S&W .455 Hand Ejector Marked RCMP

[RNWMP]

I recently acquired this Smith and Wesson .455 Hand Ejector which I believe is a Mark II. I haven't ordered a letter yet but I believe this was one of 14,500 bought by the Canadian Government in 1916.

5 Screws
Barrel marked: Smith and Wesson .455. Followed by a bunch of additional markings which have been added later Its a bit difficult to decipher but appears to read .45 Colt .276 6 GRs NC 255 Grs Bullet
Serial number on the barrel matches what's on the grip frame 64497.

Backstrap is marked 20

Cylinder marked 29627
Grip is marked 61569

I have an article dated 1986 form a Canadian gun magazine. At that time the owner of the day who has since long passed away was looking for information on it.

 

[Baltimoreed11754]

Very neat revolver. I have a Colt NS that went to the RNWMP in 1919. Mine is stamped on the backstrap, nothing under the grips.

 

[SS336]

That’s an interesting old revolver. Hope some of our more knowledgeable members can shed some light on it’s history.
One thing for sure, the guy in charge of stamping was very busy that day.

 

[AlanDavid]

I think it is one of the 14,500 supplied to Canada in WW1. The marking on the base of the grip strap of crown over 30, is a typical Canadian inspection mark. After service it has ended up with the mounted police.
Following this it ended-up in the UK and was commercially proofed.
An adventuress life.

Regards

AlanD

 

[CLD1911]

That's a cool revolver for sure.

 

[steelslaver]

How about a picture of the rear face of cylinder. Is the serial number still on cylinder? Will it chamber 45 colts and are there shallow recesses on each chamber? Trying to figure if it is a converted 455. It appears to have a narrow gap between rear of cylinder and recoil shield like a 455. which has a .040 rim thickness as apposed to .060 for 45 colt. To convert not only do you have to make chambers deeper you have to either shave rear of cylinder, or slightly recess chambers for thicker rim or shave the recoils shield. The recess method is best as it allows you to still fire 455 ammo because in addition to rim being thinner it is also has a wider OD that will span the colt recesses and therefore still headspace correctly.

Check out the Hondos 455 Research thread for lots of info on these guns
.455 British Svc Revolver Research Thread

The Canadians and British love to stamp all over their guns. I have 2 455. One first model triple lock and a second model .
Triple lock

second model

 

[BC38]

How about a picture of the rear face of cylinder. Is the serial number still on cylinder? Will it chamber 45 colts and are there shallow recesses on each chamber? Trying to figure if it is a converted 455. It appears to have a narrow gap between rear of cylinder and recoil shield like a 455. which has a .040 rim thickness as apposed to .060 for 45 colt. To convert not only do you have to make chambers deeper you have to either shave rear of cylinder, or slightly recess chambers for thicker rim or shave the recoils shield. The recess method is best as it allows you to still fire 455 ammo because in addition to rim being thinner it is also has a wider OD that will span the colt recesses and therefore still headspace correctly.

Check out the Hondos 455 Research thread for lots of info on these guns
.455 British Svc Revolver Research Thread

The Canadians and British love to stamp all over their guns. I have 2 455. One first model triple lock and a second model .
Triple lock

second model

I agree with your assessment of the best method for conversion. Here is mine. Not only were the chambers reamed deeper and the cylinders slightly countersunk for 45 Colt rims, it was also hard chromed, and done very well with none of the rollmarks, or proof stampings messed up by over buffing or polishing. The sideplate seam is a tiny bit more pronounced than original, but it looks better in person than it does in this picture. It isn't RCMP just a WWII military revolver.

 

[jag312]

I have a Colt New Service revolver, .45 Colt, s/n 143307. Made in 1917 and the back strap is marked for the Royal North West Mounted Police.

 

[6string]

These bring back memories!!

Whenever I see any of these Canadian marked 45s and 455s, it reminds me of living in Canada when I was a kid. My Dad would take us to the gun shows where the vast majority of big bore revolvers on display were Colt New Service, S&W 1st and 2nd model Hand Ejectors, plus quite a few British break tops, all in 45 Colt or, more commonly, one of the 455 cartridges (455 Eley, 455 Colt, 455 Webley, etc).
Most were either military marked or North West Mounted Police marked. Interestingly, refinished and/or modified revolvers were quite rare. Invariably, they mostly all had their original finish regardless of condition, and retained their original chambering.
CIL Dominion 455 ammo (made in Canada) was still available, albeit in limited quantities.
Those shows were something else. We'd leave early in the morning when, in winter, it was bitter cold. When we entered the shows we were overpowered by thick clouds of cigar smoke that burned your eyes, and stuffy, stale air. By the time we'd leave, I was so grateful for fresh air, it didn't matter how cold it was!
I always think of that sensation whenever I see, say, a 455 Triple Lock or a Colt New Service!
By the way, even back then these were not cheap! A decent S&W 2nd model 455 was at least $300. Colt New Service revolvers always commanded a premium, priced about $400 and up. And, yes, a Triple Lock was a bit more than that.
I felt very lucky when I finally found a well worn S&W 2nd model with a clean bore at my LGS for $150!