Thread: Q about .45 ACP and moon clips in S&W 1917 and COlt NEw Service

Right. The New Service was chambered for the .45 Colt, as was the first military version of the NS, the US M1909. SNs for the US M1917 Colt run from approx. 149,000 to 305,000. That's the factory SN, not the service number stamped on the butt. All were chambered for .45ACP. Since your number falls within that range, I suspect that either the chambers have been altered, or a different cylinder was installed. JT

Thanks for the info!

Thanks for the response. Pretty conincidental I guess that I have your avatar tattooed on my arm. Have you read Bulgakov's "Master and Margarita?" I ask cause I pretty much never see that graphic although Begemot (or Behemoth) the six foot tall tomcat who is a crack shot with a Browning was one of my favorite characters..as evidenced by it being my choice for my one and only tattoo. Do you have a source I can check out on the...

You have to use half or full moon clips (or even 2 shot clips if you can find them) to run .45 ACP through a .45 revolver. .45 ACP cartridges will either slide far down the cylinder or likely, completely out of it. The clips hold the rimless cartridges in place. The other option is to use .45 Auto-rim, but they quit making those a while back I believe.

I have three revolvers that fire the .45 ACP. A Colt, S&W and a Webly mark VI. The Webly does not have the shoulder to prevent the round from going too far into the chamber and not firing or worse, jambing the cylinder from turning. The 1/2 or Full moon clip must be used. There is how ever, a tool for unloading the clips that looks like a letter "P" with 1/2 of the loop removed. The tool makes unloading the spent casings very...

My S&W 1917 fires just fine without halfmoons or full moons.  The moon clip for the S&W 1917 was simply for extraction!  The chambers are cut to headspace on the cartridge mouth.  If the rounds are taper crimped, they will probably not fire.  If they are factory crimped, they will.    Dan C

I agree with you. Though I've never fired my 1917 without a clip, the cartridges stop in the chambers when you load them, so the round, headspaces on the cartridge mouth, not on the clip. This means it should fire just fine with or without the clip. The clip on mine is still a bit loose when the cylinder is closed. - Jeff

We carry the 45 Auto Rim and not at an outrageous price.

I've seen the .45 auto-rim at the gunshop i like to visit--I assume it's still around...This is interesting BTW I always thought the half-moon clips were to hold the cartridges in place for firing, too...