Webley Mark 6

[majorminor]

Hi there,

I have just acquired a Webley Mark 6, 1918, Mark 2 cartridge, vgc.

I have brass (Hornady), primers and lead.

Does anyone have reliable reload data for this?

Many thanks.

 

[Roadkill]

Go easy on it. I have one that's relegated to wall hanger cause I ran it too hot. Load was fine in all my other .45s but too much for it. Its a complicated and surprisingly delicate gun to look so tough. And welcome to the forum.

 

[tekarra]

Hello Majorminor and welcome to the forum.
Keep the loads light and enjoy that old girl.

 

[Jesse Heywood]

Here are some I tried shooting in a 45 LC.

www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=523117
www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=516558

Loads for the 455 Eley are very similar to the 45 Schofield and 45 Autorim. Ken Water's Pet Loads is the best source for data.

 

[SteveW-II]

> Loads for the 455 Eley are very similar to the 45 Schofield and 45 Autorim

Those are a bit hot for the Webley. It was popular to skim the back of the cylinder so that 45acp in moon clips would fit it, but 45acp is hot for the gun.

I guess that Hornady brass would be the Mk II brass, which is shorter then Mk I. I think Mk II brass is 3/4 of an inch long, where Mk I was 7/8th so I don't have any reloading data.

I would just mention that the gun needs a soft lead hollow base bullet to shoot well. The exit diameter of the cylinder chambers is .450" to .451" and the barrel is .455"ish. The hollow base allows the bullet to expand to grip the rifling. 45acp bullets (.451 to .452) don't get much of a grip after being sized down by the cylinder throats. While that all sounds weird, the gun was expected to fire 450 Adams, 476 Eley or 455 Webley, depending on what was in stock in your part of the Empire at the time.

There are 2 popular moulds out there. RCBS and NEI. I prefer the NEI as the lube groves on the RCBS are hard to cast well unless using a lot of tin in the lead alloy.

Have a good time with it !

 

[56hawk]

I just started reloading for a Mark IV. The LEE dies I bought have load data, but it's pretty limited. Well below starting loads for most 45 ACP or 45 Auto Rim data by the way. What bullet weight and powder are you using?

 

[majorminor]

Many thanks all, caution is the watchword.

 

[SteveW-II]

You are looking for a 265 grain soft lead bullet to clock 630fps.

Just as a guide, that is IPSC power factor ((265*630)/1000) = 166 which is just about major.

45 acp would be ((230 * 820)/1000) = 188.

 

[RandyP]

All the reviews I've read on the Mark VI mention how over built and stout the thing is. Nearly three and a half pounds loaded? Obviously you should not be reloading to some kind of Casull levels - lol - but it need not be loaded to mouse-farts either.

After all, the thing was in full military service for nearly50 years from 1915 through 1963 and was the most powerful top break revolver ever made.

 

[SteveW-II]

I will say again, 265 gr bullet at 630fps. Dunno if that is considered mouse fart, but if you push it too far the chamber walls bulge into the into the 'locking slots' cut into the outside of the cylinder. Then the brass won't eject without you pounding it out and subsequent rounds will stick brass in that chamber as well. Ask me how I know.

The 455 was replaced between the wars with the 38/200 which was indeed a mouse fart gun. That was then replaced by the Browning Hi Power. RandyP's dates are way off.

Its big and heavy and made of mild steel. Hardly heat treated and cheap to make in quantity.