Can anyone give me some help identifying the .455 to .45 Colt conversions? I am looking at a Canadian issue Mark II that is currently in .45 Colt. The caliber is not shown on the left side of the barrel, and apparently the .455 caliber designation was never on it. Were some .455 Canadian barrels unmarked with respect to caliber? How were the few guns sent to Canada in .45 Colt marked? Any help would be appreciated.

If it was converted for resale on the surplus market, it would be obvious. The methods of conversion are one of the following:
1. Easiest and most common was simply turning down the back of the cylinder (this removes the cylinder serial number) and rechambering.
2. Next was shaving metal off the recoil shield area and rechambering.
3. Recessing the chamber heads like later magnum cartridges and rechambering.

Many of them were not marked as to caliber. A lot of the British guns were only stamped when they were commercially proofed upon being surplus'd.

__________________
Chris
SWCA #2243 SWHF #292

Chris,

Thanks for the input. This gun has not had the cylinder ground down. In fact the back of the cylinder still has the serial number and the Canadian crossed flags proof. The chambers are receesed for the thicker .45 Colt rim. There is no indication of .45 Colt or .455. The Smith & Wesson stamp is at the rear of the barrel with no room left for a caliber notation. It has the Canadian crossed flag proofs on the front left of the frame and the British proofs on the rear left of the frame. Most conversions I have seen have the original .455 as well as the new caliber stamp on the left side of the barrel.

If the chambers are recessed, yours has been converted. However, .455 ammunition can still be used in it, should you have some. Not an entirely bad conversion method, but it will affect value somewhat. The worst way, in my opinion, was grinding back the recoil shield.