WHAT IS THIS GUN?

[Sebago Son]

.455's have an unusually tall front sight.

Here's a .455 triple lock for comparision.

Also, early Commonwealth Contract .455's were not caliber marked.

 

[Hondo44]

Here are the pictures preachwright sent me. It is a reblued S&W Triplelock with a bulged barrel. Can't tell the caliber though. I've e-mailed the OP and asked for a picture of the open cylinder, hoping to look at the chambers.

The grips look correct.

Muley Gil,

Thanks for posting the photos for all of us!
A shot of the breechface would be nice too in case it was shaved.

 

[Hondo44]

yes it locks into a shroud like u are calling a Triple lock. It has the wedge on the yoke assembly. and the friont sight is fixed and the rear sight is made into the top of the gun..I can e mail some picts still have not been able top *** the ones i have. but it does have 5 screws with the 1 in front of the trigger guard..I am sorry for not watching this forum closer I pastor a church and run a bussiness also and dont take much down time my email add is [email protected] I can e mail anyone picts any time THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

Well the barrel is still safely shootable if the bore is not still obstructed and will still shoot quite well typically. At least the bulge is far out on the end so it can be shortened to a handier length.

Now we just have to figure out for sure what caliber you have although as Lee said, odds are it is/was a British 455 MK II. If you take some additional photos for Muley to post we should be able to tell or take it to a gun shop and ask them to check it for chambering of 45 ACP and/or 45 Colt.

What are your plans for the gun?

 

[preachwright]

not sure

Dont know for sure what i am gonna do with it. First I want to figure out what cal it is fro sure. altho. it does have an unusually tall front sight in my thinking it looks a lot like the .455 posted here..Have plans to take to local gunsmith in Jasper TX..But thanks to all you on here I have been amazed at the response and help from you all!! I will let you know what he says..also I sent picts of the cycl looking into the chambers.

 

[preachwright]

also took the handles off the numbers wrote in pencil match the numbers on the gun 4579

 

[Muley Gil]

Here are the pictures of the cylinder and the right grip. The cylinder has not been shaved and might be bottlenecked. Can't really tell.

preachwright, I would take your revolver to a gunshop and ask if you can try some different ammo in it.

 

[Hondo44]

Here's Lee's photo of an unmoletsted 455 cyl:

The chamber mouths look the same but the shoulder looks bigger and the throats look smaller...kinda' like my 38-40.....so does the cyl/breech gap in post # 17...I don't know....
The # still shows so the cyl hasn't been shaved and it's a matching #, so original cyl.
The serial # is not in the 44 HE 1st Models list converted to 455 either; pgs 203 & 204 Neal and Jinks. Maybe a commercial gun that was scrounged by a British purchasing agent and sent to England to get all those stampings on it???

 

[ddixie884]

cool old gun............

 

[Oyeboteb]

So...44-40 maybe? Or..?

Throats do appear a little more constricted than those of the .455 ( but it could just be the image or distortion or fowling in the Bore Throats).

Interesting..!

 

[handejector]

Till you have hard evidence to the contrary, always go with the obvious.
It is most likely a 455.

It looks like the cyl has been shaved for 45 Colt or 45 ACP, but most likely for 45 ACP since the rear gap is rather large- like a 1917.

Till you have hard evidence to the contrary, always go with the obvious.
It is most likely a 455.

The first 5000 contract 455's were Triple Locks numbered in their own serial number range, 1-5000.
Also- I have lettered several 455 Triple Lock's that lettered as "44 HE's, cal 455" that were NOT on the list in Neal & Jinks. That list is obviously not complete.

So, we are still most likely looking at a 455 reamed to 45 Colt with a shaved recoil shield.

 

[twaits]

I'd cut that thing back before the bulge and reinstall the front sight. It would make a great guilt free snub nose.

 

[Hondo44]

Till you have hard evidence to the contrary, always go with the obvious.
It is most likely a 455.

The first 5000 contract 455's were Triple Locks numbered in their own serial number range, 1-5000.
Also- I have lettered several 455 Triple Lock's that lettered as "44 HE's, cal 455" that were NOT on the list in Neal & Jinks. That list is obviously not complete.

So, we are still most likely looking at a 455 reamed to 45 Colt with a shaved recoil shield.

Lee,

Good advice.

This brings up a question about the overlap/duplication of serial numbers between the 44 HE cal 455 factory conversions and the 455 Mk II HEs 1st model. They are virtually identical looking, if Roy were to letter one with a duplicate serial number they were both shipped to the Rem Arms, the British purchasing agency. How would Roy know which contract model he was lettering, a 44 HE cal 455 or a 455 Mk II HE 1st Mod since the serial number would be listed in the shipping records in two different shipments?