.455 Eley
- Thread starter danyboy
- Start date
ricciardelli
CGN Regular
- Location
- Montana, USA
The original .455 Webley, Mk I revolver round was a black powder round. The case measured about 0.88 inches in length. This cartridge was later loaded with smokeless powder. It was also sold as ".455 Colt" and ".455 Eley."
After the Brits changed over to smokeless, they decided that the new powder would burn better in a shorter case. (They got the same ballistics with a smaller volume of smokeless powder.) So they came up with the .455 Webley Mk II, with a case length of 0.77 inches.
Naturally, the new Mk II round would still chamber and fire in any revolver chambered for the longer Mk I. A word of caution: many older black powder revolvers will chamber the Mk II cartridges, but it would be dangerous fire this ammunition (or any other smokeless powder) in these older black powder revolvers.
After the Brits changed over to smokeless, they decided that the new powder would burn better in a shorter case. (They got the same ballistics with a smaller volume of smokeless powder.) So they came up with the .455 Webley Mk II, with a case length of 0.77 inches.
Naturally, the new Mk II round would still chamber and fire in any revolver chambered for the longer Mk I. A word of caution: many older black powder revolvers will chamber the Mk II cartridges, but it would be dangerous fire this ammunition (or any other smokeless powder) in these older black powder revolvers.
No, some 455 Colt/Eleys are perfectly happy with smokeless, it depends on the gun, when and by whom it was made. - dan
