The M1917 represents the perfection of the American double-action revolver as a military weapon. - While the day of the revolver was done, as it could not match the Model 1911’s firepower or ability to continue functioning once sand had gotten into the mechanism, there was an insufficient number of those automatics to equip the vast new army being raised for World War I. Army Ordnance did not want to deal with two different cartridges in the logistics system, so any revolvers chosen as a substitute standard would have to fire the rimless .45 ACP cartridge. Smith & Wesson patented...