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Fortunately, my First Model Hand Ejector is still chambered for the .455 cartridge. Many of the British Contract guns that found their way back to the United States following World War I were subsequently re-chambered to .45 Colt, or .45 ACP, either by Smith & Wesson or other enterprising individuals. This alteration involved milling down the back of the cylinder to accommodate the thicker rims of .45 Colt ammunition or clips for the rimless .45 ACP cartridge. If Modified for the .45 Colt, the chambers required lengthening as well. From a practical standpoint there may have been some justification for these conversions, as both replacement rounds were much more readily available in this Country than .455 ammunition, but the modifications definitely destroyed the originality of the guns.

Background research by Roy Jinks on the .455 First Model in my collection indicates that it left the factory on January 21, 1915, and was delivered to the Remington Arms-Union Metallic Cartridge Co. in New York City. The gun obviously made it to England, as evidenced by its British proof marks. Beyond that, little is known regarding the service it saw. What is apparent from the condition of the revolver is that whoever had it treated it well.