.455 Webley reloading for New Service
- Thread starter wbaad
- Start date
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
Sent you a PM with a possible source of specific 455 HB bullets.
@wbaad: Those are good, too!
They're about the same, yeah. The pressure isn't. A standard pressure .45acp is basically a proof load for a Webley Mk.VI. I'm not sure how hot you could load for a Colt or S&W revolver. Many are older revolvers anyway, so I'm not inclined to find out.
No they are not. Only those manufactured in 1897 or earlier qualify for antique status. And yes, in my opinion, a fun revolver and calibre.
Someone mentioned Hornady .455 brass. Is this in fact still available? It's not shown on the Hornady website. Rustywood.ca (Peter Riedel, here in Mission) lists Bertram brass as in stock @ $78.25/50 (Ouch! But it should last a long time at those low pressures.)
Stuart
Stuart
Someone mentioned Hornady .455 brass. Is this in fact still available? It's not shown on the Hornady website. Rustywood.ca (Peter Riedel, here in Mission) lists Bertram brass as in stock @ $78.25/50 (Ouch! But it should last a long time at those low pressures.)
Here's some from Midway.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/777836/bertram-reloading-brass-455-webley-box-of-20
I recommend maybe inboxing Henry from budgetshootersupply.ca and see what he says. He may have something.
I'll give Henry a try. He always seems to know where to find the odd stuff.
The price of that Bertram I could buy loaded ammo!
Well, Rusty Wood's price of $78.25 is for 50; Midway (unavailable to us in any case) is $34.99 for 20 (about $38.00 CDN at present) so not unreasonable... for Bertram. Loaded ammo would probably run you quite a bit more by the time all the hazardous good charges are added in. Henry is probably your best bet when he returns on Jan.6.
I was fortunate enough to get a colt new service this fall. I managed to get a set of .455 colt dies and some (Webley MKII) brass. I purchased some cast bullets from Jethunter and have started to do up some loads. Now it's just a matter of getting out to the range to try them. I used the webley load data and found it pretty much the same as the data for the new service loads. What I found for the webley mkII brass was that it was only shorter in length than the original .455. So shorter is ok. Was going to try the 45 lc, but as mentioned already the thickness of the rim prevents the cylinder from closing. Hope you find everything you need and enjoy your new old dinosaur.
When the Brits transitioned over to smokeless ammunition with the Mk.IV (or V?) Webley revolver, they found that the shorter case provided better ignition. They kept the longer (Mk.I) chambers, though, so that any remaining black powder ammo could still be used in a pinch.
Here is some info for you. I believe that DelSelins (on this site has a set of .455 Lee Dies) or at least they did a few days ago. You can make decent bullets by casting 45 Colt bullets and not sizing them as they will come at .453 to .455 Dia. depending on the mold you are using.
Then all you have to do is find some used .455 brass. I have seen it on this site for sale quite a few times in the not to distant past.
I have used this means lots of times with very good results. You can also use .45 ACP dies if you have to but it works the brass more then you have to and then the life of the brass is not very long.
Graydog
Then all you have to do is find some used .455 brass. I have seen it on this site for sale quite a few times in the not to distant past.
I have used this means lots of times with very good results. You can also use .45 ACP dies if you have to but it works the brass more then you have to and then the life of the brass is not very long.
Graydog
I have Lee .455 dies and they work well except for one small niggle with priming. The shellholder they specify (#5) also fits a number of (rifle) cases, but the very thin rim of the .455 allows the case to rise up a bit at the beginning of the stroke so you have to be sure to push the priming lever ALL the way home to get the primer flush- it doesn't begin to tighten up towards the end of the stroke as you'd expect. If you don't, the primer can sit a tiny bit proud and bind the cylinder.
StuartBuy the Lee die set , also the Lee universal expander set, helps expand the short 455 cases a lot better than the one in the 455 die set.
I use bullseye in all my 455's, works well!
You can use starting load info from 45 Auto Rim cast load info. In the Smiths and Colt revolvers. I do not load for Webly's, so proceed with cation as most are weaker than the two previous revolvers mentioned.
1 use 2.8 to 3 grains of bullseye with a 265 grain HB lead bullet with great success.
Brass seams to be the hard bit to locate, when you find some , buy it all!
