A ? for the gurus

[Jim]

The cylinder on my .45 Colt new service revolver is bored straight through and is longer than a .454 Casull case. Can I turn a .452-255-SWC upside down and use it as a wadcutter with a light load in a .454 Casull case?

Thanks,
Jim

[45nut]

I see a problem with having 454 Casull cases in that gun,,somebody might see "454" and drop a real live one in that gun thinking one is like any other. That would hurt amigo. turn your back once and it could be over. use some 45 auto rim or 45acp with 1/2 moons.
My 1917 Colt wont take a full moon clip since the ejector star is oversized vs my S&W
but the 1/2 moons work great and give me and instant clue on appropriate ammo for each.

[Nueces]

Jim, if I may guess, I think you're interested in giving your boolits a better ride to the bore than that straight chamber allows, am I right?

You can have it without the fate-tempting that 45nut cautions about, by using cut-down 7.62x54R Russian cases. They can be made full cylinder length, but will require some machining on the rim diameter and most likely the thickness. A bit of head diameter shaving may also be necessary. Relevant published case dimensions are, for the 45 Colt and the 7.72: head 0.480, 0.485, rim diameter 0.512, 0.567, rim thickness 0.060, 0.063.

I've used 'em for cylinder-length 45 Colt shot loads, and did the initial size research with range brass. Hope you have fun with this.

Mark

[45 2.1]

The cylinder on my .45 Colt new service revolver is bored straight through and is longer than a .454 Casull case. Can I turn a .452-255-SWC upside down and use it as a wadcutter with a light load in a .454 Casull case?

Thanks,
Jim

This question depends entirely on which caliber it actually is. Do you have a 45 Colt or a 45 Auto Rim/45 ACP? Headspace on either cartridge is quite different.

[Buckshot]

"You can have it without the fate-tempting that 45nut cautions about, by using cut-down 7.62x54R Russian cases. They can be made full cylinder length, but will require some machining on the rim diameter and most likely the thickness. A bit of head diameter shaving may also be necessary."

Enco has the 7x10" lathe on sale this month for $399 :-)

................Buckshot

[MGySgt]

"

Enco has the 7x10" lathe on sale this month for $399 :-)

................Buckshot

Tempting - Real Tempting - but I already have enough Tools I don't have room to use!.

Drew

[Lloyd Smale]

werent some of those cut to .455 eley by the britts and found there way back here? Could be what you have. Someone might have done a backyard rechambering on a 45 colt and it found its way back here.

[Nueces]

That little thing? Fits right on top of a toilet tank. You'll get used to sittin' backwards.

One member here might have derived his forum handle from this practice. :mrgreen:

Mark


Tempting - Real Tempting - but I already have enough Tools I don't have room to use!.

Drew

[Bret4207]

I wonder if it's a 45 Colt or 45ACP too. If an ACP you can do the long case idea with 308/30'06, if a 45 Colt I wonder if the brass 410 shotshells wouldn't
work?

[Jim]

I put the barrel under a powerful magnifying glass last night and with a small pen light, you can see it: .455 ELEY. Call it whatever chambering you want, the bottom line is, it's bored straight through.
So, back to my original question: Can I invert a 255 gr. SWC and seat it flush in a .454 Casuul case with a light load for target shooting? Hmmm?

Jim

[Nueces]

Sure, that'll work.

But these direct answers sure are boring....[smilie=1:

Mark

[45nut]

I still wouldn't use 454 cases. maybe you can scratch ! #NOT# ! in front of the 454 headstamps.
I just think bad things about 454 cases in non 454 capable guns.
call me scared...but not scarred because I don't put 454's in old Colts.

[Dale53]

Before you do ANYTING with the Colt New Service, try shooting the regular .455 Webley ammo in the revolver. You might not have a problem at all. I am not suggesting factory ammo, as that will be somewhat hard to find and probably very expensive. What I am suggesting is finding some good brass in .455 Webley and load it (conservatively) and try it. Might work pretty dern good.

Dale53

[Dale53]

Follow up;
.455 Webley Mk II cases are $.36 each and $28.00 per hundred. I suspect that the first thing I would do is to buy a hundred cases and see. Here is the source:

http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,3862.htm

Good luck!
Dale53

[Lloyd Smale]

may have guessed the problem but i dont know about your question. If i were mine id probably get a cast impression of one of the holes and compare it to the dimentions of the 45 colt and ely. Maybe someone could look it up for you in a cartidges of the world book too. I even know what the barrel dimentions were on them but id about doubt they were set up for 452 bullets. I also dont know about rim thickness of the rounds and if the 454s or 45s would even allow the cylinder to rotate.

[leftiye]

Slug the barrel too?

[45 2.1]

Since you have 455 Eley on the barrel, I would check the headspace. The Eley is really a short version of the 45 Colt/454 case with a thinner rim. It will depend on whether the back of the cylinder has been turned for the 45 Colt rim to fit. If you can chamber the 45 colt case, close the cylinder and turn it you will be ok with the 454 case and your project. If it doesn't close and turn, it is still a 455 Eley in which the 455 Webley brass (a shorter version of the 455 Eley/Colt/Mark1) will fit and shoot. To use 454 brass in that case you would need to thin the rim from the front till it did fit and turn.
The 455 Eley in unaltered condition is a prize in itself in the New Service, please don't alter it. RCBS makes a dandy 265 gr. hollow base mold that is perfect for the cartridge.

[S.R.Custom]

I put the barrel under a powerful magnifying glass last night and with a small pen light, you can see it: .455 ELEY. Call it whatever chambering you want, the bottom line is, it's bored straight through.
So, back to my original question: Can I invert a 255 gr. SWC and seat it flush in a .454 Casuul case with a light load for target shooting? Hmmm?

Jim
Sure. But you won't like it. (BTDT years ago.) Those Eley barels slug at something like .457", and a typical .45 revolver bullet won't even engage the rifling. We're talking keyhole crazy...

The only way you're going to make that gun serviceable is to find some of those 246 gr. hollow base Webley bullets. Or a mold to make 'em...