Smith and Wesson New Century

[WestKentucky]

I understand my posts can be terribly long and boring, but I already stated that.

Most technical writing is very dry, and it takes a fair bit of verbiage to accurately and thoroughly describe what is being detailed. As a Safety professional, I fully appreciate this as the material I cover is similar in that a lot of it is technically boring and takes a fair bit of verbiage to explain. You do a great job of walking the thin line between being thorough and being wordy. Just the right amount of detail, and generally incredible pictures as illustrations. It can’t be said enough how much I , and I know others as well, appreciate your posts. You are essentially a revolver historian on this forum and your knowledge, verbiage, and photography skills come together in a way that serves our group very well. Thank you for your many contributions.

And to the OP… that revolver is what I look for. Guns affordable enough and worn enough to not be troubling to shoot. It won’t lose value, it’s solid enough to not be dangerous, and it is a very nice piece of history. I hope to find one similar some day.

 

[Gordon]

Just an observation, I don’t think it came this way from the factory!

View attachment 1015907

Kevin

Ill bet it would shoot OK with Cowboy .45 Colt loads . I knew it was crudely modified from .455 to .45 Colt. It looks like you solved the cylinder crane latch problems , that was what stopped me and kept it a display piece 25 years or so.

 

[mcb]

Correct me if I'm not seeing it right ...never mind, definitely did not see it right.

Maybe a British .455" ?

Even if it had 455 Webley chambers it would not allow 45 Colt to go into the cylinder backwards. That is a bored through cylinder. Assuming the head space is correct I bet it will shoot just fine with 45 Colt, in those bored through chambers. Going to loose a little velocity and maybe some accuracy but it should still work.

I have been hearing this for years and years but have never seen one of the supposed 50000 guns with "bored through" chambers. Did they replace cylinders at post war refurbishment or what?

That is a good question. From what I have read it was only for the first few months of production while they waited for the correct reamers to arrive. They might have recalled the guns and put new cylinders on them. They might also simple have been used up. Being that early in production they no doubt got issued to front line troops in the greatest need and very few may have survived the war. WWI in the trenches was hard on equipment (young men too).

 

[StrawHat]

How does it shoot?

The chambers are bored straight through. The bullet would be able to get skewed before it hit the forcing cone. Have not tried to shoot it yet.

Ill bet it would shoot OK with Cowboy .45 Colt loads . I knew it was crudely modified from .455 to .45 Colt. It looks like you solved the cylinder crane latch problems , that was what stopped me and kept it a display piece 25 years or so.

The latch and action cleaned up well. I am considering the 45 Cowboy Special but not in this cylinder.

…Even if it had 455 Webley chambers it would not allow 45 Colt to go into the cylinder backwards. That is a bored through cylinder. Assuming the head space is correct I bet it will shoot just fine with 45 Colt, in those bored through chambers. Going to loose a little velocity and maybe some accuracy but it should still work…

The original cylinder was chambered for the 455.

…That is a good question. From what I have read it was only for the first few months of production while they waited for the correct reamers to arrive. They might have recalled the guns and put new cylinders on them. They might also simple have been used up. Being that early in production they no doubt got issued to front line troops in the greatest need and very few may have survived the war. WWI in the trenches was hard on equipment (young men too)...

I have heard that the few that were sent out with open bored cylinders got new cylinders as they were found by the Armorers. No recalls back then.

My plans for this revolver are to find and purchase a new cylinder, have the chambers enlarged and fit it for the 45 S&W Special cartridge. It will be a replica of the pre-production New Centuries that were submitted to the Army when they were testing for new handguns.

Kevin

 

[Pat Riot]

My plans for this revolver are to find and purchase a new cylinder, have the chambers enlarged and fit it for the 45 S&W Special cartridge. It will be a replica of the pre-production New Centuries that were submitted to the Army when they were testing for new handguns.

A good plan. I would be paranoid of it as it is. After I posted my question as I was riding my motorcycle to work I thought “Well that was dumb” Anyway, I hope you can find a cylinder for it and put it back into action.

