Webley mkII and Accuracy

tactical870

tactical870

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Finally got to loading up a few different bullet designs for my mkII Webley with 4" barrel and was a little shocked. I tried a BP roundball load a few weeks back and accuracy was terrrible. My latest loads were light smokeless loads.

Load #1. 265gr .454 HBRN webley bullet (from Ellwood Epps) in front of 5.5gr blue dot. Target shows rounds inside of 18-20" at 10 yards. Lots of unburned powder in barrel.

Load #2. 265gr mkII factory loaded headstamp 1931. Groups on target at 10-12" at 10 yards.

Load #3. 200gr cast keith style .452 SWC (from smokepole), lubed with my own toiletbowl beeswax lube mix, seated tight in front of 5.5gr bluedot. 6 shot group at 10 yards was 5 inside of 2.5" and a 6th flyer 3" left of that group. Lots of unburned powder in barrel though.

What stumps me is that eveything I've ever read on the Webley indicates it's best accuracy with .454 HBRN bullets yet mine doesn't even shoot factory ammo worth a damn. Meanwhile the .452 SWC load that everyone tells me won't shoot very well shoots on par with some of the guys at the club shooting 45 target revolvers. All my loads have been with Winchester large pistol primers and new hornady brass. I have not slugged/cast my bore though. Anyone around here have cerrosafe?
 
Try Trail Boss.
I recall shooting clay birds at 25 m consistently with this bullet (265 RCBS mould, soft alloy) and 5.2 gr Trail Boss, Mk I brass. around 670 fps.

s>
 
With blue dot I use Magnum pistol primers as its hard to get going mine likes 454 Keith style bullets to go figure. Try some mag primers with blue dot it will reduce the unburnt powder and give better groupings I'm using the same load but my bullets are 250gr
 
you don't need cerrosafe you need to use longer brass (mkI length) and a .454-.456 SWC. The MKII length brass is useless at best. Too little capacity for velocity with low pressure and too much cylinder jump.

You might have read good things about the HBRN but if you search on here you'll find as many good things said about using plain base kieth's type bullets.

If you absolutluy can't come up with mkI length brass seat your HBRN so that a couple or few lube grooves are exposed. (just don't roll them on the beach before chambering)

I put a ton of lead through mkIIs and something that I found is that 36 round groups told me alot more about both my load and my shooting then any 6 round group. Basically 9/10ths of the ugliness was my shooting (not saying that you shoot as bad as me LOL). Compared to a mkI or any other revolver with some sort of positioner on the grip a mkII is not very forgiving of grip position and tension. Hold it the exact same everytime and fire 50 rounds. You'll be pleasantly surprised. Someday I am gonna put a huge ugly set of grips on MKII and I am sure it will make a big diffrence especially in DA.

BTW Great gun! congratulations on having good taste.
 
I put a ton of lead through mkIIs and something that I found is that 36 round groups told me alot more about both my load and my shooting then any 6 round group. Basically 9/10ths of the ugliness was my shooting. A mkII is not very forgiving of grip position and tension. Hold it the exact same everytime and fire 50 rounds. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
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I won't argue that point however watching the gun print a 2.5" group like that tells me there's nothing wrong with the load (and I've done my part too). Even 5-6 at 20 yards would be more than acceptably accuracy from a 4" barrel.
 
Maybe you should slug your bore. Perhaps the difference is because you have an unusually small bore in your gun. In my Webleys, the long pointed factory style bullet is the only one that shoots well and I think it is because the Webley barrel has no coning at the breach end of the barrel.

cheers mooncoon
 
I'm fairly new to hangun shooting, but short of a few guys, Most 5 shot centerfire groups from experienced shooters at the local range are 5-6 inches at 20 yards with modern guns. What is acceptable accuracy out of a 4" Webley?
 
I'm happy to see you are having good luck with the Keith style bullets that you got from me. I have had great luck in the Webleys and in a couple of antique Colts, as well.
BTW- those bullets are .452 - 252grs, (even better) not 200gr.
 
david doyle said:
You might have read good things about the HBRN but if you search on here you'll find as many good things said about using plain base kieth's type bullets.
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I used Keith .454 bullets as well at some point with great result, HBRN haven't done anything better.

45 Schofield brass can be easily converted to Mk I length, that's what I used.

s>
 
tactical870 said:
I'm fairly new to hangun shooting, but short of a few guys, Most 5 shot centerfire groups from experienced shooters at the local range are 5-6 inches at 20 yards with modern guns. What is acceptable accuracy out of a 4" Webley?
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All my antique Keepers (my MKI** included) shoot 2 inch groups or less at 25 to 30 yds.
The thing with Webleys is if there 455 cal guns there chamber throats and bores are like .452 not .455
I was so surprised when i started measureing them.
I have a Minty MKII comeing there very hard to find now eh.
Mostly i shoot Keith SWC but the fellow i get my bullets from casts the best bullets of any i have seen anywhere.
Theres alot of trial and error trying to find which load a certin gun likes.
But i think any webley with good chambers and bore can shoot 3 inch groups or less at 25 Yds

Check your forceing cone closely make sure lead isnt building up.
 
tactical870 said:
I'm fairly new to hangun shooting, but short of a few guys, Most 5 shot centerfire groups from experienced shooters at the local range are 5-6 inches at 20 yards with modern guns. What is acceptable accuracy out of a 4" Webley?
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I have put a several hundred rounds through my MKII, and the best I can do with it is 4-5 inch groups with keith style bullets at 20 yards. I have tried all sorts of bullet, powder combos and I figure this is pretty good for a 115 year old combat pistol.

As far as modern stuff,I can easily shoot no bull#### 2-3 inch groups with my Sig 220 in 45acp(a 26 year combat pistol) and 1-2 inch groups in a friends S&W 28-2 in 38 special ,my buddy does better and sometimes can shoot just one big ragged hole ( simply amazing if you ask me since the front sight at 20 yards covers most of the center of the target).
 
I have put a several hundred rounds through my MKII, and the best I can do with it is 4-5 inch groups with keith style bullets at 20 yards. I have tried all sorts of bullet, powder combos and I figure this is pretty good for a 115 year old combat pistol.
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At least it's not just me. I put another 30 rounds downrange today with not much better results.
 
tactical870 said:
At least it's not just me. I put another 30 rounds downrange today with not much better results.
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Just think of your MKII as an equivalant to modern Glock in 40S&W your results would be similar and you would be just as satisfied :) (now I am just waiting for the Glock owner who shoots 1in groups at 75 yards to pipe in ;))
 
Tried a WG last night with same load Keith style bullets as in my MKII, my groups shrank to 2-3 inches at 20 yards from my MKII's 4-5 inch pie plate groups, what an amazing handgun.
 
apu said:
Tried a WG last night with same load Keith style bullets as in my MKII, my groups shrank to 2-3 inches at 20 yards from my MKII's 4-5 inch pie plate groups, what an amazing handgun.
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Ya my Webley MKI** has a 4 inch and 6 inch interchangeable barrel the 6 inch barrel makes a big diffrence.
 
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