Another one of my few non-targets. It's a first model 455, Canadian marked. I know it's not unusual to see them converted to 45 Auto or Colt. In this case, however, the breechface was filed down and the barrel stamped "45 S&W." Why would anyone convert a 455 to what, at the time, was already an obsolete cartridge?
Unusual 455 Triple-lock
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Art Doc
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
Not familiar with 45 S&W. Same as Schofield?
Nice looking gun. I have one of these that went undelivered and was altered to 45 Colt.
Nice looking gun. I have one of these that went undelivered and was altered to 45 Colt.
Jack Flash
Member
Red9,
How do you know when the conversion was done?
Per Cartridges of the World, "Commercial ammunition of this caliber [.45 S&W] was loaded until about 1940."
The revolver was made in 1914 or 1915 so that leaves 20 odd years that the .45 S&W was available, if not common. Some shops probably still had it on their shelves for years after the ammo makers ceased its production. In any event, it had to be more common in the US than .455 Colt/Eley/Webley.
Besides, you can easily convert .45 Colt cases to .45 S&W by simply shortening them. To convert these cases into .455 requires the extra, more difficult step of thinning the rim.
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opoefc
US Veteran
red9, the .45 S&W was not obsolete at the time your T-Lock was made, so whoever did the conversion probably had a source of plentiful Schofield rounds. You might check those chambers to be sure, but an extra benefit would have been that other .45 rounds will also fit nicely in a .45 Schofield cylinder ( .45 Eley, .45 Webley, etc. ) I am currently preparing an article for the SWCA Journal on a record target shot at Bisley, ( London) by Walter Winans, using a NM #3 chambered in .45 S&W. UMC Cartridge Co., owned by Marcus Hartley, apparently had a large surplus of .45 S&W rounds in inventory and , as a marketing endeavor, attempted to create an accuray image for that round by having Winans do the target as an advertising gimmic. Ed. #15
OP
Maybe obsolete was the wrong word, but by 1915 I believe it was many years since any gun was commercially offered in that caliber, other than as a special order.
Texas Star
US Veteran
Didn't the Army keep loading .45 S&W even after the Schofields were withdrawn from service? Or, did they revert to true .45 Colt with a 28 grain powder charge?
I bet that someone had access to a lot of Schofield ammo, probably govt. surplus.
T-Star
I bet that someone had access to a lot of Schofield ammo, probably govt. surplus.
T-Star
.45 Schofield brass and ammo is available, new. Cowboy Action shooters are the main market.
Jack Flash
Member
I haven't tried to buy any, but my guess is that .45 Schofield / .45 S&W is still more widely available and cheaper than .455.
Smithhound
US Veteran
I had S/N 5017, a first issue with Canadian proofs. According to the books the S/N range ended at 5000, but it was a 1st model tripel lock. It had been converted to .45 colt with crude markings on barrel. I let it get away years ago.
I have 100 pieces of unfired .45 shcofield brass (starline) for sale on the board from a week ago Saturday. Still have it.
RD
I have 100 pieces of unfired .45 shcofield brass (starline) for sale on the board from a week ago Saturday. Still have it.
RD
opoefc
US Veteran
red9, S&W sent a shipment ( I believe it was something like 50 guns) of .455 cal. Triple locks, commercial models, to Shapleigh Hardware, St. Loius, MO., on 12/19/1917. There are other occasional shipments of .455 cal. guns sporadically thru the early 1920s. Ed. #15
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