I'm reading Richard Hillary's The Last Enemy, a WW II Spitfire pilot's book. On page 63 he wrote:
I'm thinking S&W or Colt as we supplied them in WW I, but was unaware that 2" barrel revolvers were supplied. Thoughts?"An order came that all officers were to carry side arms, and at the station armoury I was issued with an anitquated shortnose Forty-five and six soft-lead bullets. I appealed to armament sergeant.
'Sorry, sir,' he said, 'but that's the regulation. Just content yourself with six Jerries, sir.'
That in itself would not have been so bad if only the ammunition fitted, which I soon found out it did not. With only six bullets there was little temptation to waste any of the practising, but one day by low cunning I managed to get myself another twelve and loosed off. The first round fired but the second jammed. I had .455 bullets for a .45 revolver."