M1917 Revolver

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Smith & Wesson M1917 Revolver (Military issue with lanyard ring) - .45 ACP. Note the ejector-rod socket, common of a Smith revolver. Also note the S&W style cylinder release latch. These are the only easily distinguishable external differences between the Colt and S&W versions.

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Colt M1917 Revolver (Military issue with lanyard ring) - .45 ACP. Note the unsupported ejector rod - common of Colt revolvers of the period, as well as the Colt-style cylinder release latch.

The M1917 Revolver was a six shot revolver, chambered for the .45 ACP round - a rimless round that required half (or full) moon clips to load the cartridges. During World War One, the official side arm of American forces was M1911 Government .45 Automatic, however supply shortages forced the U.S. Army to ask two Major Gun Manufacturers, Colt and Smith & Wesson to each update their existing Commercial heavy frame revolver and each build a version that could be fielded as a supplement to the standard M1911.

Colt already had an offering to the military, their M1909 heavy revolver, but it was chambered for the antiquated .45 Long Colt round. They re-chambered the revolver for the newly adopted .45 ACP round (calling the commercial variant "the Colt New Service Revolver"). Smith & Wesson re-chambered their own Second Model .44 Hand Ejector revolver as well.

Thus there are TWO versions of the Model 1917 revolver that are externally very similar, one built by Colt and one built by Smith & Wesson.

They (or a variation thereof) can be seen in the following:

Specifications

• Weight: 2.5 lb (1.1 kg) (Colt)
• 2.25 lb (1 kg) (S&W)
• Length: 10.8 in (274 mm)
• Barrel length: 5.5 in (140 mm)
• Cartridge: .45 ACP, .45 Auto Rim
• Action: double action, solid frame with swing-out cylinder
• Muzzle velocity: 760 ft/s ( 231.7 m/s)
• Feed system: six-round cylinder, loaded singly or with two three-round half-moon clips
• Sights: blade front sight, notched rear sight

Film

• Mr. Daniels (Cory Johnson) carries and uses two Colt New Service revolvers in The Mummy (1999)(Colt)
• Liam Neeson as Michael Collins in Michael Collins (1996) (Colt)
• Brendan Gleeson as Liam Tobin in Michael Collins (1996) (Colt)
• Bonnie Parker Faye Dunaway), Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty), and Frank Hamer (Denver Pyle) use Colt New Service revolvers in Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde (1967). (Colt)
• Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) uses a shortened S&W M1917 in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). (S&W)
• John Dall as Bart Tare in Gun Crazy (1947) (Colt)
• Kirk Douglas as Colonel Dax in Paths of Glory (1957) (Colt)

Television

• The Lost Battalion (Colt)

Video Games

• Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth (S&W)
• Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb (S&W)