Cheers Dale Z!
I use bullseye in all my 455's, works well!
You can use starting load info from 45 Auto Rim cast load info. In the Smiths and Colt revolvers. I do not load for Webly's, so proceed with cation as most are weaker than the two previous revolvers mentioned.
1 use 2.8 to 3 grains of bullseye with a 265 grain HB lead bullet with great success.
Brass seams to be the hard bit to locate, when you find some , buy it all!
Cheers Dale Z!
zywina, would you mind describing the differences you have found using the Lee universal expander?
thanks.
thanks.
Back when my Dad gave me his WWI vintage S&W Hand Ejector with 6.5" barrel in .455 many years ago I was keen to load for it.
I had also acquired some "Dominion" cases marked .455 Colt. Since back then .455 load data was scarce it was suggested to use load data from the .45 Auto Rim ctg.
I had a set of RCBS .455 dies but since I was going to use 230 gr RN .452" sized bullets which I had on hand [I was also loading .45ACP at the time] I went with my Lee .45ACP dies with the carbide sizer.
Using load data from the Speer #10 manual [first printed in 1979] I went with 6.6 gr of Unique with the 230 gr RN lead bullet in the Dominion .455 Colt marked cases [these are very similar in length to the .45 Auto Rim case]. That data said from a Model 1955 S&W target model with 6.5" barrel in .45ACP/Auto Rim that load combo would produce ~ 787 FPS velocity.
Tried that load combo in the old S&W Hand Ejector with the .455 Colt marked cases with no ill effect, although by the Speer #10 manual, it was listed as the max load for that data. The 452" bullets are undersized for the old Smith as well but from 15 yards on in, the "practical accuracy" was okay. I was doing a lot of 25 & 50 yard target work with the .38 Spl at the time but had no illusions that this old Smith was supposed to be a "target revolver".
It's purpose was as a "side arm" for trench & other close combat work.
Here's the old beast with a Tyler T grip installed to make it more comfortable to shoot with the old small factory grips:
Anyway, the old caveat applies, use caution when using any loading data. Know what you are working with & limitations of all the components: the firearm itself, the brass, powder, primers & bullets.
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NAA.
I had also acquired some "Dominion" cases marked .455 Colt. Since back then .455 load data was scarce it was suggested to use load data from the .45 Auto Rim ctg.
I had a set of RCBS .455 dies but since I was going to use 230 gr RN .452" sized bullets which I had on hand [I was also loading .45ACP at the time] I went with my Lee .45ACP dies with the carbide sizer.
Using load data from the Speer #10 manual [first printed in 1979] I went with 6.6 gr of Unique with the 230 gr RN lead bullet in the Dominion .455 Colt marked cases [these are very similar in length to the .45 Auto Rim case]. That data said from a Model 1955 S&W target model with 6.5" barrel in .45ACP/Auto Rim that load combo would produce ~ 787 FPS velocity.
Tried that load combo in the old S&W Hand Ejector with the .455 Colt marked cases with no ill effect, although by the Speer #10 manual, it was listed as the max load for that data. The 452" bullets are undersized for the old Smith as well but from 15 yards on in, the "practical accuracy" was okay. I was doing a lot of 25 & 50 yard target work with the .38 Spl at the time but had no illusions that this old Smith was supposed to be a "target revolver".
It's purpose was as a "side arm" for trench & other close combat work.
Here's the old beast with a Tyler T grip installed to make it more comfortable to shoot with the old small factory grips:
Anyway, the old caveat applies, use caution when using any loading data. Know what you are working with & limitations of all the components: the firearm itself, the brass, powder, primers & bullets.
----------
NAA.
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What a beautiful old revolver, and in excellent condition. You're lucky to have it. I believe those were originally designed for .45 Colt so they should be able to be loaded relatively hot... by Webley standards. The actual Webleys were designed for about 12,000 psi loads. Despite this it's amazing how many shooters in the US (where many Webleys were converted to .45 ACP) have gotten away with shooting standard .45 ACP loads (19k psi)... except for those that didn't, and have blown cylinders and shattered top straps to prove it!
I've heard that military Webleys can be surprisingly accurate, although my original MK VI (1917) hasn't so far been too impressive. But no doubt at least "minute of Bosche" in a trench.
Stuart
