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Colt's serial number is on the frame under the barrel with a matching serial number opposite it on the crane. There's also a serial number on the reverse of the side plate. The number on the butt is the US Army serial number and would say "US ARMY".

It's difficult to give a real guess what you have with good photos of all the markings and of the revolver in general. If some or all of the markings have been struck through or buffed off it's very difficult to determine what you have,

 

If you do not show pictures bad things might happen!!!!
Peter

 

Echo: We need detailed pictures.

 

Showing inspector mark and military serial no. Strike through is single line through numbers which are easily read. No markings buffed off and brushed finish still visible through blueing. Serial number is 238288, and the number 325 is also found there as well as HX. Grip frame stamped with GGJ.

 

Please take larger pictures with clear focus and without glaring light. The current pictures cannot be evaluated because of the poor focus, small size, and light glare.

Thanks.

 

Try to get pictures similar to the following. Then a proper evaluation might be possible. Thanks.

 

True, the images are substandard. I enlarged his photos to 500% and the result was too blurry to see because the image quality was too poor.

 

Colt model of 1917

I have been collecting firearms for more than 50 years, mostly WWI and WWII military weapons. Many I have not look at for years so today I got down a Colt model of 1917 to clean and check over. I also wanted to update the description of this pistol in my data base. Imagine my surprise when I...

www.falfiles.com

 

These two pictures tell a story. The first 30,000 or so Colt Model of 1917 revolvers were inspected by GHS (Gilbert H. Stewart), from 30K to around 64K they were inspected by JMG (John M. Gilbert), and from 64K to the finish of the government contract, they had the Springfield Eagle/Number inspection mark.

This gun was built after Government Army Number 64,000. The 01 on the butt was added after the original number was scrubbed.

The number on the frame has been struck through. The metal shows the correct brushed finish under the bluing.
All of this points to a commercial model that was renumbered to the Army during the first of production. It shows little indication of use with no flame cutting and great bore. So the question is: Is this really the first Colt Model of 1917?

Please show us the number on the crane recess. Is the US scrubbed from United States Property? Is the US Army Model 1917 scrubbed from the butt?

Thanks for supplying more information.

 

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These two pictures tell a story. The first 30,000 or so Colt Model of 1917 revolvers were inspected by GHS (Gilbert H. Stewart), from 30K to around 64K they were inspected by JMG (John M. Gilbert), and from 64K to the finish of the government contract, they had the Springfield Eagle/Number inspection mark.

This gun was built after Government Army Number 64,000. The 01 on the butt was added after the original number was scrubbed.


Please show us the number on the crane recess. Is the US scrubbed from United States Property? Is the US Army Model 1917 scrubbed from the butt?

Thanks for supplying more information.

Number on frame and crane below, USP is there and clear, roll mark on butt is also there and clear showing no evidence of polishing. I intend to use a metal straight edge to assess the flatness of the butt to see if it was cleaned of original numbers.

 

OP has his answer. Not a rare first Colt, but a refinished, renumbered, common Colt. However, what is missing here is that the serial number would have given the OP the information he was seeking. It maybe the serial number is missing.

 

Welcome to the COLT Forum from the Cradle Of Liberty...Pennsylvania !!

Enjoy Our Community Sir...

.

 

Yep, appears

the lower row of 3 digits was removed.

 

On the 1917 Colt Revolvers, I don't believe there is a leading "0" on the butt number for single digit guns. l have number "9", which letters based on the serial number on the frame and cylinder crane, and there is no leading "0" to the left of the "9" on the butt of the gun.

Sam

 

You can see the faint ghost of more numbers under the "1" in your photo, near the toe. A straight edge isn't going to show anything. There are acid forensics methods to bring up removed serial numbers, but that will damage the butt futher. Every number is "rare", they only made one of each number. Having an early serial number (what is under the crane on this model) is desireable to some collectors because it shows how they were finished the first day or two of production. But a refinished gun doesn't show any of that....

 

The stinginess of the OP's photos is a curiosity considering opinions are being sought.
Refinishing - at least once - is indisputable and that makes detailed and overall photos more important still.
Brilliant examples of what are required are posted well - in this very thread.

 

From a topic on Milsurps.Com , the serial number is indeed greater than 214,000. It is revealed to be 238,288.

So, the original Gov't Number would have been around 238K - 150k = 88,000.