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LOT 3563
Historic, Documented, Exceptional Smith & Wesson Model 1917 Double Action Revolver in Extremely Rare .45 Long
Colt Caliber Built for High Ranking S&W Employee Fred Miller with Factory Letter - Serial no. 169335, 45 Long Colt cal.,
5 1/2 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. Found in the serial number range 1-209791, the S&W Model 1917 revolver was
manufactured from 1917 to 1946 and were primarily issued to the U.S. Army. The standardized caliber for this model was .45 ACP.
This outstanding example, however, is an extremely rare variation of the S&W Model 1917 as it is chambered in .45 Long Colt.
Although exact quantity of revolvers chambered in .45 LC is unknown, the authors of the “Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson”
state that only “several” are known in this caliber. In the accompanying factory letter no exact shipping date was listed, but S&W
historian Roy Jinks hypothesized that the revolver was “probably built in the mid-1950s.” As stated in the letter, it is known that the revolver was delivered to S&W Assistant Sales Manager Fred H. Miller with a 5 1⁄2 inch barrel in .45 LC, blue finish, and smooth walnut grips. The rare caliber is confirmed in the factory letter. Jinks remarked, “This rare revolver was specially built for Mr. Miller who could have any special he wanted assembled by the company. This is certainly one of the rarest variations of the .45 Hand Ejector Model of 1917 known.”
Fred H. Miller (1910-1991) was a long time employee of Smith & Wesson. He started in 1937 in charge of the Service Department. In 1960 he was
named Sales Manager, a position he held until his retirement in 1973. During his time at S&W, Miller shot competitively for the company and several
local gun clubs. Jinks attributed Miller as “one of the key factors that helped Smith & Wesson gain dominance in the handgun market.” Miller trained his
daughter who became one of the leading women shooters in the Eastern U.S. Miller was the S&W representative at the major matches that showed S&W product line. In the 1940s, Miller was accidentally shot through the right shoulder and had to learn to do all of his tasks left handed and was ranked as one of the top fifty shooters in the United States Revolver Association. Jinks fondly remembered Miller: “Frederick Miller was one of the most unique men I have had the privilege to meet in the firearms industry. I met Fred Miller in 1957 on my first trip to Smith & Wesson. He provided me with a great deal of information about the company and helped spur my interest in the long research process into the company’s history. Little did I realize at that time, that in 16 years I would be sitting in his
place at Smith & Wesson.” There is also a typed letter on S&W stationary entitled “Frederick H. Miller 1910 - 1991 by Jinks that highlights Miller’s life.
Other than the chambering, the revolver is a standard Model 1917. The barrel has the two-line address/patent dates on top, “S&W D.A. 45” on the left side, “UNITED STATES PROPERTY” on the underside. The inside of the frame has a U.S. Ordnance eagle proof. The butt is marked “U.S./ARMY/MODEL/1917” and “No/169/335” and has lanyard swivel. Matching serial numbers appear on the butt, cylinder, and barrel. The postwar Model of 1917 was produced from 1946
to 1950. With documentation stating that this revolver was probably built in the mid 1950’s, this could be the last Model of 1917 ever built.
CONDITION: Excellent. The revolver retains 99% of the original Smith & Wesson factory finish with very minor wear on the muzzle and a faint drag line on the cylinder. There are a few tiny light scratches on the right front of the barrel, otherwise only the slightest handling marks. The grips are excellent with a few
minor pressure dents on the left panel. All of the original bright casehardening colors remain on the hammer and trigger. Mechanically excellent. An extremely rare Model of 1917 specially built by the Special Production Unit at Smith & Wesson for a S&W high ranking employee with documentation.
Provenance: The Ray Brazille Collection; Property of a Gentleman.
Estimate: 10,000 - 15,000
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