redbone
Member
You are not evil. You saved that Webley from a lifetime of pawnshopitis.
I have no plans to alter this revolver. If I wish to shoot a revolver with 45AR or 45ACP I will just use one of my Colt 1917s.Try Clymer's Reamers -- they may have a reamer for the .45 Auto Rim that will cut a recess, allowing the .45 AR to headspace properly in the Webley.
Out of curiosity, I clicked on the link in post #13 for the Fiocchi 455 Webley ammo. The specs on that page list the ammo as 262 grains at 850 feet per second. If true, that would make those loads more powerful than standard 45ACP ball ammo.
I thought 455 Webley was significantly slower than that, and a little google research indicates that about 700 feet per second would be expected. I am guessing that the listed specs are incorrect, or maybe the ammo was tested using a long barrel.
Anyone have thoughts on expected ballistics for 455 Webley ammo? And has anyone ever tested or chronographed the Fiocchi loads?
I don't think you're a thief. They probably paid 12 bucks for it. They wouldn't have sold it to you if they didn't make a sizable profit. Cool revolver!Some one had cleaned up the barrel a little, but I wanted it for my collection so, I asked if they could work on the price. I know that I am evil for asking but it never hurts to try. I was told that I could have it for $300. I said I would take it if that was the price out the door. Would you believe that they said OK. I know, I'm a bad man and a thief.
Someone correct me if you will as I can not find my Nonte book on cartridge conversions, but my understanding is that one can make very usable .455 Webley by trimming back .45 Long Colt cases. Don't start on the Long Colt thing, I said that to be sure to differintiate as we have been mentioning .45 ACP and .45 AR.....and there was a time when boxes were so marked. I would bet the old Lyman Hollow base 175 grain .454 cast bullet would make great ammo for these as well, if you could find the molds. Just for plinking one might try one of the Round ball bullets used in ".44 cal" BP revolvers.
-kBob
The .455 Webley is one of several rounds that differ from the .45 Colt in three ways:
1. Case length
2. Rim thickness
3. Pressure.
If you have a Colt New Service or S&W Hand Ejector in .455 Webley, or any of those other British .45 cartridges, you can rent a reamer from Clymer that will solve your problems. It will move the throat forward, so the chamber will accept a .45 Colt cartridge. Once you've done that, you can use the reamer's cutting shoulder. With the chamber at the proper depth, you can SLOWLY and CAREFULLY cut a recess for the rim (which will be less than 0.03" deep) that will allow you to fire .45 Colt ammunition in your gun.
I do not know if Clymer offers a reamer that merely cuts the recess, so you can modify a Webley for the thicker Colt rim, and trim .45 Colt brass to the proper length. Maybe someone who has a .455 Webley might have enough interest to call and ask.
Very cool. A Webley modified to .45 Colt would make a great bear gun if loded with Buffalo Bore hard cast +P loads.
Just from memory, the .455 Webley is about 200 fps slower. If that round is driving a bullet that heavy that fast, I would NOT shoot it in a Webley.
The gun in the photo is a military production... you can see the British War Dept. (WD) broad arrow marks in several places... on the right side the double arrow ( -><- ) shows it was sold out of WD inventory. The photos show other WD broad arrow ( -> ) marks on the back strap and other places... if you look around you will probably find more... Brits liked to put marks on guns.
It is possible your revolver whilst being a WD procurement was never actually issued. Officers often bought their own side arms out of WD stocks... perhaps at a concessionary price...Up to WWI (and after) British officers purchased their own revolvers... It was not considered necessary to arm officers with sidearms in those days as they were expected to lead their troops using sword or simply their swagger stick!!!
This of course didn't last at all long, and even as early as the Maadist wars in Sudan and the suppression of the Zulu uprising and the Boar Wars in South Africa British officers were arming themselves... Subaltern Winston Churchill for example carried a Mauser Broom Handle. Not surprisingly Webley revolvers were much favored by British officers, probably in no small part because of ammo availability... by WWI big Smith & Wesson and Colt's revolvers chambered for .455 had achieved some little popularity. Officers also favored such giant sidearms as the Webley-Forsbury Automatic revolvers and the .455 Webley Automatics. By WWI Colt's was making a .455 Webly Auto version of the Colt's 1911.
That is a very nice old gun... looks to be in good shape... hope you enjoy it ...
For what it is worth, this outfit advertises they still have Fiocchi .455 Webley in stock...
I think British officers always had pistols, from the time they came into wide use. You can see their saddle holsters in paintings. One of Maj. Pitcairn's pistols may have fired the Shot Heard Around the World.
By the Crimean War in the 1850's, revolvers by Colt (M-1851 Navy) and by Adams and Tranter were popular, although the .36 Colt was sometimes found lacking in stopping power during the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857.
Prior to buying his famous Mauser C-96, Churchill wore a Wilkinson-Webley .455 and in1915, he bought a Colt .45 auto before leaving to the war in France. During WWII, as Prime Minister, he often wore this .45 under his coat and the outline shows distinctly in a pc of him in a white suit in Yalta or in the Middle East.. This gun is a commercial .45 ACP, not a .455. Colt also presented him with a .45 Commander about 1950.
I believe these guns and others were in possession of the Churchill family at the time the terrible gun law of 1997 passed. I doubt that the Churchills can own them now, so they're probably in museums. The Mauser is believed to be in the hands of a private collector, who wishes to remain anonymous.
Some years ago, Man at Arms did an article on four Churchill pistols, allowed by the then Lord Churchill. It was very interesting. A British friend sent me a news article last year showing Lord Churchill holding a flintlock pistol that had belonged to John Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough, the victor of the Battle of Blenheim. A pair of these antique pistols still remain in family hands, being too old to be covered under the grim 1997 gun control act. Judging from the photos these pistols have been well cared for.
BTW, the future Sir Winston Churchill, KG, etc., was born in Blenheim Palace, a gift of the nation to John Churchill after Blenheim. If you haven't seen this place, look up photos. You'll be impressed! One thing that you may ask is, who cuts the grass here?! The HVAC bills must be enormous, and the place must take a number of servants to run.
https://swfa.com/catalog/product/view/id/101201/category/11766/
Hope you enjoy your gun it is a real classic...
V/r
Chuck
Chuck SWEA is where I bought my box of ammo from. I was going to order two boxes, but all they had in stock at the time was one. they must have just gotten in some more.That is a very nice old gun... looks to be in good shape... hope you enjoy it ...
For what it is worth, this outfit advertises they still have Fiocchi .455 Webley in stock...
https://swfa.com/catalog/product/view/id/101201/category/11766/
Hope you enjoy your gun it is a real classic...
V/r
Chuck
Chuck SWEA is where I bought my box of ammo from. I was going to order two boxes, but all they had in stock at the time was one. they must have just gotten in some more.
I have three other British revolvers in my collection. Two are Enfield No2 ** in 38/200 and the other is a S&W Victory Mod. (British Proof Marks) , but was reworked after WWII by Parker Hale. It has a Parker Hale front sight and was refinished with a deep blue finish. The odd thing about the S&W is that all the numbers are matching, the barrel is marked 38 S&W CTG, but it is chambered in 38 Spl. The bore is the correct diameter for 38 Spl.
So how come no one uses the .38/200 today?Some say the .455 was this awesome man stopper, and the .38/200 was not good. Rubbish mate. Rubbish. The .38/200 was JUST FINE with the original 200 grain lead bullet. Had quite a thump on to it. With good shot placement, it was the equal to the .455 in effectiveness.
So how come no one uses the .38/200 today?