Loads for 455 S&W 1917

O

Onty

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Mississauga, Ontario
I am getting over my head in 455 area. A friend has 1917 S&W in 455, in very nice shape, with beautifully installed fully adjustable sight (Must be done decades ago. Sight looks similar to standard S&W sight but without serrations. Boy, smith who installed it knew his trade.). Since all ammo dried out, he wants to start reloading ammo for it.

Would you please, suggest bullets (and potential suppliers), powders and loads for this round. Thanks.
 
Let me get my old lyman manuals out

.455

250 gr bullet in colt case, 3.2 gr bullseye, webley case 2.2 gr bullseye

webley case .750 overall, colt case .885 overall

same bullet with unique, 6 grn long case, 5 gr webley case

also have information on 225 195 and 190 gr bullet weights

Grandfather shot the longer cases (colt length) from a 1917 with a 250 gr bullet and 4 gr bullseye, but thats hotter then I'd load today..
 
Darren Constable said:
Wouldn't that be nice, bound to be a lot cheaper than fiochi.
Click to expand...

Actualy NO. Hornaday loaded ammo is just as expensive. One would think otherwise, but they sell it in 20 round boxes. Multiply that price to 50 rounds and there is no savings. Best bet is still reloading. I should think the only reason to buy Hornady loaded ammo is availibility since Fiocchi is not always around.
 
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I've measured the bore on three 1917 S&W in .455. The bores all miked out at 0.457. I use the Lee roundnose mold designed for the Ruger old army and get good groups using .450 adams brass, and .455 webley brass. I use Lee Licquid alox. It seems 4.5 grains of Unique is a starting load. I am slowly working up a load.
Lee also makes carbide dies for these.

As for accuracy, I get 3" to 4" groups at twenty metres - and with practice these will tighten up.

Every 1917 S&W I have seen in .455 has been very well finished and extremely well crafted. They are almost works of art.

Slug your bore, slug your cylinders as well. Some of these had a 0.455 cylinder mouth. Ideally the cylinder would be at .457 or .458 and all would be the same diameter.
And on a day with the sun directly behind you, you can see the bullet go downrange. I paper the target board with banquet paper and bullets do show up against it when in flight if the light is right.
 
Actualy no, on cylinder mouths. The Webley has the same dimensions at the end of the cylinder. Keep in mind the design of the Webley bullet which is hollow based, in effect a miniature Minie ball. Expansion to grip the rifling takes place after the bullet leaves the cylinder and enters the barrel. The OLD Lyman handbook lists 5.0 gr of unique as approximating the original service load.

RCBS makes the proper mould for the hollow base webley bullet, but it is pricey. As I have a number of Webleys it was worth buying.
 
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