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Colt 1917 Army Question
nunn
Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,013 ******
Is the number stamped on the butt the actual serial number, or is it the number stamped on the frame in the crane cut?
I always thought it was the former, but a Gunbroker user contacted me and told me it is the latter.
Thanks in advance.
Comments
The number stamped under the crane is the actual factory serial number. The one on the butt is the military serial number. Bob
So which do you put in the bound book and on the 4473?
Back when I was doing that stuff, it would have been the factory number under the crane. Perhaps one of our current experts will weigh in to confirm that. Bob
David. I would put them both down and annotate where they were located on the frame just to be safe. Have a few milsurps with 2 different numbers on frame.
I sent this question to the NRA Rifleman many years ago & they said that the crane # was a factory assembly # & the # on the bottom of the grip was the ser #. To be safe, we put both in the books like @ chiefr
Its the grip number….the number inside is a part number
The Colt forum seems to indicate the serial number is in the crane cut and the butt number is an Army service number applied after it was inspected and approved for gov't service/purchase.
https://www.coltforum.com/threads/colt-1917-serial-service-numbers.34787/
FWIW this subject was discussed at length on several forums over many years ago and consensus was record both numbers and their locations in your records: Meaning the numbers from what's considered the FFL piece of the firearm: usually the receiver. One forum member said he contacted ATF and ATF concurred. Logic was another marker if the firearm was stolen,
IMHO, and considering the nature of Biden's ATF apparent disdain for firearm owners, recommend recording both to CYA.
That's what I thought, and in the past I have used that number for the serial number.
Then I had this brilliant idea. I ran both numbers through the Colt serial number lookup site. The butt numbers did not show up but the numbers in the crane cut did.
Since the dealer I got the guns from used the butt number, I'll include it in the book and on any paperwork along with the one inside the crane cut.