S&W 2nd Model Hand Ejector .455 / .45 Colt - 1915, FTR 1944

[Outpost75]

Great price on a shooter grade S&W off Gunbroker. Cylinder gap 0.005" pass / 0.006 hold. No end shake which can be felt with empty brass in chambers. Timing and indexiing correct in both SA and DA on all six charge holes. Bore slugs .454, cylinder throats .456. Light frosting in grooves but strong rifling and no pits. Produces 0.012" indent on copper. Appears to be Cdn arsenal rebuild rechambered to .45 Colt.


Plan is to test fire with WW2 era .45 Colt and .455 ammo to determine if there is significant loss of accuracy or velocity by firing .455 ammo as " shorts" in the longer .45 Colt chambers. Rechamberiing was skillfully done so that deepened rim seat diameter to produce correct head clearance for the .45. Colt rim does not affect the thinner .455 rim of slightly larger diameter from headspacing normally against rear face of cylinder. Also have modern production lead .45 Colt and .455 ammo as well to compare.

Cannot believe that nobody was bidding on this and that I got it for my opening bid of $500! I also have a complete M1917 S&W .45 ACP cylinder and yoke assembly I may investigate to see if feasible to do a swap cylinder job without major gunsmithing.... Sometimes you get lucky.

[03RN]

I'm shocked I didn't see that. Congrats on the find

[Outpost75]

Range day tomorrow. Stay tuned!

[Outpost75]

VERY interesting. Firing .455 ammo in the rechambered .45 Colt cylinder point of impact was correct to the fixed sights and grouping normal. There seems to be no issues firing .455 in the longer .45 Colt chambers. The rechambering countersunk rim seats only enough to compensate for the thicker rim of the .45 Colt, but the larger Rim diameter of .455 ammo bridges across the new countersunk so that rounds headspace normally against the rear face of the cylinder, maintaining correct head clearance.

Velocity of .455 ammo was not significantly different than my 1914 Colt New Service .455 Eley. I shot one cylinder full.of WW2 era .45 Colt and point of impact was low and left. Not to the sights. Next time out I will try some modern .45 Colt ammo to see if it does better. But because it shoots .455 well and I have an ample supply, I am not inclined to alter the sights to zero with .45 Colt. I will use .455 as primary ammo and consider .45 Colt for expedient use only.

Velocity of the S&W Hand Ejector firing .455 ammo in its rechambered .45 Colt cylinder vs. my 1914 Colt New Service in .455 Eley:

Ammo.............S&W HE rechambered..45 Colt..........1914 Colt New Service .455

CIL .455 Colt..........741 fps, 11 Sd..............................747 fps, 16 Sd

Fiocchi MkII..........685 fps, 27, Sd...............................656 fps. 19 Sd

Hornady MkII.........583 fps, 15 Sd...............................613 fps, 8 Sd

WW2 Cdn. DC44....644 fps. 25 Sd...............................678 fps, 33 At