Colt 1917 DA45

I bought this revolver at an auction several months ago. With only a few moments to inspect the gun before the bidding started I mistakenly thought the gun was a rare post war "civilian parts model." After purchase and some research on this forum and others I quickly learned that it is actually a war-time issue piece that was modified after it was retired from service.
From the research I have done and with input from more knowledgeable folks than me on this forum as well as Colt internet and Facebook forums this is what I believe to be true.
-The "H" proof mark is Frank Hosmer, Colt's Chief Inspector at the time
-The Eagle S20 and the G on the grip frame are Military Acceptance proof marks
-This revolver is believed to have been assembled and shipped in November/December 1918 time frame
-The AA stamp under the grip is somewhat interesting. I’ve had several people tell me that the AA stamp normally indicates an Augusta Arsenal rebuild after WWI prior to re-issuance in WWII. (a few of these revolvers saw service in WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam) These AA stamps are normally located on the left side of the frame in front of the trigger guard. So.. these particular AA marks on my 1917 may be Augusta Arsenal marks that someone for some reason put in a peculiar spot or they could just be an assembly mark of some kind.
-Has the July 4, 1905 patent mark on top of barrel
-The revolver is still in the same condition as it was when I bought it. I’ve wiped it down but have not done any disassembly or detail cleaning




The bad..
-Some unknown gunsmith long ago, removed the military issue serial number on the bottom of the grip as well as the “United States Property” proof under the barrel.
-The original wood grips were replaced with plastic checkered grips
-The pistol has been buffed/polished and blued
-There is scattered freckling and a bit of pitting one side of the cylinder where I believe it laid on its side in a leather holster. There are also some scratches on the left side of the frame under the pony where the holster snap would have been located

The good.
-It’s a Colt revolver with a lot of history, still wearing some military proof markings and appears to be in good functional condition, though I have not actually shot it.
-It is chambered in 45ACP.

Price reduced to $600.00 and comes with 200 rounds of ammo and 10 moon clips. No Trades.
Ammo is 170 rounds Wolf Steel Case 230gr FMJ, 20 rounds Aquila 117gr HP, 10 rounds Misc.
FTF in Granbury, Weatherford, Mineral Wells, Benbrook Areas


Here is a link to a thread on this forum with some good discussion and more detailed pictures.
https://texashuntingforum.com/forum...ny-colt-revolver-aficionados#Post7890863


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Bump. Lower price for this old warhorse..

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Neat gun

Thanks, they are a cool bit of history..

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Be a great shooter.

Yes sir, they are known to be great shooters..

I’m surprised this hasn’t sold yet. I’ve had a few bites but no takers. The prices for these pistols are all over the map but are definitely going up. Even with the mods and blemishes I feel like it is reasonably priced, especially with 200 rounds of ammo.

I just watched one of these 1917 pistols on GB sell for over $800.00 in worse condition than mine. From what I could see, that revolver had cracked grips and all the proofs marks, stamps, lanyard hoop and even the prancing pony had been removed and it didn't include any ammo or clips.


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Yes, your pistol is reasonably priced and is in nice condition for it's age. The intrinsic value for a collector, however, is vastly decreased by the modifications that were made. Removing government markings is the worst thing he could have done as it pertains to the value. And to what end? As stated above, it's a good shooter but the collector's value has been drastically decreased by removing the serial number and the US markings. In this condition, unaltered, this pistol would sell on Gunbroker for north of $1,000 and maybe more for a face-to-face transaction. USGI weapons, pound for pound, are worth far more than those from other countries. I think you can sell your pistol at this price but you will need to be patient. Good luck.

Thanks for the comment. If I messed with gunbroker, that would be the way to go. That 1917 I watched go for over 800 bucks the other day was in much worse condition than mine and had ALL external markings/stamps/proofs polished off. It didn’t even have the Colt pony on it anymore. It sold for 825.00. I know there’s a market but it’s a niche market.

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looks like the gun made famous in the Netflx series "Damnation". it made a lot of head shots along with Creeley's 1911

cool revo

You may be correct sir. I haven't watched the show (yet) but pics of the promo does appear to be a Model 1917, however it looks to me like it's the S&W variant. Cool bit of history about these revolvers.. the Model 1917 was made for the US Govt by Colt and S&W.



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I function checked the pistol today firing 11 rounds of mixed ammo. I was not shooting for groups and because of ammo scarcity I shot one full cylinder single action, left side and 5 rounds double action, right side. The pistol is a pleasure to shoot and I’m sure if I had more ammo to get familiar with the pistol the groups would look much better. Shot at 7 yards.

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Good price for this old classic. I have one in original condition that wouldn’t leave me for anywhere close to that price.

Anyone wanting a shooter should jump on this.

Thanks, In original condition these are selling for @1,200.00+. I've seen some of the really early models in mint condition sell for 3-4K.

Someone will come along that will be a good match for this old girl.


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Youre "milking" the trigger but still in the kill zone @ 7yds LOL

Nice

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