Long barrel 1914 S&W .455 revolver

[Muley Gil]

"By the early 1920's, the Second Models were being heat-treated, as was the Third Model, made mainly for Wolf & KLar. I think it arrived in 1926."

Smith & Wesson shipped the first order of 1926 .44s to Wolf & Klar on January 27, 1927. It contained 75 5" nickel revolvers.

 

[Oyeboteb]

Is ".450 Corto" the same as ".450 Adams"?

 

[Jack Flash]

Keep in mind that "Corto" is Spanish for "Short" when reading the following passage from Frank Barnes' book Cartridges of the World:

450 Revolver / 450 Adams
... It is often listed as the 450 Short, 450 Adams or 450 Colt. ...

​

So extrapolating just a little from CotW, .450 Corto and .450 Adams are two different names for the same cartridge.

 

[Texas Star]

.450 Adams, it is, I think. And I'll tell you this: if I was Dr. Watson and Holmes wanted me to take my old service revolver after the Hound of the Baskervilles, I think I'd buy a more powerful gun!

But Doyle didn't know guns well, and I think all he said about Dr. Watson's was that it was his old service revolver. I'm guessing that'd make it an Adams, given the timing, or a similar Tranter in .450.


Those things were seriously underpowered.

 

[Jack Flash]

We know that Dr. Watson served in the Boer War (circa 1902 IIRC), as did a young Winston Churchill. Knowing that British officers supplied their own side arms, and indeed that Churchill bought a Mauser "Broomhandle", it would seem within reason that Watson's service revolver might have been just about anything available at the time.

Obviously, Churchill did not limit himself to an arm that fired the then-standard British service cartridge, so it's possible that Watson didn't either.

Having said all that, I always pictured Dr. Watson armed with a Webley Mark IV, chambered in .455 Webley, of course.

 

[glowe]

Good picture of the chamber Lee. I was pretty sure there recalled a shoulder on 455 chambers that were not converted, but I had to check. I just dropped a 45LC in one of my original 2nd Models and it stops about 3/8 " short of chambering. A 45 Schofield stops about 1/8" short of chambering. The diameter of the front of the cylinder is .455" and the back of the chamber to the shoulder is 480". Perhaps those that have no visible shoulder have been reamed for 45LC without changing the barrel markings?

 

[Hondo44]

We know that Dr. Watson served in the Boer War (circa 1902 IIRC), as did a young Winston Churchill. Knowing that British officers supplied their own side arms, and indeed that Churchill bought a Mauser "Broomhandle", it would seem within reason that Watson's service revolver might have been just about anything available at the time.

Obviously, Churchill did not limit himself to an arm that fired the then-standard British service cartridge, so it's possible that Watson didn't either.

Having said all that, I always pictured Dr. Watson armed with a Webley Mark IV, chambered in .455 Webley, of course.

Now I can't help picturing Holmes and Watson facing down the Hound with a Broomhandle!

 

[Cyrano]

I'm too lazy to do my research in The Complete Sherlock Holmes Stories, but I think Dr Watxon served in India in the 1890s (1880's?), and possibly was wounded in Afghanistan. Don't know what the Brits were carrying in those days. Anyone more familair with the Sherlock Holmes stories please comment.

 

[colinpwatt]

Some photo's of my .455 S&W circa 1916 which was my Grandfather's sidearm as a pilot during WW1 along with the ammo I inherited with it. Webley .455 MKII and .450 Fiocchi Corto (1976) I also have the original leather holster in near mint condition.

 

[wbraswell]

Sweet gun!

 

[CptCurl]

I posted photos of my Second Model .455 on this thread:

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...455-mk-ii-hand-ejector-2nd-model-69234-a.html

They are sweet guns and the .455 Mk II is a fine cartridge if properly handled.

I chronicled some of my loading for the .455 Mk II in this thread:

http://smith-wessonforum.com/reloading/220525-loading-455-mk-ii.html

I actually need to bring the loading thread up to date and hope to do so before long. It would be good to have others post their loading experiences on that thread.