Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Flash
Oyeboteb, I have a New Service much like yours, still in its original .455 Colt chambering. (".455 Colt" is what Colt called the cartridge; I doubt the Brits ever used that designation, but that's what Colt put on the barrel).
IIRC, I shortened some .45 Colt cases in an attempt to see if they would function without thinning the rim. I found that I could put one of these cases in a chamber and position it so it was at the lowest point (farthest away from the barrel) and I could close the cylinder just fine. The problem was, the cylinder would bind when the action was cycled. So the .45 Colt rims are just too thick, at least in my Colt.
I found that .45 ACP cartridges had excessive headspace, and that if I put them in moon clips it was impossible to close the cylinder.
My brother was kind enough to thin the rims of some .45 Colt cartridges and then shorten the cases to the correct "Mark I" length (0.890") and I use these modified cartridges for loading .455 Colt cartridges for this old war horse. It used to be possible to buy similar modified .45 Colt cases from Buffalo Arms, but I haven't been to their website in years so I can't say they are still available. Last time I went to their website, it was really hard to find anything.
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Hi Jack Flash,
What fun!
Mine says "NEW SERVICE 455 ELEY" for the Barrel Stamping text.
My Cylinder has been 'shaved' a little, and looks like it...but just what was accomplished by this, I do not know.
I think I paid like $36.00 for a Box of factory .455 Cartridges at the Gun Show, some non-ammo seller who had a few odd Boxes of this and that, and, I figured I'd save the Brass ( if I ever shoot it enough to do so, ) and, then, re-Load them.
It was not that long ago, that one could not hardly give away any .455 Colt New Service or S&W 2nd Model Hand Ejector, and no one wanted them.
I am glad I wised up enough in time to get myself one of each ( Colt, and, S&W ), just to have for fun, before they went quite so pricey as they are now.
Next time I go to the Range, I will try mine with some every day K-Mart .45 ACP Cartridges, and, see how they fire.
I expect they will fire just fine, even with their slight excess of Head Space...and even with the Bullets being too small for the Barrel and so on.
I have a few old Boxes of factory loaded .45 Auto-Rim, and, several old Boxes of factory primed Cases, and, I should dig those out and see how - or if - they fit, too.
Have you tried those with yours?