S&W .455 Hand Ejector 2nd Model has new home

[Teddydog]

Was in Cabela's a few weeks back and saw this in the gun library. It looks like it has almost all of its original finish, except for the backstrap and some scattered areas on the top of the barrel where it may have come into rough contact with some dirt, gravel or sand. The bore appears perfect and the chambers the same. The serial number on barrel matches the butt: 19,xxx. There is no SN on the rear of the cylinder, but it has NOT been "shaved". The SN on the ejector star does match. The chambers do appear to have a very shallow "recess" in each, so it may have been switched to another caliber that way. It also has the expected commercial proof marks added to the barrel (but not the cylinder), as well as a "sold out of service" mark on the left side of the frame. It is wearing much later post-war diamond magna stocks.

The other interesting thing is a nicely engraved (not stamped and clearly professionally done) ownership mark. It says "H. Gordon Raeburn" over "R.E.". I posted about this gun on the S&W Collectors forum when I first saw it and some of the guys seem to have located some great info about Mr. Raeburn. Enlisted in the Royal Engineers in December 1915 and earned the 1915 Europe Service Medal. http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-han...ics-added.html

Since bringing it home and checking more carefully, it seems pretty certain that a new .455 cylinder was fitted, then modified for .45 Colt by machining is a very shallow recess to seat the rim just below the back face of the cylinder. Should still take .455 ammo, too.

Pictures:




Thoughts are always welcome.

Rob

[RCS]

Bought mine from Goden State in Calif for $24.00 some years ago (for $10 more could have had a triple lock S&W). Mine was in .455 too but had it rechambered to 45 Colt. About the time I had it re-chambered, I found a F.D.L. rear sight, all you have to do is remove one screw to install. From another website, I understand these FDL rear sights are still used and available in South America.

[musculus]

I got two boxes of unfired .455 brass (Hornaday) for 10 bucks a year or so back. I use them now to shoot in my USFA Rodeo (.45 Colt). They work fine of course (easier to shoot these than to bring along my .45acp cylinder). The only challenge I see with this S&W (besides tracking down some brass--or simply cutting down .45 Colt brass--and hoping they don't bind) is determining your S&W 's groove depth/diameter. Since my USFA has a .452 groove diameter, life is pretty good. I suspect that .454/5 bullets will work better in your S&W.

[milgunsguy]

Mine has the same machining that you describe to allow seating larger rims. A .45 Long Colt round drops right in.

[Teddydog]

Nice .455 HE! But why are you showing it with an M1 Carbine handguard?

[milgunsguy]

The same guy wanted pictures because he was interested in buying both, but then he only bought the handguard!

[JB White]

Teddydog, after reading your link to the S&W board I think you got a sweet little chunk of history there. Save those photos and descriptions they came up with for you. Be sure to print out a couple copies once formatted into a provenance letter.

Did they move on the price or did you just bite the bullet on this one?

[da gimp]

Okay ya bums, most importantly, how do both of those old warhorses shoot now>?
Congrats to both of you & that is a neat rear sight, that I hadn't seen before.

[RCS]

The first thing that I did (after having the cylinder rechambered to 45 Colt) was to buy a M29 mainspring and install it, later I bought the FDL rear sight. The newer mainspring is alot better on the trigger pull. Using 451 or 452 dia lead bullets are not the best, better to use the old 45 Colt 454 dia bullets. Mine will never shoot as accurate as my S&W M25 in 45 Colt. Both my S&W 25 and HE 1915 will on occasion still have an empty case hang-up during extraction

[mike webb]

Nice S&W, I am after one just like it here in Canada. It is marked with Canadian Broad Arrow and comes with the original lanyard and leather holster made in Ottawa, Canada. Probably 98%, not even any drag marks on the cylinder. Obviously used by some rear echelon officer if condition means anything. It is still in original .455 chambering. I will post photos if I get.