Factory fiocchi 455 and in French 1873 Y or N?
- Thread starter Claven2
- Start date
I put 200 rounds of Fiocchi through my old 1873 French Ordinance before I read so many people’s opinions about how unsafe it is. While it is not created from the same steel as an 1892, it is also not made from cast iron, like many people will tell you. It is a ridiculously overbuilt gun for the feeble cartridge that it came with. I fart with more energy than 11mm French Ordinance!
You might actually say that it was overbuilt to about, say, maybe .455 Webley specs.
But just because I haven’t hurt my old French 1873 (or my hands) doesn’t mean that you’ll have the same results. It might just mean that I was lucky. I am not recommending you do something that many people will perceive as unsafe, I’m just relating my experience.
And I am very careful about which Antiques I shoot, and with what ammo. I wouldn’t ever shoot .455 Fiocchi in a Belgian Bulldog knockoff, but I imagine many people have. The reason I tried Fiocchi Smokeless in the gun is it’s apparent sturdiness. To be honest I was quite scared to fire off the first round. When all that happened was the gun went “bang”, I fired it again. By halfway through the first box I was no longer so nervous, but I still had a very close look at the Cylinder and Top Strap with a Jewellers Loupe, just to be sure it wasn’t stretching or cracking.
I didn’t Liquid Penetrant Inspect it, which I have done on a couple of other Antiques after firing smokeless through them (Colt Peacemaker and 1883 Reichsrevolver) but I have a lot of experience finding basically microscopic cracks with a Jewellers Loupe, as I used to be a Tool & Die and Gas Turbine Engine Welder. No cracking developed.
But I am just telling you my experience, I’m not recommending anything one way or another.
Cheers. Enjoy your Frenchie, they are fun old guns!
You might actually say that it was overbuilt to about, say, maybe .455 Webley specs.
But just because I haven’t hurt my old French 1873 (or my hands) doesn’t mean that you’ll have the same results. It might just mean that I was lucky. I am not recommending you do something that many people will perceive as unsafe, I’m just relating my experience.
And I am very careful about which Antiques I shoot, and with what ammo. I wouldn’t ever shoot .455 Fiocchi in a Belgian Bulldog knockoff, but I imagine many people have. The reason I tried Fiocchi Smokeless in the gun is it’s apparent sturdiness. To be honest I was quite scared to fire off the first round. When all that happened was the gun went “bang”, I fired it again. By halfway through the first box I was no longer so nervous, but I still had a very close look at the Cylinder and Top Strap with a Jewellers Loupe, just to be sure it wasn’t stretching or cracking.
I didn’t Liquid Penetrant Inspect it, which I have done on a couple of other Antiques after firing smokeless through them (Colt Peacemaker and 1883 Reichsrevolver) but I have a lot of experience finding basically microscopic cracks with a Jewellers Loupe, as I used to be a Tool & Die and Gas Turbine Engine Welder. No cracking developed.
But I am just telling you my experience, I’m not recommending anything one way or another.
Cheers. Enjoy your Frenchie, they are fun old guns!
The Fiocchi is apparently 12000 PSI (per their published data), while 11mm French Ordnance was apparently 11450 PSI to 11650 PSI, depending which loading - that's pretty close, and the proof rounds for the revolvers would have been significantly higher pressure.
Many people are saying the older Dominion and military MkII .455 rounds are less snappy than Fiocchi, so that may be the way to go if I can get my hands on some. Ultimately though, the Fiocchi brass is superior, not balloon head, and after I fire off my remaining 25 loaded rounds, seems to be a good basis for reloading.
Many people are saying the older Dominion and military MkII .455 rounds are less snappy than Fiocchi, so that may be the way to go if I can get my hands on some. Ultimately though, the Fiocchi brass is superior, not balloon head, and after I fire off my remaining 25 loaded rounds, seems to be a good basis for reloading.
