Webley MkVI and .45ACP

Not having to worry about attacking velociraptors, I see no reason to use hot loads. The 650fps load made a lot of good germans in two wars.
Perhaps you need to buy one of those .500 S&W's to make sure the bullets go through those tough paper targets.
In addition, I see no reason to drop the value of a Webley by reaming the cylinder while .455 brass is available.
 
Just because you see no reason doesnt meen i dont have one ;)

Velociraptors :D Well your close just out by a couple hunderd million years!

650 FPS loads are great for paper.
 
Last edited:
Buffalo Arms (Google them for their website) makes cases out of .45Colt cases.

Cases and cast bullets (265grain Hollow Base Round Nose) are available from Shooter's Den of Sudbury ON, tel (705) 522 2772
 
I would love to show you the Mk6 that was in the showcase of a local gun store. Unfortunately they shut down last month.
Half of the cylinder was still there, but the top strap was history.
Just because nothing has let go, doesn't mean it won't in the future, and they ain't making them anymore.
 
Dingus what you're doing is DANGEROUS!!!!!

You dont know What im doing! thats obvious.

I have no presure issues as the cases extract easy.
Im useing a adapted MKVI as in MK 6 cylinder not a MKI cylinder ;)

If you think thats Dangerous theres lots of webley MKVIs converted to shoot the 45 colt cartridge they converted S&Ws that were 455 as well.
The S&Ws were even SOLD that way theres old Adds in mags showing this.

In the april 1952 American Rifleman page 49 theres a Great artical by
Dan Dwyer 455s convert to 45 long colt shows how to make a reamer to recut 455 cylinder to the longer cased thicker rimed 45 colt.
(I know its better to leave them orignal for collectable reasons)
But some used guns includeing mine dont have matching parts Ect to start with. + mine still shoots all the 455 i want.

The Adapted webley cylinder is to short to accept the Factory loaded 45 colt ammo.
But by seating the Keith 250 gr Bullet deeper in the case crimped over the shoulder of the last band of the bullet they work great.

I would not try any of this unless your and experienced handloader tho!
So if your a klutz homer type of person dumping in to much powder ect yes i guess it could be Dangerous but that goes with any cartridge reloading :D
 
Last edited:
The S&W were a solid frame revolver so yes the frame was stronger but the Cylinder is the frist thing to Fail well the Cartridge case is, then the cylinder.
Go have a close look at a MKVI 455 Cylinder some time.

Any gun can be blowin up i could blow up a cylinder tomorrow take pictures and scare the crap outa alot of people if i wanted two with a big load of bullseye.
If your a good reloader what im doing is complety safe im only getting 900 to 1000 FPS not the 1200 FPS loads keith talks about.
The webley Latch screw is the week point on the gun! where it comes thru on the right hand side. and mine are holding up very good. I do check on them once in awhile.



Keith writes the 45 colt 2400 hunting loads are OK in the Old SAA colts. and also the 455 Webley MKVIs that are Properly adapted.
Dont forget 2400 has a slow presure curve simalar to B.P.

Hey He was there ;) Who am i to argue with old Elmer keith.
He blew up a Cylinder or two so really tested the limits of things.
Id take what he writes as serious and think the guy Knows his stuff!

He still had all his fingers and a big set of Balls to compared to alot folks today thats for certin! :nest: :D
 
Last edited:
The S&W were a solid frame revolver so yes the frame was stronger but the Cylinder is the frist thing to Fail well the Cartridge case is, then the cylinder.
Go have a close look at a MKVI 455 Cylinder some time.

Any gun can be blowin up i could blow up a cylinder tomorrow take pictures and scare the crap outa alot of people if i wanted two with a big load of bullseye.
If your a good reloader what im doing is complety safe im only getting 900 to 1000 FPS not the 1200 FPS loads keith talks about.
The webley Latch screw is the week point on the gun! where it comes thru on the right hand side. and mine are holding up very good. I do check on them once in awhile


Keith writes the 45 colt 2400 hunting loads are OK in the Old SAA colts. and also the 455 Webley MKVIs that are Properly adapted.
Dont forget 2400 has a slow presure curve simalar to B.P.

Hey He was there ;) Who am i to argue with old Elmer keith.
He blew up a Cylinder or two so really tested the limits of things.
Id take what he writes as serious and think the guy Knows his stuff!

He still had all his fingers and a big set of Balls to compared to alot folks today thats for certin! :nest: :D


Elmer got away with lots of stuff that would have most folks holding bloody stumps. That doesn't make it right.

so you think firing proof loads in your webley is a good idea? 900-1000 fps?
The hottest SERVICE load in a Webley was 700fps and the mk6 round (the last adopted) was 620fps.
I see NO REASON to push the design limits. Note, Good 'ole Elmer didn't shoot Webleys. and "blowin up cylinders" doesn't strike me as a very good idea even if Elmer done it and got away with all his body parts intact.:rolleyes:

Oh by the way, those same S&W cylinders were ORIGINALY IN .45 L.C, and .45ACP so they were DESIGNED for those rounds. .455 was simply a different chambering.
 
Last edited:
Yes but your just saying 900 FPS or 1000 FPS loads are Proof loads.

