NWMP/RCMP revolvers

Im looking for info on what they carried prior to 1900. I have read that the troops sent to Africa durring the Boer war had the colt new service model chambered in 455. Ive also read that certain other canadian forces around that time carried the 1878 in 44 cal...although these were not NWMP. I think someone here has or had an 1878 in 41LC with beer war history as well.
 
Colt New Service in .455, and .45 Colt. These were replaced by S&W .38 Spec. Model 10, which were replaced by S&W 9mm.
 
.... As a "side track" from the original post/question, there were Colt "snub noses", the Colt Detective, in use into the late seventies, along side the S&W mdl.49 (and the odd mdl.36) ..... David K. .....
 
In 1885, due to the impending North West (Riel) Rebellion, the Government of Canada ordered 1,001 Colt Model 1878 Double Action revolvers in .45 Colt ('Long Colt') calibre. Some of these may have been carried by members of the NWMP, others issued to members of the Canadian Militia for use in the North West Campaign.

The first Canadian contingent sent to South Africa (Boer War) were issued these Colt 1878's. This contingent was made up of a formation from the Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) and the Canadian Mounted Rifles (CMR).
These revolvers were stamped with "MD" (Militia and Defence) numbers.
I acquired one of them a few months ago and have since sold it to another CGN who collects Colt revolvers.
The second contingent sent to South Africa carried the Colt 'New Service' revolver.
 
tiriaq said:
Colt New Service in .455, and .45 Colt. These were replaced by S&W .38 Spec. Model 10, which were replaced by S&W 9mm.
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The Colt New Service was in use with the RNWMP & RCMP from @1902-1955ish.

The RCMP also aquired a variety of other types when they re-absorbed the provincial police forces between @1929-1939 including S&W Heavy Duties (N-frame .38-44s) from the BCPP (and SPP IIRC) and Savage 1907/1917s (in .32acp!?) from the APP....
 
I got it...My wife and i spent the $26 admission and visited the RCMP Centenial Museum today. According to the exhibits the NWMP issued the Adams MK1 revolver in 1874 and 1875. The Adams MK2 was issued from 1875 to 1886. The enfield MK2 in .476 was issued from 1885 to 1905. the colt 1878 DA .455 was used now and then the early 1900's (the exhibits dont say that it was necessarilly issued for the period between 1905 and 1919 but does say that it was used - the one shown was issued in 1904) and the colt new service .45 from 1919-1951. Also shown was a very nice Thompson issued in 1920.
 
sportee said:
I got it...My wife and i spent the $26 admission and visited the RCMP Centenial Museum today. According to the exhibits the NWMP issued the Adams MK1 revolver in 1874 and 1875. The Adams MK2 was issued from 1875 to 1886. The enfield MK2 in .476 was issued from 1885 to 1905. the colt 1878 DA .455 was used now and then the early 1900's (the exhibits dont say that it was necessarilly issued for the period between 1905 and 1919 but does say that it was used - the one shown was issued in 1904) and the colt new service .45 from 1919-1951. Also shown was a very nice Thompson issued in 1920.
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Colt New Services were issued well before 1919, however that was the date of a large shipment to the (then) RNWMP.

A friend of mine had a Colt New Service mfg c.1899 which had been NWMP property. He has also seen other 1st model frame NWMP marked New Services which would date them to before @1909.

The interesting thing about the 1919 shipment is that the serials of the guns would put them @1916 but they exhibit the post WWI features which were adopted after the M.1917 production for the US military.

I suppose that the frames would have been left-over commercial frames passed over during M.1917 production. My example exhibits colour shift between the cylinder, barrel and frame, initially I believed that it was a put together, but discovered the 1919 contract info in Bob Murphy's "Colt New Service Monograph" published by "The Gun Report" in the mid 80s (and still the reference used by NS collectors).
 
I guess the museum folks are just going from the info they have available...they may not be 100% correct. In fact the description of the 1878 colt said that it was in ".445 Caliber" when it should have read .455 cal. Somebody's little error. :)
 
ah ha. I didnt think of it that way...somebody put an extra 4 in the set reading .445 instead of .45. I didnt think they used the .455 in the Colts.
 
tiriaq said:
1920 would be a bit early for a Thompson.
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Yeah, the first production thompsons were 1921. Probably another case of someone at the museum missing a letter in the description...probably should have said it was issued in the 1920's not in 1920.
 
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