SMITH & WESSON 1917 DA .45 ACP

The Smith & Wesson Model 1917 revolver is a legendary milestone in American military history, born out of the frantic mobilization for World War I to alleviate severe shortages of the standard-issue Colt M1911 pistol. Engineering ingenuity allowed Smith & Wesson to adapt their massive, heavy-duty “N-frame” design to chamber the rimless military .45 ACP cartridge using innovative, stamped-steel half-moon clips, which ensured positive extraction and allowed for rapid reloading. Manufactured at the historic factory in Springfield, Massachusetts, this specific 1918 production model represents the height of wartime fabrication, just as American doughboys were heavily engaged on the Western Front.

This example is distinctly marked “UNITED STATES PROPERTY” and bears the U.S. Army’s iconic flaming-bomb acceptance stamp, identifying it as a military-issued arm. Highly regarded for its rugged reliability and serviceability under demanding field conditions, the Model 1917 remained in secondary U.S. military service through World War II and beyond, cementing its place in the history of American military sidearms.