.455 Picture Thread

Hi I have just received a .455 S&W 606##. Pistol has been kept in a family since WW1. has matching serial number on cylinder and butt of frame. Stamped on barrel is Smith & Wesson .455 and also Pat dates on the top of barrel. Also has all the British markings. Missing lanyard ring but can get one. Stamped on back strap is 6.16 over 8RS.RFS over 45 .Any help on history would be gratefully appreciated .
 
Here's one that started out as a .455 but now is a .45 Colt.
 

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Well here is mine. It has been reworked to 45 colt by recessed case head method. Looks pretty good for 100 years. Has and the British markings all over it.



If the Brits had spent as much time making guns as they did little metal stamps and whacking them all over any gun they came close to they would have been very well armed in the first place. They did love them stamps.
 
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This is a 2nd model shipped in 1916 to Shapleigh Hardware in St. Louis still in 455 caliber.
toyman-albums-s-and-w-gallery-1-a-picture10873-second-model-commercial-455-caliber-shipped-shapleigh-hardware-st-louis-1916-box-winchester-455-colt-ammo-1934-1940-period.jpg
 
Hi I have just received a .455 S&W 606##. Pistol has been kept in a family since WW1. has matching serial number on cylinder and butt of frame. Stamped on barrel is Smith & Wesson .455 and also Pat dates on the top of barrel. Also has all the British markings. Missing lanyard ring but can get one. Stamped on back strap is 6.16 over 8RS.RFS over 45 .Any help on history would be gratefully appreciated .

Welcome to the forum!

Check these links for the meaning of the stampings:

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/189164-triple-lock-rescue.html

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...29363-s-w-44-hand-ejector-1st-model-15-a.html

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...-lock-wwi-british-markings.html#post137889628

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/358269-2nd-model-mkii.html

http://smith-wessonforum.com/search...:siodb9lchnk&cof=FORID:9&q=455+markings&sa=Go

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...-s-w-model-1917-stamped-not-english-made.html

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/351610-455-he-markings.html#post137627822
 
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Stamped on back strap is 6.16 over 8RS.RFS over 45 .Any help on history would be gratefully appreciated .

6.16 is June 1916, the date on which the revolver was issued to the unit. 45 will be the rack number of the revolver in the unit. The question is: what was the unit?

8RS could well be the 8th Battalion of The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment), but RFS has me beaten.

Peter
 
IMHO, the rear of the cylinder does't appear to be cut enough to allow .45 Auto Rim/.45 ACO in clips to fit.

I agree, that I believe is why the barrel is just marked 45 AR. The chambers are probably just recessed for the AR. Recessed chambers w/o shaving the cyl would not allow ACP in clips to fit. And w/o clips in 455 chambers or chambers reamed for 45 Colt, ACP will fall into the chamber too far.

handejector-albums-more-1-picture6605-img-4704.jpg

Photo by Lee Jarrett

When recessed for 45 AR, the recess need to be .045" deep, and of course not need reaming of the chambers. For 45 Colt, chambers only need to be recessed .015" and of course reamed for 45 Colt. If recessed .045" for AR, AND reamed for 45 Colt, it can shoot both. And still shoot .455 because of it's larger diameter rim!
 
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Hi I have just received a .455 S&W 606##. Pistol has been kept in a family since WW1. has matching serial number on cylinder and butt of frame. Stamped on barrel is Smith & Wesson .455 and also Pat dates on the top of barrel. Also has all the British markings. Missing lanyard ring but can get one. Stamped on back strap is 6.16 over 8RS.RFS over 45 .Any help on history would be gratefully appreciated .

You could try posting these markings on the Great War Forum under Arms and Paraphernalia. If anyone will know the meaning of these stamping's it will be someone on that forum.

Regards

AlanD
Sydney
 
Just a Shooter, I have one marked; 6.16 over 8RS.RFC over 20.

I'm of the opinion that 6.16 would be date into store. 8RS I believe refers to 8 Reserve Squadron, Royal Flying Corps located at Netheravon, Wiltshire where pilot training was conducted. The last number would be a rack number. Serial no. of mine is 47474.
 
I'm late to the party but I can show my .455 Mark II shipped to Ottawa,Ontario July 1916. It's still in .455 cal.and has an interesting serial number 70000. "I Miller" is scratched on the bottom of the grips. I have not done any research on this gentleman yet.
Bill
 

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I acquired this one from a Cabellas in Denver area a couple years ago. It was in the fine gun room, and in the case something didn't look right. When they took it out i noticed it had been sleeved for an "unknown" caliber, and the tag was marked "No Caliber shown". The only external difference was the front sight has been lowered to correct POI with the lower powered round. I was impressed by whoever did the work, as the finish is still all original.









This one dated to Nov 1915.
 
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