| M1917 Revolver | |
|---|---|
 Colt M1917 issued by the U.S. Army during World War I to Charles Hamilton Houston | |
| Type | Revolver |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1917–1994 |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | World War I World War II Korean War Vietnam War (saw combat with the "tunnel rat" units) Cambodian Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1917 |
| Produced | 1917–1920 |
| No. built | ~300,000 total (c. 150,000 per manufacturer) |
| Variants | Slightly differing versions of the M1917 were made by Colt and Smith & Wesson (shown above). |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 2.5 lb (1.1 kg) (Colt) 2.25 lb (1.0 kg) (S&W) |
| Length | 10.8 in (270 mm) |
| Barrel length | 5.5 in (140 mm) |
| Cartridge | .45 ACP (11.43×23mm), .45 Auto Rim (11.43×23mmR) |
| Action | Double action/ single action, solid frame with swing-out cylinder |
| Muzzle velocity | 760 ft/s ( 231.7 m/s) |
| Feed system | Six-round cylinder |
| Sights | Blade front sight, notched rear sight |
The M1917 Revolvers were six-shot, .45 ACP, large frame double action revolvers adopted by the United States Military in 1917, to supplement the standard M1911 pistol during World War I.[1] There were two variations of the M1917, one made by Colt and the other by Smith & Wesson. They used moon-clips to hold the cartridges in position, facilitate reloading, and to aid in extraction since revolvers had been designed to eject rimmed cartridges and .45 ACP rounds were rimless for use with the magazine-fed M1911.[2] After World War I, they gained a strong following among civilian shooters.[3] A commercial rimmed cartridge, the .45 Auto Rim, was also developed, so M1917 revolvers could eject cartridge cases without using moon-clips.
- ^ Murphy (1985) p. 31.
- ^ "Historical Handguns: The Model 1917 Smith & Wesson Sixgun". Guns and Ammo. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- ^ Taffin, John (2005). "Colt's New Service". American Handgunner. 30 (4): 109.