.455/45acp Webley issues

O

Oleg Volk

Staff Alumnus
I'd like to verify two rumors relating to c.1915 Webleys converted to 45acp with moon clips.

1. 45acp pressure exceeds proof load for 455, therefore unsafe in the long run.

2. For best (or merely passable) accuracy, hollow base lead bullets should be used, FMJ or JHP would not be accurate.

If the above is true, what would be the best source of low-power 45acp ammo? I do not reload my own at this time.
 
I don't know of any, since .45 ACP has to have a minimum pressure level to function a M1911 type pistol. I have a good supply of .455 and my Mark VI has not been converted. If I had your gun, I would buy some of the .45 Auto Rim that is around now, shoot it in a Model 1917 (Colt or S&W), then reload (or have it reloaded) to a lower pressure level with a lead bullet for the Webley. That would get me out of the moon clip business.

Jim
 
Oleg

Light loaded .45acp is commonly called "softball" ammo designed for NRA leg matches.
Check with Remington for 185gn Targetmaster ammo, velocity is around 750fps..Roy
 
Oleg-

I dunno these days who makes it, my supply came from the Army some years ago.
When I had my Webley I located some .454 bullets and loaded them into trimmed .45 colt brass to fit the short cylinder. The .454 diameter bullets (soft lead) were much more accurate than the factory .452 acps and autorims I tryed. No commercial loaders near you?
 
Yea, the .454 works better!

Don't have a rechamberd .455 Webley, but I _do_ have a S&W
handejector with British (Canadian) proofs with a barrel marked .455... it had been rechamberd for 45Colt, snd shot poorly til I got hold of several hundred cast .454 SWC bullets.
Had to be careful with the thinwalled cases, fitting the fatter bullets, but the gun shot much tighter groups.
 
Have a Mark I with cylinder cut for 45 ar and a Enfield Mark VI with unaltered cylinder.

Do not use any factory with the Mark I, low powered factory rounds do not automatically equate to low pressure. It is very accurate with Magnus 200 gn lrnfp and light charge of Red Dot for about 680 fps.

The chamber mouths measure approximatly .447 for both pistols.

Have not shot the Enfield yet, am waiting for Buffalo's next batch of Mark II brass and haven't ordered the dies yet. Fiocchi used to market factory loaded Mark II rounds, but have not been able to locate any.
 
Hi, Alaska Roy,

For an unaltered .455, it is a simple matter to trim the forward side of the rim on .45 Colt cases and shorten the case. A better way is to trim the rim on .45AutoRim, because that gives better extraction than the small rim .45 Colt case.

But in the situation under discussion, the cylinder has been turned down to use .45 ACP with half moon clips (or .45 AR), so the use of .455 or cut down .45 Colt is out due to the excess headspace.

Unlike the Model 1917 S&W and most Model 1917 Colts, the Webley was not made for the .45 ACP, so there are no sharp shoulders in the chamber for headspace and support; clips must be used or the .45ACP will simply fall into the chamber.

Jim
 
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