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Hi, Mike,
I think there are still some things we don't know about those Brazilian 1917's and also about the production between wars.
A couple of things I do know. I have a Brazilian contract 1917, serial number 164013. It has Springfield Armory inspectors marks on the frame, barrel and cylinder. The barrel and cylinder serial numbers match the frame. The butt is clean except for the serial number running lengthwise, bottom to the right, and behind the lanyard loop. The signs are subtle, but it looks to me like the butt was welded to cover the original butt markings, and then refinished. There also is no flaming bomb, but again there are indications that it might have been removed. The butt serial number font is larger and different from that used for the U.S. Model 1917.
There is no USP on the barrel, but the barrel at that point is slightly thinner than that of a U.S. Model 1917.
The small S&W trademark is on the left and the Brazilian seal on the sideplate, but those would have been stamped when the gun was prepared for the contract.
Another point is that there is no provision for any hammer block safety; by 1937, the second type hammer block safety was being used for all the large frame S&W revolvers.
The serial number, of course, is well below the range given in SCSW. If the U.S. Model 1917 production total is correct, that gun went to the U.S. Army.
Another point about that between wars production. It is possible that S&W actually made NO Model 1917s in that era. You might recall that Remington was left with enough Model 1917 (Enfield) parts to make some 20,000+ sporting rifles up to WWII.
I suspect the same was true of S&W. They probably had enough surplus parts in various stages of production to keep up assembly for the small commercial market, but when the Brazilian contract came along, they really did buy back revolvers from the Army, at least until they could get production started again.
Jim
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