 

[mcb]

The bored through cylinder is going to be no worst than shooting 45 Colt in a Judge or Governor. Bullet probably makes a longer jump down a .480 hole in those guns. Certainly not optimal but should be functional.

None the less the OP had an interesting plan and I hope he succeeds.

 

[Gordon]

Great, but I concur that a "Cowboy action" load of 200 grain .452 bullet at 500 fps is gonna "rattle down" that oversized chamber into the throat and not going to hit it off center if timing is good. No "skewing" sideways or other malarkey think of it as the old Schofield .45 cartridge in a .45 Colt SAA which was actually issued many years no problems. Soft lead and 450-550 fps velocities would make it a functioning gun, IF you cant find a cylinder. If you do find a cycliner it will probably be .45 acp and need to be rechambered to your project .45 special.

Here is one on ebay, keep watching ebay, a little pricey but what you want

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265212671989?hash=item3dbfe837f5:g:GcUAAOSwUJZg21Y6

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Well, there's two other options to consider: do what us shaved Webley owners do and load up custom for the gun. Using a 265gr., .455" HBRN, loaded into a .45Colt case sized large to fit the through-bored cylinder, with a heavy load of Bullseye will prevent rattling down anything.


Other option is to have the cylinder chambers sleeved and reamed proper for the .45Colt.

I guess the question is, what's the barrel bore slug out to? If it's .455" then using .455 Mk.1 bullets at .45Colt velocities is a real possibility.

 

[Gordon]

It's an antique so real low velocities are in order, that said that ebay cylinder for $400 is a pretty good option.Make an offer for $300 .

 

[Gordon]

Just thinking out loud but I wonder how your bored thru cylinder would shoot using .454 or cut to length .460 S&W brass with wadcutter flush seated bullets so there would be virtually zero jump to forcing cone ?
I suspect that would do it with Trailboss loads (around 5 grains of trail boss) to about 700 fps with this boolit

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the "bored through" cylinders of the Colt M1917s ARE throated. They just lack the headspacing ledge of the .45 ACP chamber -- so they have to be used with half moon clips.

 

[Jim Watson]

I don't know, nobody has ever been able to show me one.
50000 manufactured, none to be seen.

 

[StrawHat]

Just thinking out loud but I wonder how your bored thru cylinder would shoot using .454 or cut to length .460 S&W brass with wadcutter flush seated bullets so there would be virtually zero jump to forcing cone ?
I suspect that would do it with Trailboss loads (around 5 grains of trail boss) to about 700 fps with this boolit
View attachment 1016148

That is a good idea!

Kevin

 

[StrawHat]

My other idea was to bore the barrel to .475, rifle it and cut the chamber for the 480 Achilles.

Kevin

 

[Gordon]

I'd also save my money for that ebay hand ejector cylinder. It look good from the big pictures I blew up. The Star looks new with no ratchet wear, the throats all look uniform , the external has the same patina as your gun . Id bet it would be any easy drop in timing , low serial # . They are pretty rare and the matching patina of the blue would make the gun look all original, they cylinders aren't serialized I don't think, that one has none. I talked to cylinder and slide early on about that Triple lock and they said a replacement , which would not match original finish, installed and gun tuned up would start about $1200 . Thats why I put it on display, it shows pretty well with all that original finish it has.I had another couple old .44 Hand Ejectors anyway.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

My other idea was to bore the barrel to .475, rifle it and cut the chamber for the 480 Achilles.

Kevin

A .476Eley in smokeless with a Colts case. Mr. Eley and Mr. Colt meet at Webley green. Or Enfield loch.
Of course the .480 Achilles would have a heel.

 

[StrawHat]

Okay, here is an update. Another piece of the puzzle has arrived and been installed. I chose to use a roll pin instead of a solid pin so it would not be mistaken as original.



The new lanyard stud and ring arrived. I am pleased. I was contacted by a member of another forum regarding a cylinder. It should arrive soon.

Kevin