Reloading for .455 Webley

[Kaeto]

What would be a good powder to use in a .455 Webley using either .45 acp or .45 auto rim cases and .454 dia 255 grain round nose flat point lead projectiles? My manual says Nobelpis 2 or 3 , but I never heard of that brand.

 

[MagicD]

Had good luck with Unique.
Careful loads for this round are significantly less than .45 ACP

 

[5.7Man]

I don't think 45ACP or Rim brass will work. As far as loading data goes I loaded for a 455 that I had a few years ago. I used Bulk Remington 255 Grain lead bullets that Midway sells I think they were .454 cal. I can't remember what powder/ data I used. 455 Webley is not loaded to 45ACP levels!

 

[Curator]

I use Unique (5 grains) with the Lee 452-255 FP lead bullet loaded in .45Auto-rim brass in My Webley MkIV from 1902. I have often regretted allowing my father shave the cylinder so he could use .45ACP cartridges when the Dominion .455 Webley ammo was no longer available. Still, if I keep pressures in the 12,000psi range the gun doesn't seem to mind.

 

[Kaeto]

Mine is a Mk VI and the cylinder has been shaved for .45 acp with moon clips. I plan on loading the acp brass to Webley levels. Which according to Modern Reloading is a max of 5.4 grains. When Numrich has them back in stock if they ever do I might get a replacement cylinder.

 

[Slamfire]

I would use 3.5 grains Bullseye and live with it. I tried one of those Elmer Keith loads, a 6.5 grains Unique, and it stretched the top strap. I had to use an anvil and hammer to straighten the thing back to useable shape.

That told me I ought to be using the lightest charge possible. 3.5 grains bullseye functioned the pistol and shot to point of aim. I would not use 4.0 grains though it is there for a reference.

[SIZE="3"]455 Webley MkVI  	rechambered 45ACP		
	manufactured Enfield 1923			
					
255 LSWC  (.454)   3.5 grs Bullseye  thrown, R-P AR cases, CCI300 primers
	Jun-Aug 02	T = ? °F			
Ave Vel =	541		  	 	
Std Dev =	10		 	 	
ES =	42.44		 	 	
Low =	522		 	 	
High =	565		 	 	
N =	24		 	 	
 Shot to point of aim 25.0 yards				

255 LSWC  (.454)  4.0 grs Bullseye  thrown, R-P AR cases, CCI300 primers
	20-Jan-02	T = 42 °F			
Ave Vel =	640				
Std Dev =	21				
ES =	79.1				
Low =	586				
High =	665				
N =	12				
 Shot to point of aim 25.0 yards				

250 LRN  (.454)  6.5 grs Unique  thrown, R-P Auto Rim cases, CCI300 primers
	20-Jan-02	T = 44  °F			
Ave Vel =	801				
Std Dev =	21				
ES =	79.2				
Low =	776				
High =	855				
N =	12				
2 O'C hold kept them all on target, medium recoil 	 	
Way too hot, excessive latch lift, topstrap stretched![/SIZE]

 

[rodinal220]

Most MKVIs in the USA have been cut to accept 45acp and not the original 455 round.The Brit round has a maximum chamber pressure of 13200psi in a Mark VI gun.Earlier MKs were black powder loaded 455 rounds.The American 45acp has a SAAMI spec of 21000psi,shooting 45acp out of a Webley MKVI is UNSAFE.
Load your 45acp or AR rounds to 455 specs and be nice to your old warhorse.MKV 265gr lead bullet rounds had a velocity of about 600fps

 

[Kaeto]

rodinal220 that's exactly what I plan on doing I just needed to know what was an equivalent powder to Nobelpis 2 or Nobelpis 3, because that it the powder type specified in Richard Lee's Modern Reloading.

 

[GCBurner]

According to this burn rate chart, http://www.reloadersnest.com/burnrates.asp , Nobel Pistol No. 3 is slightly slower than Bullseye, but faster than Red Dot.
It's made in France now, under the Nobel Sport brand name.

 

[Kaeto]

Now this is just the info I needed.

 

[Kosh75287]

The really cool thing about large bore revolver cartridges intended for personal defense is that the projectile needn't be pushed especially fast to be quite effective. A projectile weighing 200 grains or more, launched at 600 f/s or more is probably PLENTY strong enough to drop an Ork, unless they're wearing body armor or standing behind a substantial barricade.