I'm working from memory here so I could be off a bit but I remember
the article by Skeeter Skelton about cracking a 1917 revolver chamber.
The gun was, as I recall, a 1917 S&W and the load was 7.5 grs Unique
under a Keith 255 gr SWC. It was a load recommended by Keith but a
bit much for an old 1917.
I think this is a different gun, although the same load. The Colt was sold to a friend, who soon brought it back with the damage. I think he swore to firing only a few rounds of factory ammo, and accused Skelton of pounding the gun with heavy loads, which made it fail. Skelton took it back, agreeing that this was probably the case.
I knew Elmer Keith slightly, had breakfast with him at a press function at the NRA convention and talked with him extensively on a few other occasions. I think I've read all of his material.
I liked Elmer and got on very well with him. I think he meant what he wrote and was honest. But he had no way to measure pressure, other than looking for hard extraction and cratered primers. Most of his loads were developed well before handloaders even had chronographs. He did have the H.P. White Lab chrono some of his loads.
I think he was often skating closer to the edge than he realized. One of his .45 Colt guns blew the rear of the barrel, in THREE places! That was on a SAA, in the 1920's. He then went to the .44 Special, where he had thicker cylinder chambers. I don't know how old the SAA was, but he presumably had sense enough not to fire that ammo in a black powder-rated gun. Colt's later guns are stronger, but I'd still use common sense in loading for them.
I doubt that M-1917 .45's should be fired with ammo much hotter than standard pressure stuff. I wouldn't even shoot modern Plus P ammo in one. The postwar .45's are stronger, but don't how much so.
With the Triple Lock and Second Model .455's, I wouldn't load hotter than standard factory ammo. 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. But a 250 grain Keith bullet has more bearing surface in the barrel than a normal RN bullet, I bet, and raises pressures a little.To avoid shaking the gun loose prematurely and for safety, I think 950 FPS from a six-inch barrel is enough to ask of handloads. A load with that bullet at 900 FPS should be enough for most needs, maybe to 1,000 FPS for special needs, especially in postwar guns.
Keith was loading to 1,200 FPS
A lot of people used his loads and didn't blow up the guns, but I bet they were at or above proof pressures in many cases.
