Uncut 1916 Webley MK VI

[Dustin]

I just got the uncut Webley MK VI that my great grandpa brought back from Europe during WWII I have heard of using .45 colt brass cut and trimmed to .455 webley demensions. The gun has made it almost 100yrs without being cut so I do not want to cut it. Does anyone know the process of cutting and trimming .45 colt to work, what kind of tools are required, what are the best dies to use and all of that. Any help would be much appreciated thank you.

[Outpost75]

In original condition with no import marks you have a valuable collector as well as a family heirloom.

Correct Webley brass is available from Fiocchi.

Correct molds are available also from RCBS and MiHEC

You might try cutting off some .45 Colt with a simple tubing cutter, at the cannelure where the base of the lead bullet normally rests, and just try some for fit. Some of guns which saw heavy use are loose in headspace and may accept the thicker rim. If cut off .45 Colt fits and the cylinder rotates freely does not bind, you can buy the .45 Cowboy Special brass, which only needs to be trimmed a little. The cylinder binds you must either turn the rims or buy some of the Fiocchi ammo to get brass.

Keep loads mild in the top break guns. About 3.5 grains of Bullseye with a 250-grain bullet is a full charge in the longer Mk1 case, not use more than 3.0 in the shorter Mk2 case, which the Fiocchi is. Search for other threads on the .455, there are several.

[mikeym1a]

according to the 'Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions', 4th edition, 2011, page 372, the cases are made from the .45 Colt AutoRim. The rim needs to be thinned to .045 thick, trim to case length, and size '...and seat in the proper die, or use the .45ACP dies. the dimensions are:

Rim dia. - .535
Rim thickness - .045
Case head dia. - .480
Case length - .77
Case mouth dia. - .476

Hope this helps. mikey8-)

[Dustin]

thanks for the information it should help me get started

[Dustin]

Yeah I couldn't find any import marks just British proofs. The only issue is when I was a kid my dad kept the gun in his golf bag in the shed. When he finally decided to move it there was some minor pitting and he got the bright idea of taking a wire brush to it ruining the original finish. I don't know what an all original un marked Mk VI is worth but I am guessing that ruined the value. I don't plan on selling anyway so i plan on Dura coating it or maybe spend the money and have it blued. my main focus firsthand is to shoot it considering it hasn't been fired since my before my great grandpa died in the 60's.
I will more than likely buy a box of Fiocchi just to get a start. Thank you for the help.

[762 shooter]

Dustin,

I would stop the rust and leave it alone. Unless you are going to carry it concealed (joke) or compete with it in IDPA (joke 2) the pistol is what it is and not a work horse. Enjoy the pistol as an old heirloom that your Dad and Grandpa left their marks on.

If you "fix" it, it will lose some of it's charm and will not increase it's value.

Just an idea.

762

[fourarmed]

I agree with 762. After all, in another 50 years the patina will build up and you won't be able to tell the difference.

[paul edward]

Tools needed to convert .45 Colt cases to .455 Webley are: 1. A drill press with 1/2 inch chuck or a small lathe. 2. Files. 3. Tubing cutter. 4. Case trimmer. 5. Reloading dies.

If you can find them, use .45 S&W Scoffield cases as they have a larger diameter rim than do the .45 Colt cases. This will help with extraction.

Chuck the cases in the drill press or lathe and, using a file, carefully reduce the thickness of the rim from the front (not the primer pocket side) to .039" or until they fit.

Use tubing cutter to trim case back to about one inch. Then use case length trimmer (from any of several suppliers) to reduce to .886" and debur.

Load as you would any other revolver cartridge. If you can find them, Fiocci makes properly dimensioned .455 ammo that you can reload many times. And it is a lot less work than making them.

Slug the bore so you know the groove diameter. Select a cast bullet that is .001 to .002" larger. There are lots of .45 ACP and .45 Colt bullets available that might work. It might help if you can find the article Mike Venturino wrote for Handloader magazine a couple of years ago about reloading the .455 Webley.