Colt 1873 SAA .45 ?

WRENCHGOD

WRENCHGOD

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
78   0   0
Location
Prince George B.C.
Hey guys. is there any online source that references the 1873 ever being chambered in .45 S&W or .45 Schofield. The history I have found make it very clear that the S&W and the Colt issue side arms were two different calibers and that's why the issued ammunition was a hybrid of the two, shorter than the Colt and smaller rim than the S&W to facilitate the interchangeability of it. I can find lots of references to it being used in the 1873 but I can not find a data stamp or reference to the specific chambering.

Anyone have one and willing to take a picture of it?

I realize there is a lot of money and dreams tied up with this so let me know if I should delete the thread.
 
I remember reading a while back that the Colt SAA was chambered in 36 different calibres up to .476 Eley, I can not see a need at the time to specifically short chamber them to slightly shorter .45 Schofield when you could shoot .45 Schofield out of any .45 Colt handguns. I do know that they chambered the Colt SAA in .450 Eley/Boxer and .455 Webley which are shorter than .45 Colt but could be very easily reamed to fit .45 Schofield but still too short for .45 Colt if needed.
 
Cool, I had one in .45 Colt and kinda regret selling it. I have been looking for another one but I am hoping to find one that meets the Canadian definition of an antique but not in the .41 because of the weird bullet shape and issues. I have an old collectors book that has all that info in it but of course I can't find it now that I need it. LOL
 
Arctic said:
"The Thirty-six calibers of the Colt" says"no"!!
Click to expand...


Thanks, :) I would have gone insane looking for something that didn't exist. LOL

I found a list. Now to find one on here that is not on the crappie Canadian NO,NO list.

22 rimfire
32rimfire
32colt
32smith&wesson
32-44
32-20
38colt
38s&w
38colt special
38smith&wesson special
38-44
357
380eley
38-40wcf
41
44smoothbore
44rinfire
44german
44russian
44smith&wesson
44winchester
45colt
45smoothbore
45auto
450boxer
450eley
455eley
476eley
 
I see the odd 450 for sale but expect to pay thru the nose,usually 10k US or more.
41 colt isn't that much of a problem to reload if you get the right bullet mould and collet die.
See Old West Bullet moulds
 
I have a nice one in 455eley if you ever get a chance to buy one jump on it
Took me along time to find one and cost me too much LOL
 
So the regs say it's an antique if it isn't and has not been modified to one of the no, no calibers on the list. In theory (don't hate me for saying this LOL) the frame is the firearm, could one buy one in say .45 Colt and then have a brand new barrel and cylinder made and still keep the antique status? IE: I can have it in .455 eley, hand breaks, I can put a new one in. Blow the barrel, chuck a new one at it. Mess up the timing on the cylinder through a new one in. So could I do it all in one go and have a solid modren shooter as long as its not on the list and I dont exceed the frame limitations? LOL
 
WRENCHGOD said:
So the regs say it's an antique if it isn't and has not been modified to one of the no, no calibers on the list. In theory (don't hate me for saying this LOL) the frame is the firearm, could one buy one in say .45 Colt and then have a brand new barrel and cylinder made and still keep the antique status? [/COLOR]
Click to expand...

unless I am mistaken, the regulations say only that it cannot be one of the no go calibers. It is current policy that it must start as an antique but then you can convert it to any other caliber that is not a no go and maintain its antique status. Having said that I think there are a moderate number of guns that were converted to antique status before the policy changed. Also if the gun was purchased in the US, converted in the US and then imported, are Canada Customs and / or the RCMP going to ask for a factory letter to show what caliber it was manufactured in ? Further if the gun were modified in the US before 1898, under present policy, I think they would also qualify for antique status. The problem with the present policy is that it creates a mess in trying to establish the status of an antique vs restricted or prohibited handgun.
Of further interest is that I have not heard of any similar policy as applies to antique rifles. A 32-40 highwall made before 1898 was a registerable gun under the old system and would still require a PAL to own or possess but if the same gun was rebarreled to 38-55 it still becomes and antique and requires no PAL to acquire or possess

cheers mooncoon
 
mooncoon said:
unless I am mistaken, the regulations say only that it cannot be one of the no go calibers. It is current policy that it must start as an antique but then you can convert it to any other caliber that is not a no go and maintain its antique status. Having said that I think there are a moderate number of guns that were converted to antique status before the policy changed. Also if the gun was purchased in the US, converted in the US and then imported, are Canada Customs and / or the RCMP going to ask for a factory letter to show what caliber it was manufactured in ? Further if the gun were modified in the US before 1898, under present policy, I think they would also qualify for antique status. The problem with the present policy is that it creates a mess in trying to establish the status of an antique vs restricted or prohibited handgun.
Of further interest is that I have not heard of any similar policy as applies to antique rifles. A 32-40 highwall made before 1898 was a registerable gun under the old system and would still require a PAL to own or possess but if the same gun was rebarreled to 38-55 it still becomes and antique and requires no PAL to acquire or possess

cheers mooncoon
Click to expand...

Thanks, that helps. I will keep searching.
 
mkrnel said:
I remember reading a while back that the Colt SAA was chambered in 36 different calibres up to .476 Eley, I can not see a need at the time to specifically short chamber them to slightly shorter .45 Schofield when you could shoot .45 Schofield out of any .45 Colt handguns. I do know that they chambered the Colt SAA in .450 Eley/Boxer and .455 Webley which are shorter than .45 Colt but could be very easily reamed to fit .45 Schofield but still too short for .45 Colt if needed.
Click to expand...

The issue with the early British cartridge SAA (& 1878 DA)is that the chambers are not in line with the bore.

The rims on the cartridges were too wide to allow chamber ing of more than 3 rounds in a cylinder, so Colt bored the chambers slightly offset to accommodate the larger rims.

I believe that this issue was solved between 1880/1885 by the means of a slightly larger diameter cylinder and frame.

Another issue is that the Colt letters are often wrong in relation to the original "cartridge" the guns were manufactured for.

Often .45c (C stands for Cartridge, not Colt) could be any nominally .45" bored cartridge from 450 boxer to 455 MkI, 455 mkii... 45 schofield is not impossible.

This is a known issue due to correspondence with Colt's London agent who continually had problems with ordered guns being shipped to him chambered in the wrong cartidges.

The same is true for all of the .44 and .38 bored revolvers. Sometimes the record specifies .44 WCF, sometimes it doesn't.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom