Colt Model 1917

History of the 1917 Colt Model

When the Americans officially entered World War I in 1917, they lacked much available combat equipment, including a usable stockpile of military small arms. The U.S.

Army had adopted the Colt M1911 bolt-action semi-automatic pistol designed by John Browning, but needed to hedge against wartime constraints, although many manufacturers had already committed to producing the M1911. As a result, the US Army commissioned Colt and Smith & Wesson to produce a six-shot revolver sidearm called the "M1917" for the . 45 ACP cartridge - the same as the M1911.

Of course, both companies accepted government contracts and produced slightly different versions of the weapon based on each company's respective civilian type.

A few years ago, Colt introduced a new service model civilian revolver for the ". 45 Long Colt". Colt was fortunate to have this weapon in service with the US Army at the time as the "M1909". Colt chose this revolver to meet the needs of the U.S. Army and began drilling their gas cylinders to accept the required cylinders.

45 ACP cartridges. The end result is a usable and effective revolver with a very traditional basic design.

The frame is solid (meaning a full "bridge" mounted on the cylinder for a more durable design) has smooth holes projecting forward and is marked with a front blade sight behind the muzzle. The standard length of the barrel is 5.5 inches, while the overall length of the turret is 10.8 inches. A rear notch visor has also been incorporated into the design. The trigger ring is integral with the receiver itself, managing a curved double-action trigger assembly.

This "double-acting" term means that the operator does not need to manually operate the cocking of the hammer - he can simply pull the trigger and the hammer will automatically cock (though it can still be managed manually, if desired). The pistol grip is nicely contoured for a firm hold down and covered with wood details. Exposed hammer thorns protrude from the rear of the receiver, allowing a manual trigger if necessary.

An ejector rod is mounted under the barrel in front of the frame, which is also attached to the cylinder. The barrel is grooved and drilled along its surface to accommodate six rounds of . 45 AKP or . 45 Auto Rim ammunition spinning smoothly in its sturdy frame. For reloading, the cylinder is designed to "swing out" for easy access to any available cartridge chambers.

The total weight is 2.5 pounds, and the muzzle velocity is 760 feet per second.

The production of the M1917 revolver began in 1917 and continued until 1920. A total of about 300,000 were produced, of which Smith & Wesson managed 150,000 of their own version (this was based on the second model .44 manual catapult - now for 0, 45 ACP). The M1917 can be operator-loaded custom. 45 ACP cartridges or use Smith & Wesson inspired three round "half moon" cartridge clips.

These cartridge clips allow for faster loading of up to three. 45 rounds at a time, and it's easier to extract spent bullets in the heat of battle (instead of manually reloading/extracting individual bullets). The U.S. Army lobbied Smith & Wesson to allow Colt to use the magazines and eventually licensed them.

Accordingly, the Colt M1917 is free to use Smith & Wesson's patented technology or any legal remedies available from Smith & Wesson.

The M1917 was in service until 1954. Its proliferation ensured that the weapon was used in every major American conflict of the century, including World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Both the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps use this type, while other global operators include Brazil and South Vietnam.

After the end of official frontline use, this model worked well as a cheap and reliable secondary system for non-combat units.

Colt Model 1917 Specification

ROLES

STRUCTURAL

PERFORMANCE

VARIANTS