Anyone have 45C on their .455 2nd model H.E.?

[gunfish]

I just got a 2nd model N frame hand ejector converted to 45 colt by shaving the cylinder. 45C is stamped on the crane. Does anyone else have one stamped this way? It was used in one of the Brit commwealth countries, it has been stamped with a tiny crown over the number 30 near the lanyard ring.

The seller gave me a story about the RCMP which I don't believe since it isn't stamped RCMP. It has no broad arrow so it was not owned by the government. There is also no calibre marked on the barrel but that would normal.

What method did the RCMP use to convert .455 to 45 colt?

 

[BUFF]

Someone who knows their Canadian guns will be along shortly with more information, but I don't recall ever reading about the RCMP or others converting their .455's to .45 Colt. Jinks writes about S&W manufacturing 724 Second Model H.E. .45's in .45 Colt for the Canadian government, probably for the RCMP, in early 1916. It is likely that the Cannucks used them in both chamberings as originally manufactured. Any re-chambering to the longer round likely occurred post-manufacture. I know that the factory converted some later for customers, but never have read that any of the customers were big law enforcement agencies.

 

[gunfish]

I forgot to give the ser#, 73289.

 

[The Wizard]

Just as an aside, I have a couple of military 12 round boxes of .45 Colt ammunition made in Canadian (Dominion?) for, I have been told, the RCN during World War 2.

 

[jimmyj]

Many enos ago a friend converted a .455 to .45 Colt by taking off metal from the recoil shield. The revolver worked fine.
I had a Colt New Service .45 Colt that had "RCMP" stamped on the backstrap.

 

[Muley Gil]

I have seen several 2nd Model .455s that have been remarked to ".45 C" on the barrel. Of course, they had been rechambered to .45 Colt.

 

[brucek]

I have a Colt new service 45 LC shipped in 1940 to the royal canadian navy in Halifax, N.S. ( i have the letter)

 

[Texas Star]

I have a Colt new service 45 LC shipped in 1940 to the royal canadian navy in Halifax, N.S. ( i have the letter)

The late gun writer Skeeter Skelton also pictured one. But those were Colts. Don't know which S&W .45 Colts may have been issued. Those were RCN guns. Aboard ship, the odd .45 Colt ammo wasn't a major suppy hassle.

The RCMP used the Colt New Service in both .45 Colt and .455 from 1904-1954. Supposedly, those in Eastern Canada were .45 Colt, in the West, .455. Why both? Dunno, and it seems the .45's should have gone to the Western elements of the Force.

The RCMP did not have that name until 1920. Before then, RNWMP or just MP were marked on the guns. Some may have just had NWMP, as earlier guns did. Don't recall when the Force had Royal added to their name. Somewhere, I have a book that gives their history and discusses the guns.

 

[DCWilson]

Somebody told me once the crown over 30 was a Canadian proof. I don't know if that is correct.

My converted .455 is secondarily marked "CAL .45 S.W." on the barrel above and to the right of the original chambering rollmark. It chambers .45 Colt. The conversion was done by shaving the face of the recoil shield.

Mine is 73778. It left in July 1916 and is presumably one of the last ones shipped.

 

[JSR III]

I have 29515 that shipped in December of 1915. Barrel is marked SMITH & WESSON .455. It has crossed flags on the frame forward of the cylinder and on the cylinder face. On the hump behind the thumb latch it has what appears to be a pagoda shaped roof over an anchor over "44" over "E" over a roman numeral "II".

I see no evidence of metal shaved from either the cylinder or the recoil shield. The gap between the two is about 1/16th of an inch.

It also has the initials G.S.L. scratched into the bottom of the left stock panel. Not sure when that was done.

 

[Texas Star]

I have 29515 that shipped in December of 1915. Barrel is marked SMITH & WESSON .455. It has crossed flags on the frame forward of the cylinder and on the cylinder face. On the hump behind the thumb latch it has what appears to be a pagoda shaped roof over an anchor over "44" over "E" over a roman numeral "II".

I see no evidence of metal shaved from either the cylinder or the recoil shield. The gap between the two is about 1/16th of an inch.

It also has the initials G.S.L. scratched into the bottom of the left stock panel. Not sure when that was done.

Your "pagoda roof" is probably the Broad Arrow mark signifying government ownership.

 

[Oldiron]

gunfish, The Mark II I have of my Dad's was converted to 45 Autorim/45 auto. It has 45 AR on the barrel from the conversion so it would make sense to have a C on one converted to 45 Colt. Never shot nor have I seen any other conversions but my Dad's old one shoots great. One of those I can point it in the direction of a can and it hit it.
Larry