September 20, 2011, 04:10 PM | #26 |
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The .455 Colt was also known as the .455 Eley , a different round than the .455 Webley. It was longer (1.388 OAL-.885 case length) , with a few grains heavier bullet.
I have a 1918 Colt New Service in .455 Eley. Ya can shoot the shorter .455 Webley (1.227 OAL-.748 case length) with no problems other than a different point of impact. Last edited by mkk41; September 20, 2011 at 05:45 PM. |
September 20, 2011, 05:47 PM | #27 | |
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September 20, 2011, 06:21 PM | #28 |
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hello there were two .455 and .455 self Loading [ auto], the great thing you can learn on the net, rabbit
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September 20, 2011, 06:28 PM | #29 |
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The Brits are even more confusing than us Yanks.
There's the .455 Eley = .455 Colt = .455 Enfield = .455 Revolver Mk.I Then there's the.455 Webley Mk.II revolver , and the .455 Webley Automatic. And there's great info in that wonderful book , Barnes Cartridges of the World! Last edited by mkk41; September 20, 2011 at 06:36 PM. |
September 20, 2011, 11:55 PM | #30 |
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Note of caution. It seems unlikely given the rarity of the .455 Automatic cartridge, but do NOT fire them in a .455 revolver. They will work because the .455 Auto is semi-rimmed, but the pressure is a lot higher than .455 revolvers were designed for. The British War Department put out a notice on the subject at one time.
On much the same subject, if you have one of those .455 Webleys (Mks I-VI) that were converted to use .45 ACP with moon clips, DO NOT fire standard or mil spec .45 ACP or any heavier .45 ACP load in it. Some of those guns have blown with normal .45 ACP GI ammo. In spite of the Webley lovers, even the Mk VI is not the strongest revolver in the world or anywhere near it. So don't blow one of those old timers trying to prove it is. Also, the often-made statement that the Colt autos made for the .455 Auto are identical to the .45 ACP gun. Not true, even the frames are different to take the wider magazines, and barrels and slides are different. Jim |
September 21, 2011, 09:16 AM | #31 | |
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September 21, 2011, 10:44 AM | #32 |
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Yep, that is what Colt marked them. Without a time machine, I doubt we will ever know why. Note that a .455 magazine is wider than a .45 ACP magazine and won't fit in the .45 ACP pistol.
At a gun show a couple of years ago, I mentioned that to a dealer who had a .455 magazine on his table. He called me "a dumb [color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color]" and said they were the same. He picked up a .45 ACP pistol and tried to put the .455 magazine in it. It wouldn't go. Then he hammered the mag on the table, then on the floor, bending the lanyard loop and the base plate lip. He finally got it almost in, turned to me (I was standing there, horror struck) and said, triumphantly, "See, dummy, it fits." I walked away shaking my head at a fool who would ruin a $150 magazine because he was too stupid to concede a point. Jim |
September 21, 2011, 07:18 PM | #33 |
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Hornaday is now manufacturing 455 Webley MKII ammo.
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September 23, 2011, 01:43 PM | #34 |
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hi yes 30-30 horday is making standard .455 amoo , but not the .455 auto
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September 24, 2011, 03:28 AM | #35 |
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Bit of a PITA, but .455 Self Loading can be easily made by trimming back .45 Colt cases, cutting an extractor groove and thinning and turning the rims down a bit.
Generally it is best to fire them in a wide open area with a brass spotter, though. |
September 24, 2011, 11:39 AM | #36 |
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Hi, Gyvel,
What kind of bullet did you use? I did the same thing with cases, but I had a problem and never did really solve it. The .455 Auto bullet that is outside the case is almost a round ball, and I couldn't get bullets that would seat properly yet be within the COAL. Of course, regular .45 ACP with the bullets seated deeper will work in both the .455 Colt and the Webley because the extractor will hold the case, but that is not really the way to go. Jim |
September 25, 2011, 11:45 PM | #37 |
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I'll have to dig out my old Lyman book to get the number, but, if I recall, I used a 200 grain lead round nose of theirs. The rounds worked well enough, but I was rewarded with a cracked grip and an hour long hunt for the brass. LOLL
Regarding .45 ACP, I have only had success using the naval auto as a single shot, since, as you pointed out, the OAL is lionger than the .455 |
September 26, 2011, 12:05 AM | #38 |
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I said earlier that I didn't know why Colt called the cartridge(s) the .455 Eley instead of the .455 Webley. I mentioned the question to a friend yesterday and his reply may be the answer. He said that Eley didn't make guns, only ammo, and that Colt never would put the name of a competitor, even a foreign one, on its guns.
Jim |
September 26, 2011, 05:56 AM | #39 |
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That would make sense^^^^^^^^^^.
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October 14, 2011, 02:37 PM | #40 | ||
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October 14, 2011, 03:31 PM | #41 |
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What looks like an X with a line through it is actually an ENGLISH military property marks - the BROAD ARROWs facing each other meeting at the points. This is the standard mark when a former military accepted piece is put up or released for surplus resale.
IMG_0616.jpg Last edited by 32 Magnum; October 16, 2011 at 06:15 PM. |
November 26, 2011, 09:14 PM | #42 |
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Old Fiocchi .455 ammunition I had used to split the cases easily. I hope their cases are better these days. Modern Hornady brass should be good.
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