I'm looking at a S&W 2nd Model HE in 455 and I ask the seller to take a picture of the back of the cylinder looking into the chambers.

Do you think this gun has had a reamer run into the cylinders for 45 Colt? I see remnant chamber shoulders from the original 455 and it looks to me to be altered.

What do you think?

Probably altered. You might also ask if the seller has a .45 Colt round and see if it fully chambers.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

OP, You are correct, that cylinder has been altered, apparently to .45 Colt.

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Gunsmithing since 1961

I think I see the serial number on the back of the cylinder. (The picture is kind of dark.) If the serial is there and the mouths of the chamber have been slightly rebated, I vote for altered. If they haven't been rebated I don't think the cylinder would close on the thicker Colt rim......

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

Since the rim of the .45 Colt is thicker than the .455, it takes more than reaming to convert. There are 3 ways. Most common is to shave a few thou off the back of the entire cylinder. This has not been done to this revolver, since the SN is intact. Next is to counterbore (recess) the chambers. The third is to shave off the frame.

You can ask the seller to measure to the chamber shoulder to the cylinder face. I like to use something like a new pencil to feel it, then measure. If it's shorter than 1.225", then a .45 Colt round won't chamber. A .455 will only measure about .874 to the chamber step.
That's almost 3/8 of an inch. Should be pretty easy to determine.

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Chris
SWCA #2243 SWHF #292

Looks original to me.

I do not see any reaming of the chambers of milling the rear face of the cylinder and without that done, 45 Colt will not fit, even if the chambers were lengthened.

Since the image is posted through Imgur, you cannot download to zoom in on the image.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

With the photo supplied the only possible conversion would be 45 auto rim...and I am not certain enough with the photo to say one way, or another.

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Randy

There is a serial number on the cylinder at about 6 o’clock. Unless they removed a lot of the recoil shield, the AR cartridge is out.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

45 colt has a rim thickness of .060
455 has a rim thickness of .040
45AR has a rim thickness of .087

That cylinder has not been shaved or recessed for a thicker rim. Unless a bunch has been shaved off the recoil shield neither the colt not the AR will work. I am not sure there is even enough meat in the recoil shield to shave it for an AR case with a unshaven cylinder. A view of the recoil shield should show it it is modified, The normal steps in a recoil shield would appear shallower and the ring around the firing pin bushing almost invisible. The shank of a 1/16"drill (.0625)would be a tight fit between cylinder and recoil shield at firing pin of a gun shaved for 45 colt. It would'nt even come close to going there on an ordinal 455.

Besides that it is hard to tell just where the steps are in the ops cylinder. THE 455 cylinder were made for the longest of the Welby rounds at about .86" and the 45 colt is 1.285

I have a 455 triple lock that was reamed and partially recessed to 45 colt, There is not much throat left when that is done. Cylinder looks more like my unmodified 455 2nd model.

Cylinder is not modified in my opinion.

Just so you know what an improperly modified cylinder looks like.



Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

I need a better pic. So do you.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

That's the only picture I can get for now.

For reference, here is my unmolested 455 cylinder from the 2nd model I currently own.

The cylinder in your first post looks much like my original 455 and looks like yours as well. Have the seller measure the bore in the cylinder. A 45 Colt should be around 1.2" and the 455 should be around .9" from the rear.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

I have an older S&W that is stamped .455. Sadly, the barrel has been shortened, chromed and the cylinder has been milled to allow thicker rimmed cartridges (45 Colt) to be fired in the gun. Since this was done before I bought it, I got it for a VERY GOOD price, I have been using it as a 45 Colt revolver. Even though the barrel is short, it's a heck of a shooter.

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Looks nickel to me. Lighting might be an issue, but nickel gives off a slightly yellow cast, while chrome looks like polished silver. Shoot that one at night sometime, as I bet the muzzle flash would be worth catching on video!!!

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Well, at least it is a .45 Colt, rather than .45 ACP/.45 Auto Rim, as .45 ACP rounds are an overload for a .455 revolver.

Personally, I like it!

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

That's a good reason to be able to reload ammunition. Loads of any pressure and velocity are a breeze to develop for an altered 455 revolver, but no low pressure commercial rounds are available anywhere.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

I agree with both theories. Yes, I handload and have developed many specific loads for specific firearms. But, just because I know what goes where does not mean it will end up there. I had a Siamese Mauser and a Trapdoor, both 45 Government. One was loaded to much higher pressures and put up in brass cases, the other in nickel plated cases. Was out shooting and someone asked to shoot the Springfield. Sure enough he loaded the brass case but I got to him before the trigger was pulled.

Now, I believe in one load for all the firearms that chamber a specific cartridge, ie one that is safe in all.

If I had a S&W 455 converted to ACP, I would have to get a new cylinder and have it reworked to either the Webley cartridge or the long Colt cartridge.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

I do not own any other 45ACP gun, so no issues, but I do load 45 Colt for my Uberti lever guns heavier than for my 45 Colt Uberti revolvers. Bold permanent marker across the top and on the sides of my cartridge cases are never something I would miss seeing, but even though the loads are heavier for the rifle, I am sure they are fine for a modern SAA, just a little stout.

Care must be taken in all aspects of shooting and reloading, but I have no guns that need special loads for one and not the other. It is wise to load for the lighter gun on the range, unless you need special hunting loads. Oh, I also never take guns that require different loading for the same caliber to the range on the same day.

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Gary
SWCA 2515