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Weapons System

M1917 revolver

Small Arms And Sidearms

The M1917 revolvers are six shot, .45 ACP double action revolvers adopted by the United States military in 1917 to supplement the M1911 pistol during the arms shortages of the First World War. Two manufacturers, Colt and Smith & Wesson, produced their own large frame variants, and because the .45 ACP cartridge is rimless, both designs relied on half moon clips to allow extraction. The revolvers remained in American service into later decades and were also used by the British Army, the British Home Guard, the Royal Navy and forces in Brazil, China, France, Haiti, the Philippines and South Vietnam, while also becoming popular among civilian shooters after the war. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Classification
Caliber
.45 ACP 1
Service Status
Retired 1
Weapon Class
Revolver 2
Introduced Year
1917 3
Weapon Class
Weapon Class (category)
Pistol / Revolver 2
FAQs

Why did the M1917 revolver use half-moon clips?

Forgotten Weapons states: The most interesting mechanical element of the M1917 is the development of half-moon clips to allow easy extraction of the rimless .45 cartridge. The clips were designed by S&W, but also licensed to Colt for use in their M1917 revolvers as well.

Were the Colt and Smith & Wesson M1917 revolvers the same gun?

Forgotten Weapons states: Both Colt and Smith & Wesson adapted revolver designs to Army standard .45 ACP ammunition, and both were accepted into service as the M1917, despite being different guns with no interchangeable parts.
Connections

Operated By

British Army, Armed Forces and Units
Source Wikipedia: M1917 revolver
Royal Navy, Armed Forces and Units
Source Wikipedia: M1917 revolver

Used In

Cambodian Civil War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M1917 revolver
Chinese Civil War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M1917 revolver
Korean War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M1917 revolver
Laotian Civil War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M1917 revolver
Vietnam War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M1917 revolver
World War I, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M1917 revolver
World War II, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M1917 revolver
In the Other Atlases

Manufactured By

Colt's Manufacturing Company

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikidata: M1917 revolver
Smith & Wesson

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikidata: M1917 revolver
Sources
1. Wikipedia: M1917 revolver
  • Infobox: service
    1917-1994
  • Infobox: cartridge
    .45 ACP (11.43×23mm), .45 Auto Rim (11.43×23mmR)
  • Lead section
    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.
  • Operated By: British Army, Article text
    The British Army adopted it during World War I, and the Home Guard and the Royal Navy used it during the Second World War.
  • Operated By: Royal Navy, Article text
    The British Army adopted it during World War I, and the Home Guard and the Royal Navy used it during the Second World War.
  • Used In: World War I, Infobox: wars
    World War I World War II Chinese Civil War Korean War Vietnam War (saw combat with the "tunnel rat" units) Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War
  • Used In: World War II, Infobox: wars
    World War I World War II Chinese Civil War Korean War Vietnam War (saw combat with the "tunnel rat" units) Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War
  • Used In: Chinese Civil War, Infobox: wars
    World War I World War II Chinese Civil War Korean War Vietnam War (saw combat with the "tunnel rat" units) Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War
  • Used In: Korean War, Infobox: wars
    World War I World War II Chinese Civil War Korean War Vietnam War (saw combat with the "tunnel rat" units) Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War
  • Used In: Vietnam War, Infobox: wars
    World War I World War II Chinese Civil War Korean War Vietnam War (saw combat with the "tunnel rat" units) Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War
  • Used In: Laotian Civil War, Infobox: wars
    World War I World War II Chinese Civil War Korean War Vietnam War (saw combat with the "tunnel rat" units) Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War
  • Used In: Cambodian Civil War, Infobox: wars
    World War I World War II Chinese Civil War Korean War Vietnam War (saw combat with the "tunnel rat" units) Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War
View the Source
2. Wikipedia: M1917 revolver
  • Infobox, type
    Revolver
  • Lead
    adopted by the United States Military in 1917
View the Source
3. Wikidata: M1917 revolver
Wikidata Q743496, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
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