ive only fired 5 rounds from the colt so far. i obtained 20 rounds of 265 gr. kynoch 455s in a trade .there were four of us at the range with new toys for show'n'tell ,so i just gave 5 rounds to each to try it out.
it seemed accurate enough to hit pieces of clay pigeons at about 15-20 yds
when i build some ammo for these guns i will use them on paper to see how well they shoot.
what calibre was your new service? if 455, what bullet did you use? i ask because, the 265 gr service round has a strange pointed bullet that doesnt seem to have much "bearing surface" to engage the rifling.
does anybody have comments or tips concerning bullet selection for accuracy in 455s ?
Kamloops-
My New Service was in .45 Colt. It had a 5.5-inch barrel. It was about as close to being new as I've seen in a Colt that old. (It was made in the final seven or so years of that model's production, about 1935-37.)
I used Remington commercial ammo with 250 or 255 grain lead bullets. I owned the gun for maybe five years. I was bitterly disappointed when I had to sell it due to a VA Education Bill check being late when I needed college tuition.
The .455 bullet is so long and tapered to cause it to tumble in animal tissue, creating a nastier wound channel. I thought that everyone familiar with the .455 cartridge knew that. But I'm always surprised to see that many here, even those from Commonwealth countries, seem not to know that.
The MK III and IV rounds relied on full wadcutter bullets of about 225 grains weight. One was also hollowpointed to achieve expansion for added shock. These were the so-called "Manstopper" loads.
They were supposedly not issued for use in "civilized" warfare. Pathans on the Afghan frontier were another matter.
I'd try to find an old Lyman manual that lists loads for the .455 and see if a 250-260 grain bullet meant for the .45 Colt will work. I'd prefer the semiwadcutter/Keith bullet for killing power. If you can safely push that to some 700 FPS, I think it'd prove quite effective at across the room distances.
The MK VI .455 round, adopted about 1938 after German complaints about lead bullets, retained the basic shape of the lead MK II bullet. That's what you're seeing in factory .455 loads. The tumbling effect of the bullet adds a lot to its reputation for close range lethality.
But if you have to shoot a bear, I think I'd rather have a bullet that'd penetrate in a straighter path and with more velocity.
I know of one Colt N.S. in .45 Colt that was used by a British lady in India to kill a sloth bear that attacked her. She used her husband's gun. I think she had it as a sidearm while hunting, but her rifle wasn't immediately at hand as she got down from a tree stand/machan. I'll look for that account again in a book published by Colt in the 1930's.
The ,455 did well as a manstopper in colonial wars and in WWI, in close range trench warfare. I hope that you have a copy of Elmer Keith's book, "Sixguns"? Doubtless you recall the account therein of the Canadian soldier with an S&W .455. He was captured, but had the .455 in a shoulder holster and the Germans didn't search him after taking his rifle. They took cover from an artillery barrage, hiding in a shell crater. The Canadian drew his S&W and fixed the location of the three Germans when a shell flash illuminated them for a second and he shot all three. I'd have to get the book out and look this up to find whether the gun was a Triple Lock or the Second Model, but it doesn't matter from a ballistics viewpoint.
The late John Taylor claimed to have killed a lion with a Webley .455 and jacketed ammo left from WW II. It crossed right in front of him as he watched from his tent. I think he said that he was then without a rifle after just returning to Africa from military service. He believed in using FMJ bullets if one had to shoot a big, dangerous animal with a handgun. Some others also felt that way, and many bought Colt.38 and .38 Super autos for their ability to fire a bullet that'd penetrate until next payday. Keith acknowledged the penetration of the 9mm, but preferred a much wider, heavier hard-cast lead bullet for greater power.
He did cite a case where a man killed a black bear with a P-38.
I hope this was helpful. Remember, US M-1917 .45 cylinders were heat-treated, by government order. But .455 cylinders made by S&W at the time of WW I WERE NOT so treated. So, don't try to hot rod that ctg. Its effectiveness was based on using it at close range and the bullet tumbling and also maybe stopping in the body of a foe, depositing all of its energy.
It's time for a cup of tea, but after, I'll look for both books mentioned and refresh my memory on those kills. But I'm sure that I recall the gist of them.
The .455 will surely kill snakes at dangerous ranges and it may stop a bear, wolf, or angry wolverine. But I'd rather have a 45 Colt if I had a choice. Having seen how an ordinary badger reacted after receiving a .45 auto bullet right between the shoulders from above leaves me rather anxious about shooting a wolverine or an African honey badger/ratel. That badger died hard!
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youd think people would learn....but,no. just keep flippin those butts out the window
