seen that are Brazilian contract guns do not have these U.S. markings on them.

I still have mine and it's a fine shooter that I take out maybe once a year to fire with both .45 AR brass and normal .45 ACP brass with half and full moon clips.
 
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