Can someone please explain these markings Webley MK1

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gord1986

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I recently came across an antique Webley MK1. I am having a lot of trouble finding useful information on the internet about these markings.

If someone with knowledge of proof markings could explain to me exactly what these marks mean I would really appreciate it.

Also - Its been modified to fire .45ACP, is it safe to fire the slightly smaller round through the bore? And I hear wolf reloads are safe to shoot, is this true?

Thanks!

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They are all Birmingham house proof marks...BP is Birmingham proof mark, which indicates a test was run on the firearm, BV is Birmingham view test. NP is nitro proof mark so the firearm has been proved for smokeless Nitro powder...
 
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gord1986 said:
What sort of psi do you think wolf reload .45acp would deliver?
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I don't know what psi the wolf reloads are however the 13,200 psi quoted was for the MkVI Webley which is considered the strongest of the revolvers...Milspec 45acp runs at around 19,000psi..Bearing in mind the MKI Webley was originally designed for black power loads. If it was me, i'd have 45acp cartridges loaded to .455 levels just to be on the safe side along with non-jacketed bullets...
 
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I had a Mk.III that was shaved for .45ACP and tried a few of those 200gr. Lead SWC Wolf ammo in it and they were very poor for accuracy. I think if I remember right the Wolf Lead SWC bullets miked in at about .451 and the bore on my one was about .455 with the typical shallow and fine Webley rifling, so that probably explains the accuracy issue. It shot much better with .454 soft lead bullet reloads.
 
DO NOT shoot commercial .45 ammo in a Mk1 Webley. They are designed for low pressure black powde .455 ammo. The British government, when they switched to smokeless powder, still kept the pressures quite low in the new .455 to accommodate older guns... You should reload for your Webley: use lower charges and use Lead bullets to keep pressures low. Also, the rifling in those old guns is fragile and can wear prematurely with jacketed bullets... Reloading is easy and way cheaper than destroying a Mk1!!
 
Shrapnel said:
DO NOT shoot commercial .45 ammo in a Mk1 Webley. They are designed for low pressure black powde .455 ammo. The British government, when they switched to smokeless powder, still kept the pressures quite low in the new .455 to accommodate older guns... You should reload for your Webley: use lower charges and use Lead bullets to keep pressures low. Also, the rifling in those old guns is fragile and can wear prematurely with jacketed bullets... Reloading is easy and way cheaper than destroying a Mk1!!
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Thank you very much for your response. I do agree that reloading your own would be the best. How much powder do you suggest to put in when reloading?
 
gord1986 said:
Thank you very much for your response. I do agree that reloading your own would be the best. How much powder do you suggest to put in when reloading?
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My thought would be, as much or as little to stay in the 500fps range.

No disrespect but you seem over your head on this one. Use the google wisely, before you pull the trigger.
Rustywood Trading might be a good resource, Dingus another. Both can be found on Gunnutz.
 
gord1986 said:
Thank you very much for your response. I do agree that reloading your own would be the best. How much powder do you suggest to put in when reloading?
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Here is something I found online.

455 Mk I (1891):
Attentive readers will have noticed that the Webley Mk I (no connection with the Mk of the cartridge) was released in 1887. Question: were the Webleys used with the only cartridge they could chamber in 1887, the 450 Adams, or were they released only from 1891, when the proper cartridge was available? Many specialists favor the second hypothesis.

Specifications:
• Case: brass, 0.855" (21.7 mm) long center fire.
• Powder : black.
• Charge : 18 grains (1.17 gram).
• Bullet: lead-tin alloy (12 for 1) of 265 grains (17.17 grams), conical and hollow
based with three lubrication grooves.
• Muzzle velocity: 650 fps (198 m/s).

In 1894, the black powder charge is replaced by 6.5 grains (0.42 gram) of cordite Mk I, the new smokeless powder. Such loaded cartridges are distinguished by the "C" letter stamped on the head of the case.

Source: http://www.imssu.org/articles/webley 455.pdf
 
If you were to find a unshaved cylinder and convert it back to .455 do you think that would help wth accuracy as the bullet isn't .005" undersized?
 
gord1986 said:
If you were to find a unshaved cylinder and convert it back to .455 do you think that would help wth accuracy as the bullet isn't .005" undersized?
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I don't use fullpower 45acp in my webleys. I download 45acp to 455 levels. Unique powder works very well. You can load whatever bullet you want in the 45acp case and shoot it in your Webley. A lot of the webley MKI and MKII revolvers like yours are actually .452" groove diameter.

I've had best results from stout-ish loads using Keith Style soft lead bullets. These pistols have tight throats that are actually smaller than the groove diameter in most cases - so regardless what size bullet you use it still won't fit the barrel well after being swaged down in the throat.

Kicking a soft lead bullet in the butt with a healthy dose of powder seems to obturate (expand) the base somewhat and seal off the bore - this even works with flat based bullets just as effectively as with HB bullets in my experience. Light powder charges don't tend to shoot as well.

The traditional Webley bullet is the conical 265 gr HB. It is not very sturdy as far as bullets go, with almost no solid portions of the bullet to form bands and centralize in the bore. It works well for what it was intended but most people have found that a softer lead Keith style SWC can be more accurate than the HB bullet. I've even had fairly good luck with soft lead 45acp bullets that are sized .452".
 
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