- Location
- Alberta, let freedom reign!
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Need help reloading for an antique
- Thread starter connexion123
- Start date
- Location
- Tucson, Arizona
I use 5.0 gr of unique with a RCBS .455 Webley hollow base bullet mould
- Location
- Alberta, let freedom reign!
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Look up the starting loads for .45 Auto Rim.... that should work just fine. After all, most 'cut' Webleys were meant for 45ACP/45AR (and in many cases were arsenal-proofed for it), so if you use starting loads, you should be safe. I have a reloading book made by Lyman and 5.0 gr of Unique sounds just about right as a starting load for 45 AR with a 200gr bullet.
Here are a few examples of .45 AR loads... however, these seem a bit hot for your application (and are being used with modern iron), so it's just to give you a general idea: http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/d...&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=
Cheers!
Here are a few examples of .45 AR loads... however, these seem a bit hot for your application (and are being used with modern iron), so it's just to give you a general idea: http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/d...&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=
Cheers!
As far as I know antique MK webleys never saw any "arsenal proofing" in 45acp/45autorim cartridges , those calibers were never tested in any Webley factory or British government sanctioned proof houses on antique MK Webleys revolvers. 45acp in shaved MK is a US phenonmena.
Some of my reloading/chrony data:
255 grain flat nosed bullet in front of Unique powder in the MKII hornady brass, OAL was 1.10 inches
Average results were as follows:
5.2 grains of powder - 620 ft/secs calculated energy 218 ft/lbs
5.6 grain - 710 ft/sec calculated energy 285 ft/lbs
From my past trial the "official" 265 grain hollow base round nose bullet with 1.26 inch OAL in MKII brass I saw almost identical speeds
So 5.2 grain of Unique at stated OAL in MKII brass mimics "factory" spec.
- Location
- Alberta, let freedom reign!
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- Location
- Alberta, let freedom reign!
...
Last edited:
What brass are you using? It matters.
For .45acp / .45autorim / .455 MKI / .455 Colt: 5.0 gr Unique with the 265 gr HB bullet is a good load for these cartridges IMO.
The .455 MKII Webley cartridge is smaller powder capacity than the 4 previously named cartridges. The smaller MKII case will produce higher pressure than the .45acp case will produce for the same powder charge.
If you get load data, make sure you know which cartridge it's for! Some people use the data interchangeably between the MKII case and the .45 acp case, and there are circumstances where that will produce ugly overpressure in the MKII cartridge case.
For .45acp / .45autorim / .455 MKI / .455 Colt: 5.0 gr Unique with the 265 gr HB bullet is a good load for these cartridges IMO.
The .455 MKII Webley cartridge is smaller powder capacity than the 4 previously named cartridges. The smaller MKII case will produce higher pressure than the .45acp case will produce for the same powder charge.
If you get load data, make sure you know which cartridge it's for! Some people use the data interchangeably between the MKII case and the .45 acp case, and there are circumstances where that will produce ugly overpressure in the MKII cartridge case.
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I've been told that hard cast bullets at slow velocities (less than 1,000 fps) can lead your barrel, because they are not soft enough to bump up at low pressures. For pistols, soft cast bullets are recommended. I use soft cast bullets and have never had any leading in any of my antique sixguns.
Might be some truth in that. I got some of the 265 gr HB webley bullets from the guy in BC. They are hard and they leaded up my barrel. Nothing else ever has. Soft cast is a better idea all around for these old pistols. Less wear and lower pressure.
Most of the webley service revolvers had shallow rifling to start with and some of the survivng examples don't have much left. Shallow rifling has a better chance of getting a bite on softer bullets and that helps accuracy, too.
Most of the webley service revolvers had shallow rifling to start with and some of the survivng examples don't have much left. Shallow rifling has a better chance of getting a bite on softer bullets and that helps accuracy, too.
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Jethunter has a very good point regarding soft bullets and olde rifling.
We still don't know what gun is being used, nor do we know what brass, and both are critical. We don't even know if the cylinder has been shaved, and that is a whole can of worms all by itself.
Best brass for these is the old Dominion .455 Colt brass, which pretty much mimics the ancient .476. It's nice and long, puts the bullet closer to the forcing cone and the greater capacity can be a safety factor when people start using 'service' loads as 'start' loads.
You can mimic this brass by shaving the FRONTS of the rims on .45 Auto Rim.
Factory rounds used to put out 630 ft/sec with the 265-grain HB soft-lead bullet. This is well in line with Service performance. Likely, though, you will get best accurcy by dropping your load. Unique is a good powder for this, as it is very forgiving.
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We still don't know what gun is being used, nor do we know what brass, and both are critical. We don't even know if the cylinder has been shaved, and that is a whole can of worms all by itself.
Best brass for these is the old Dominion .455 Colt brass, which pretty much mimics the ancient .476. It's nice and long, puts the bullet closer to the forcing cone and the greater capacity can be a safety factor when people start using 'service' loads as 'start' loads.
You can mimic this brass by shaving the FRONTS of the rims on .45 Auto Rim.
Factory rounds used to put out 630 ft/sec with the 265-grain HB soft-lead bullet. This is well in line with Service performance. Likely, though, you will get best accurcy by dropping your load. Unique is a good powder for this, as it is very forgiving.
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