Webley Cylinder Bulged

[MoscowMike]

I have been trying to get a Webley Mk VI with a cylinder shaved for .45 ACP back into shootable condition. It had a chipped hand and wouldn't reliably rotate into battery, so the gunsmith welded and reshaped the tip.

I know you need to keep to low pressure, so I built some medium loads, 4.9 gr Unique in .45 AR cases behind a 265 gr LRNHB bullet. With those hollow-base bullet I got pretty good accuracy, 2.5" at 15 yd single-action off the bench. Two of the chambers were tough to extract. The cases came about half-way out easily, but stuck and I had to work to remove them. The other four were no problem

A machinist friend of mine checked the chambers. The four which didn't have problems were about .484 from the mouth of the case on towards the forcing cone. The two that had extraction problems were also .484 at the mouth, but opened up to .487 and then back down towards the forcing cone, as if the cylinder ballooned a bit. The cylinder walls look really smooth, no machining marks. I assume that if it had been fed a steady diet of hi-pressure .45 ACP loads it might have stretched things a bit. I could try to polish the mouths on those two chambers, but I'm thinking taking them out to .487 would be asking for trouble, and if the cylinder has stretched from over pressure loads it might not be safe even with lower pressure handloads.

Someone suggested drilling out and sleeving the existing cylinder, but I don't see enough existing thickness in the cylinder walls to do that. Anyone aware of that having been done?

I suspect my best option is to find a replacement cylinder, shaved or not.

Numrich, Apex and Northridge don't show any cylinders in stock. Any other suggestions? Aren't old guns fun?

 

[Dframe]

I agree with your assessment. That cylinder is likely unsafe. Your best bet is another cylinder but you've already looked in all the places I would have suggested. Sorry I couldn't help.

 

[natman]

I assume that if it had been fed a steady diet of hi-pressure .45 ACP loads it might have stretched things a bit.

SAAMI pressure for 455 Webley is 13,000 psi. SAAMI pressure for 45 ACP is 21,000 psi.

Any standard 45 ACP load is a high pressure load for a 455 revolver. It is common for them to shoot loose if fed 45 ACP ammo.

Once you get your new cylinder, use soft lead bullets and very mild loads.

 

[Old Fuff]

Old guns are great fun as long as you use the ammunition they were originally chambered for with appropriate pressure levels. As has been pointed out, even standard .45 ACP ammunition is more then the Webley was intended to digest.

I would seriously consider buying a .455 Webley that was in unaltered condition, but not one "converted" to use .45 ACP.

In any case I'm sorry that what happened to you did, and I hope you find an unaltered cylinder. On the good side your experience will serve as a lesson to others.

 

[tark]

Mike, I have a Webley Mk VI cylinder lying around that has been converted to 45ACP. I will GIVE it to you for free. Shoot me a PM with your address. And remember, keep those pressures very low. The 455 operates at about HALF the pressure of a 45ACP.

 

[tark]

Just finished checking that cylinder, all systems go.... Seems to be in good shape, just a little worn. (Finish wise) I forgot to mention it will come with the ejector star and spring.

It has been lying around the house for years. I have no use for it, it is yours.

 

[orionengnr]

Now that is THR at its finest.
A true gentleman.

 

[MoscowMike]

I am astonished.

Thank you very much.

PM coming your way.

 

[rcmodel]

Tark

My hat is off to you sir.

Very Well done!!

rc

 

[BBBBill]

Hooray for Tark! Paying it forward. Way to set a good example for others.

 

[tark]

Oh...stop it! I got the bloody cylinder for nothing (It came in a box of mixed parts that was given to me) and I'm not gonna sell something to a fellow shooter in need. Something I got for free. The satisfaction of helping a person in need is more than payment enough.

Who trained Yoda?

 

[tark]

Got your PM, Mike. Cyl. will be on the way tomorrow.

 

[Coyote3855]

Tark rocks! Good man.

 

[Nom de Forum]

Oh...stop it! I got the bloody cylinder for nothing (It came in a box of mixed parts that was given to me) and I'm not gonna sell something to a fellow shooter in need. Something I got for free. The satisfaction of helping a person in need is more than payment enough.

