Newb antique handgun question

stay away from factory ammo in a .45 acp converted Webley its over double the proof pressure for the mark 5. a .32 rimfire is pretty easy to make casings for out of .32 short colt and using low power(bown or white) .27 cal ramset blanks with a .312 round ball they are fun you can also uncrimp the blanks and use black powder with a heeled .32 caliber cast bullet.
 
For whatever its worth I have tried most of the guns mentioned in this thread and in the end the ones I have enjoyed most for farm carry and accuracy are a Colt SAA in 45 Schofield and Colt Bisley SA in 44 S+W.

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apu said:
For whatever its worth I have tried most of the guns mentioned in this thread and in the end the ones I have enjoyed most for farm carry and accuracy are a Colt SAA in 45 Schofield and Colt Bisley SA in 44 S+W.

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Wish I could afford an antique status SAA bit in all honesty my new model RIC in 45 scholfield is almost as good for less than 1/3 the price (I find it a better fit than than the SAA) one big plus for the colt though is avalibilty of parts. If a guy was looking for the ultimate budget shooter antique with the most potential I think the remington 1858 is the best. Reasonable boy in price usually under 2000$, strong design with repo parts avalible and cartridge conversion cylinders of modern steel are readily avalible and reasonably priced.
 
apu said:
For whatever its worth I have tried most of the guns mentioned in this thread and in the end the ones I have enjoyed most for farm carry and accuracy are a Colt SAA in 45 Schofield and Colt Bisley SA in 44 S+W.

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I hope you realize that that Colts Bisley in .44 S&W is in a league all its own, I knew a Colts collector extraordinaire (RIP Wildrose) that owned one along with 250 other Colts SAA and he considered it the "highlight" of his collection .
 
rjf1963 said:
If your antique handgun qualifies as an antique(pre 1898 and not on the no go list) it can be converted to a modern caliber (for example a Webley 455 to 45 ACP) and still remain its antique status. If your pre 1898 antique handgun is a restricted(on the RCMP no go caliber list) it can no longer be converted to a caliber that is not on the list and become antique status. As far as what is the most economical, a cheap antique such as a 32 rimfire will run you $400-$900 but the ammo is obsolete and if you can find it is $3.00 - $5.00 per round and is not reloadable. You can spend $1800.00-$2500.00 for a good Webley MK 1 or a Good S&W 44 DA and reload for pennies(so to speak)
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Where would one find the list?
 
tiriaq said:
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Here is a pair of .450 RICs, both from the Metropolitan Police batch. Moe's is in finer condition. I also use shortened Mk. II cases. Apparently some .450s will accept .455 Mk. II cases. These won't. Once cases are prepared, reloading them is no different than any other pistol cartridge. They are fine shooters.
Cases can also be made from .45 Colt. More complicated, though. Rims must be thinned from the front, in addition to substantial trimming. The smaller rim diameter is not an issue, because these use the rod ejection system.
Big advantage of the top break Webleys is simultaneous ejection, rather than poking them out one at a time.
Preparing ammunition for sale is manufacturing, and requires an ammunition manufacturing licence. There is also a substantial liability issue.
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Beautiful pair of webleys! I have rack # MP223
 
tiriaq said:
View attachment 287719

Here is a pair of .450 RICs, both from the Metropolitan Police batch. Moe's is in finer condition. I also use shortened Mk. II cases. Apparently some .450s will accept .455 Mk. II cases. These won't. Once cases are prepared, reloading them is no different than any other pistol cartridge. They are fine shooters.
Cases can also be made from .45 Colt. More complicated, though. Rims must be thinned from the front, in addition to substantial trimming. The smaller rim diameter is not an issue, because these use the rod ejection system.
Big advantage of the top break Webleys is simultaneous ejection, rather than poking them out one at a time.
Preparing ammunition for sale is manufacturing, and requires an ammunition manufacturing licence. There is also a substantial liability issue.
Click to expand...

I also have a.450 Ric that also won’t accept .455 Mk II cases. Seller gave me 6 .455 once fired cases that he told me he fired in this Ric but he was mistaken. Yes the .45 LC cases chamber fine once shortened but the rim is too thick. I haven’t modified the rim yet but I guess I could trim off the front side of the rim on a lathe and another option I saw on uTube was a fixture that pounded the rim to the correct thickness.
 
My latest. A Webley MP. 450 Adams but reamed out for 455 Mk2 by a previous owner.

Cheers
Moe

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The lee .455 dies are inexpensive and work well. The cheapest source of brass seems to be fiocchi ammo if you can find it for a good price. I think Canada ammo has some now. Bertram brass was outrageous and I don’t think star line has got in to it.
 
Starline brass, 6.6 gr of Blue dot, 255gr 0.454 SWC, duplicate the Fiocchi load of 700 fps, very accurate in both my Mk1*
 
apu said:
For whatever its worth I have tried most of the guns mentioned in this thread and in the end the ones I have enjoyed most for farm carry and accuracy are a Colt SAA in 45 Schofield and Colt Bisley SA in 44 S+W.

4hca3fF.jpg
Click to expand...

Green in envy Apu

Outside of the Flattops, a Bisley just like that is the highest & greatest "wish" on my list, but to date have-not been able to find a collector willing to make one available! I'd be a Bisley owner in a heartbeat if I could locate one. Damn nice Colts right there.
 
Both the cut cylinder revolvers and the original unmodified MKi and MKII 455 Webley revolvers are antique. The unmodified revolver is worth more imo, but also consider that the revolver with the cylinder cut for 45acp can also use 45 autorim brass, and the extra powder capacity of 45 acp/autorim is capable of producing higher velocity at the same pressure level as the 455 Webley MKII brass.

45 colt bullets tend to have a shorter nose and longer shanks. The long shank decreases case capacity and can increase pressure compared to a bullet that doesn't need to be set as deep in the case. The hollow base bullets and swc bullets have shorter shanks.

I find that soft cast Keith style SWC bullets are most accurate in my revolvers.
 
bush1 said:
I also have a.450 Ric that also won’t accept .455 Mk II cases. Seller gave me 6 .455 once fired cases that he told me he fired in this Ric but he was mistaken. Yes the .45 LC cases chamber fine once shortened but the rim is too thick. I haven’t modified the rim yet but I guess I could trim off the front side of the rim on a lathe and another option I saw on uTube was a fixture that pounded the rim to the correct thickness.
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Have you tried starline brass in that ric? I have seen hornady 455 brass not fit a ric but on the same gun the starline 455 brass fit fine. I think starline has a slightly smaller base diameter so it didnt hang up on the ratchet.
 
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