FFL Rem Sport, 455 Auto 01020

Recreation of the Colt Government Model, “W prefix”, 455 Auto.

For those not familiar with this Great War variation of the 1911 the pistol was a Standard Colt 1911 modified in certain details to function with the British 455 semi rimless auto cartridge.

This cartridge was larger in body diameter than the 45 ACP. Major changes to the gun involved a wider magazine, wider magazine well, wider slide breach area 0.002 larger bore diameter.

A barrel and magazine change will convert a 455 to 45 ACP. The reverse is not true!

455 Auto ammunition is available on the collectors’ market as single specimens over 100 years old. Reloaders readily fabricate it starting with modified 45 AR or 45 Colt brass. Bullets are swaged up from 230 grain TMJ to the correct shape and diameter.

This Grifon custom pistol was based on a Rem Sport frame, Caspian slide and target sights.

Minor custom parts rounded out the presentation as shown in the images and include checkered frontstrap and backstrap, extended thumb and grip safety and  lightweight 3 hole trigger.

All modifications were within the realm of straight forward machine practice with the exception of the magazine. While an original 455 magazine works perfectly a Wilson Competition magazine was fitted in keeping with pistols “Modern Rebirth”. The Wilson Magazine was split along the back, blocked out with a copper insert and welded together. This resulted in a modern magazine of flawless design.