Happiness is a new Webley!

[Bret4207]

Technically not re-chambered as all they do to these guns is shave some meat of the back of the cylinder so that a case with a thicker rim fits. Otherwise it is the same bore in the cylinder, forcing cone and barrel. .452 is too small for this revolver so using the .455 Webley dies and a bigger bullet is the way to go.

As for the powder, I "think" it is Unique. No way to tell for sure and I don't want to ruin my fingers or my gun so best just to start with my own plan.

I never said don't go with your plan. I said it's likely Unique, and the powder might be worth saving. Not like powder is still $10 a lbs!

 

[Thumbcocker]

What was the diamater of the jacketed bullets in .455 rounds?

 

[Petrol & Powder]

If I had a LOT of powder from pulling down cartridges, I might attempt to identify it and then work up a loading for that questionable powder.

If I only had a little bit, it's not worth the effort to save a few ounces of mystery powder. That is going to become fertilizer.

Powder may be valuable but so is my time.

 

[RicinYakima]

What was the diamater of the jacketed bullets in .455 rounds?

The British Service Bullet diagram I have shows the bullet at .435" ahead of the case mouth. The base of the bullet had a .320" wide hollow, 265" deep. The base of the bullet was .454". The jacket was wrapped around the edges of the hollow base.

British Doctrine after they were required to use jacketed bullets, even on "natives", was for the bullet to tumble when it hit its target at less than 50 feet.

 

[CZ93X62]

There are a number of ways to skin this cat.

Ruger 45 Colts once came with .448" throats and .452" grooves. We know how that was dealt with--get the throats and grooves on the same sheet of music, then have a mould made that fits properly. Given the pressure standard of 13K PSI the Webley design was built to run at, I would run those big old bullets at modest pressures/velocities. No matter its form, 265 grains will hurt whatever it hits profoundly.

 

[glassparman]

Matt's Bullets always look so pretty!

My .455 Webley dies are in the mail as well.

 

[Bret4207]

I have a Colt New Service in the safe marked "455 Eley". Not sure if that' the same as the Webley but I know they are close. I think this one has been reamed out to 45 Colt. That's an awful lot of gun for a little teeny cartridge!

Gonna have to shoot that someday.

 

[glassparman]

Bret, I believe .455 Eley is the same thing. But they are also a bigger bullet that the .45 Colt.

 

[L Ross]

Matt's Bullets always look so pretty!

My .455 Webley dies are in the mail as well.

View attachment 34165

First thing my eye sees is the same issue I always had casting hollow base bullets, air pockers at the end of the hollow base.

 

[Bret4207]

Bret, I believe .455 Eley is the same thing. But they are also a bigger bullet that the .45 Colt.

I understand this was a common conversion back in the day. The guy who owned them was a 45 fan. I also have the 45 Colt marked version. Haven't fired either!