wobley webley

[JHC II]

Keep the info coming boys, yup the 38 is an enfield. I have managed to buy one box that should entertain me for 1/2 of an hour then the problem begins. Furthermore the 455 is an absolutely a gem. I have some brass but am going to have to buy dies which I know are going to be worth there weight in gold, but heres the big problem I am not a bullet caster is there anyone out there who sells odd ball bullets. Buying 455 ammo seem to be heads up hockey everything from 50.00 to 125.00 per box no offence but ammo just aint worth that.

Last but not least I have seen 455s that have a longer case is that a different variation of case?

[GrantRCanada]

JHC:

Welcome to the .455 club! (I now own 9 revolvers chambered for .455!)

.455 Webley cartridges come in two case lengths - max. OAL 0.870" (Mark I) and max. OAL 0.760" (Mark II). The longer .455 Mk I cartridge was a black powder load to begin with. After the British switched to cordite loads, they discovered that they got better/more consistent ignition and performance with a slightly shorter case ... that is the Mk II cartridge. However, all British .455 service revolvers, up to and including the last model (the Mark VI), were chambered to accept either the Mk I or Mk II cartridge.

Also, the most common brass you may discover floating around in this country will be marked .455 Colt, which is essentially a North American commercial version of the Mk I Webley cartridge. Most of my brass is Dominion .455 Colt .....

As for loading dies - do not despair! Lee Precision make a very good, affordable set of dies for .455 Webley. Should be able to order a set from Wholesale Sports, or whoever ...

Bullets - if you can find someone to supply you with 250 gr. bullets for .45 Colt - preferably in a soft alloy (so they will "bump up"), and ideally sized to .454 (or larger) they will do quite nicely. That is exactly what I used for quite a while, but when I got my third or fourth .455 revolver, I finally broke down and bought a limited production RCBS mould which casts a very close copy of the 265 gr. hollowbase Webley .455 bullet - and my reloads are now virtually indistinguishable from original factory loads ....




Below (left to right) -
- .455 Mark II cartridge - factory load
- .455 Mark I cartridge - factory load (actually a Dominion .455 Colt)
- one of my reloads using bullet from above mould, in a Dominion .455 case.
- another reload, but in an adapted .45 Colt case (shortened, rim thinned from the front) ....

[Claven2]

Keep the info coming boys, yup the 38 is an enfield. I have managed to buy one box that should entertain me for 1/2 of an hour then the problem begins. Furthermore the 455 is an absolutely a gem. I have some brass but am going to have to buy dies which I know are going to be worth there weight in gold, but heres the big problem I am not a bullet caster is there anyone out there who sells odd ball bullets. Buying 455 ammo seem to be heads up hockey everything from 50.00 to 125.00 per box no offence but ammo just aint worth that.

Last but not least I have seen 455s that have a longer case is that a different variation of case?

Lee makes both dies sets for cheap As for .455 bullets, you don;t haveto use the original hollow-based bullet. Lee sells several appropriate molds, as does RCBS. Virtually any cast lead bullet for the .45LC can be made to work, but conical hollow-based bullets will give best results.

[Claven2]

Speaking of which - I need to buy another .455!

[woodchopper]

Speaking of which - I need to buy another .455!

leave some for the rest of us would you