Welcome back to another Wheelgun Wednesday here at TFB! Timing is everything. Two weeks after Ruger pulled the plug on most of its revolver catalog (source), Smith & Wesson went the other way and released a pair of .45-caliber N-frames whose family tree runs straight back to the trenches. Meet the Model 1917 Classic and the Model 22 Classic, both available now.
Wheelgun Wednesday: Ruger Steps Back, S&W Doubles Down on N-Frames
But first, some history. When America entered the First World War, M1911 production couldn’t keep up with a rapidly expanding Army, so Ordnance bought large-frame revolvers from S&W and Colt in .45 ACP, with the half-moon clip giving the extractor something to grab. S&W hung the Model 22 designation on the postwar descendant in 1957.
The Model 1917 Classic is the purist’s pick: 5.5-inch barrel, half-moon front blade, fixed rear trench in the topstrap, smooth walnut stocks and a lanyard ring (pictured above). The cylinder takes three-round half-moons and modern full-moon clips, five of which come in the box. It weighs 36.6 ounces, runs 11 inches overall and is .45 ACP only.
The Model 22 Classic (above - images are not to scale) is the one I’d drag to the range. The barrel drops to 4 inches, bringing it to 9.38 inches and 34.6 ounces, and a black serrated ramp replaces the half-moon blade. The real story is the cylinder, which runs .45 ACP in moon clips or .45 Colt loaded straight into the chambers.
And yes, movie buffs, that 4-inch silhouette should look familiar. Raiders of the Lost Ark used a pair of S&W revolvers, one of them a 1917 in .45 ACP with its barrel cut to 4 inches. Whip not included. Yes, I am aware that Mr. Jones used other brands as well.
Beyond barrels and sights, the two are mechanically identical: blued carbon steel N-frame, fluted six-shot cylinder, DA/SA lockwork and a 1:16 right-hand twist. Better still, neither gun has an internal lock, unlike the 2007 Thunder Ranch Model 22 and the Classic-line 22-4 that followed it.
Both list at $1,299. For the same money, the Model 22 Classic gives you the shorter barrel, the better front sight and a second cartridge. The 1917 gives you the history. My head says 4-inch. My heart says the 1917 is the one I’d regret skipping.
Revolvers are among the most labor-intensive guns to build, so S&W doubling down on blued steel N-frames is a statement worth noticing.
Indy’s Raiders gun was a 1917 with the barrel cut to 4 inches. Did S&W just build the Indiana Jones revolver, or is something still missing?
More details in the following links, as per your preference:
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!
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