Your not looking at the CUP which is the important thing.
And my Webley is Adapted like lots were to shoot 45 Colt you are not reading my entire posts i guess.
But keep going on about 455 Proof loads.
455 is a shorter case than the 45 schofield or 45 colt.

The only Cylinders Keith blew up were ones he Rechambered leaveing the cylinder walls to thin, like makeing a 44 Special into a 45 Colt Ect. and some Double powder Loads in another.

If i was useing Unique to get the 1000 FPS load i would agree with you 100%

BUT im useing 2400 which has a much lower presure curve and thats what Keith was useing to.

Just going by the FPS is pointless. Its what presure your creating to get the FPS that counts. ;)

Theres other smokeless powders like 5744 there guys in Canada shooting +800 FPS Loads with 256 Gr Keith bullets in the 44 Russian.

5744 has a even lower presure curve than 2400.

I would not put it past some Colt or S&W Seller in the USA to Blow up a surplus English made Webley on purpose that at the time were cheep like Borsh so more people would be Scared into buying the S&W and old Colts!
I have seen alot of guys shoot diffrent loads in Canada in Webley MKVIs and i never seen even one that had a Buldged Chamber never mind Blowin up and entire gun.

Reaming a chamber slightly deeper so it can take a longer case dont weaken the Cylinder. Them MKVIs have long Chamber throats.
If you made the side walls thinner then yes its weaker.
A longer case like a 45 Schofield or 45 colt spreads the presure over a larger area. Puts the Bullet closer to the forceing cone increases accuracy.
Id bet money my MKVI cylinder is as strong a cylinder as ANY Triple lock S&W in 45 colt.

In any case i dont give a rats ass what anyone else does.
I enjoy my guns the way i like.

Saying what im doing is Dangerous without knowing Exactly what im doing or knowning the difrence between the presure created with diffrent gun powder is just Fear Mongering!
 
Last edited:
Don't mean to fear monger
I'm worried that a newb will try to reload to these velocities without understanding copper units of pressure or the PSI factor.

What pressures are you running at that velocity Dingus?
 
OK well if a Newby gets a MKVI Webley and just loads her up Dumps in a more than max Load without any reading or studying of reloading books and lets her go! that persons a idiot!

Well im pushing 20,000 cups on my Max loads! With NO ill efects and no signs of stress.
Easy case extraction.
No primer flowing!
They were max loads tho most of my loads are like 15000 CUPs

Keith said in one part of his book Six guns under Cartridge Reloading! Working up special loads!
and i Quate!
* what a bunch of saps we shooters are to swallow all this advertiseing patter about modern handgun cartridges.*
This is to do with the 15000 Cups Max loads.

Im not gona get into every aspect of Reloading here! or Quate Elmer keith over and over BUT id take his word on this subject.
He explains everything WAY better than i can in his book Six guns and mentions THE safety line with any load.
But heres Another Keith Quate
* I know of one heavy duty S&W gun which i myself used for a long time in which one thousand loads were fired developeing up to 42000 pounds of presure also two single action colts handled the same heavy charges of # 80 powder for a simlar long series of shots with no damage whatever! i am not recomending that such charges be duplicated or used. i am merly stateing an actual occurance.*

Buy His book! read and enjoy!
 
Last edited:
Anyone reading this should take dingus's load preference as dangerous and not try and duplicate it in a webley.
 
Yes i agree with HITZY dont try it BECAUSE YOU DONT KNOW what MY LOAD PREFERENCE IS! LOL

I never listed MY Loads anywhere in this thread!

Oh and Elmer Keith Did to shoot 455 Webleys!

Quate from his book six guns about the 455 webley!

* and Canada loads a 260gr load for them. The British loading was a very light as to powder charge, and we have actually seen the big slug in flight many times when shooting up against the sky at some object in a tree.
it is obsolete today and hard to get in this country as our loading companys have all dropped it.
The BEST CONVERSION for these 455s is to the 45 colt.*

* A great many S&W colt and webley 455 revolvers have been rechambered for the 45 colt cartridge latley since the british has been dumping them on our markets at lower prices*
 
Last edited:
I dont know hitzy I think its ok. I tried the info in this thread for my first ever reloads. Its for a .450/.455 antique belgian bulldog, and it worked fine, I even used modern smokeless powder and an over sized bullet and it worked really good. I got some cool muzzle flashes from all the extra powder I put in. Seriously, I think you guys are over reacting.
 
If nothing else, look at it this way. You can get spares for a Colt or a S&W but the Webley factory is no longer there. If you break something, it will involve a long search and a good dent in your wallet.
Further, the factory load is pleasent to shoot. A hot load is not, unless you are a masochist. In which case buy a .500 S&W revolver.

Nobody is likely to need a Webley to stop one of Kaiser Bill's soldiers or a mujahadeen bent on going to paradise by killing an infidel.

I can't change Dingus's mind, but I will also avoid standing next to him on a firing line.
 
LOL fair enough John.

Good point about the Spare parts!

I would never shoot hot rds like that with anyone standing on either side of me!
Honestly tho there no signs of excess presure!
They are not unpleasent to shoot.
 
Someone mentioned hornady has 455 brass is this true ? I have try the #### factory loads from Italy 6 out of 50 they must have forgot the powder cause they only made it 1/2 way down the barrel not very inspiring+ dangerous.
 
Back
Top Bottom