Who trained Yoda?

Sorry, that is a request I cannot comply with. In our increasingly narcissistic, selfish, and greedy World your act of altruism deserves an abundance of attaboys.

 

[Dframe]

I agree. FAR too many greedy self centered types around nowadays. Makes you stand out Tark!

 

[tark]

If you must.....I still wanna know who trained Yoda! I'll have my son ask Gorge next time they meet.

 

[tark]

How about "GEORGE?"

 

[Ron James]

Gosh, I thought every one knew that the Hysalrian Jedi Master N'Kata Del Gormo trained Yoda

 

[tark]

Thanks Ron. Now....oops off topic! My favorite load for the old Webley's is black powder! Makes a great roar and a cloud of impressive smoke, too. When finished I just dip the whole gun in soapy water, clean, rinse and dry with a hair dryer. Then I spray everything with WD40 and wipe clean. Only takes a few minutes. I load 250 gr 45 colt bullets.

 

[MoscowMike]

I'll have to try the black powder route sometime - do my Michael Caine impression. I found a man in Pennsylvania who casts the correct hollow base bullets for the Webley, 265 gr RN and 250 FP which should work fine with low-pressure smokeless loads.

It will be fun to have this up and running. For the last several years every time I thought about buying one the price was higher, so when I ran into this one on Gunbroker without a bunch of motivated bidders, I was happy to get it for a moderate price.

Then the chipped hand problem came up, and this business with the bulged cylinder. Tark's generous offer will keep the budget from getting too out of line!

Now we'll just have to see if the replacement cylinder takes much hand fitting, and get it back out to the range.

Once that's done I'll try to figure out why the trigger jumps forward when you pull the hammer back past the single action notch. Not sure if there is a hammer stop that needs to re-built or if there's a single action problem.

And of course I need to get a period holster.

Aren't old guns fun!

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/20...ents-webley-revolver-renames-charges-us-2000/

 

[tark]

Mike, I have a lot of parts for that Webley . you can have them all, they were in a box of parts which included the entire gun. The barrel was badly bulged and the frame was not too well off, either. I can't legally send you the frame, and the barrel is junk, but I'll give you everything else. The only missing part will be one of the grips, which was cracked in two.

To repeat myself, I got all of this stuff for free and I have no use for it. If you want to do me a favor, keep your eye out for some .32 Rimfire and let me know if you find any. I have a nice Remington #2 rolling block that I can't shoot.

I am happy......now I know who trained Yoda!

 

[tark]

Read your post#20, Mike. You will find a hammer, a trigger and a hand in the parts I sent. Might get the old girl shooting again. You shouldn't have any trouble with fitting the cyl.. It should drop right in. Changing it takes all of about thirty seconds and a coin. I popped it on my Webley and fired off six rounds yesterday. Worked just fine, all six rounds ejected easily.

Glad to help a fellow shooter.

John

 

[MoscowMike]

The Webley parts got here yesterday, and the replacement cylinder does drop right in. It seems to be a touch misaligned when the trigger is pulled back, so as Tark was generous enough to include the rest of the innards, I took it apart and used the trigger, hand and hammer from the donor revolver.
Looks better now, might still be slightly misaligned with the barrel, but the single-action overcocking problem is gone.

Now I need to get it out to the range and see how it shoots!

 

[tark]

Should shoot fine, Mike. Just remember that those old Webleys will shoot about 6-8" at twenty five yards on a GOOD day. They aren't target guns!! And they lock up when the trigger is pulled, not when the hammer is cocked. My gun's cylinder is horribly loose and wobbly, until the trigger is pulled. All of the slop goes away before the hammer falls. That's the way they are designed.
I think you will have a grand time this weekend.

 

[olafhardtB]

British topbreaks

I went through a spell of top break lust. A guy came into a gun show with an Enfield tanker which I bought for $160.00. It has different serial numbers in different places. It is stamped RHKP which I take to mean Royal Hong Kong Police. There are proof marks all over it most of which are buffed partially out. I think it is the epitome of cool. It shoots good too! Don't want to hijack this thread I just thought I would join in.