Brass Webley .455 Mk. I, anybody interested?

[Onty]

Latest info; I just found that Starline is making shorter 455 Webley MkII brass. Well, this one is not my cup of tea, but if some shooters want it, it's available:

• 250 ($105.00)
• 500 ($194.00)
• 1000 ($372.00)

https://www.starlinebrass.com/brass-...5-Webley-MKII/

Will inform my dealer, so if he can order it, and eventually sell world wide, this could be good news for our shooters in Europe/UK, Australia and New Zealand.

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ON HOLD. I was informed that production of Webley Mk I brass could not happen in foreseeable future. Too bad, I really wanted this to materialize, but demand for existing products is so great that anything new is on hold.

Just in case, I saved complete list of potential buyers. If something changes later on, I will restart this thread.

Sorry, I tried, but odds are against us...

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I had a chat with a gentleman who is a dealer, and after informing him that there is no brass Webley .455 Mk.I (.860 long) on the market, he agreed to take a look and contact manufacturer to see if noted brass could be made. The brass will have a solid head, not old style balloon head.

This brass could be also used to load ammo for revolvers chambered in 455 Colt/Eley.

If he gets positive answer, brass will be available in USA and world wide.

The crucial question is what would be the price? At this moment, I have no answer yet. However, considering that this is going to be a special run and relatively small production, price should be higher than for 45 AR, 45 Colt, 44 Special and similar revolver brass. My very rough estimate; expect to be as for rare and “exotic” revolver calibers.

As soon as I receive information about price and approximate time when it will go into production, or any other crucial information, I will post it here.

Also, if you have any comment and/or additional information, please post it on this thread.

Here are drawings; new design and original:




Brass Webley .455 Mk.I , list of potential customers (name, camouflaged e-mail, quantity):

1. Onty, ibcdiesel at netscape dot net, 500
2. Springfield, whytelw at comcast dot net, 250
3. GrantRCanada, X at X dot X, 250-500
4. dromia, X at X dot X, 250-500
5. Gary D, X at X dot X, 250-500
6. PB234, X at X dot X, 250 or more
7. Dan T, X at X dot X, 250 or more
8. GarretA, X at X dot X, 250
9. bonza, arquebus1523 at yahoo dot com, 250 or more
10. jethunter, X at X dot, X 500 or more
11. 40-82, X at X dot X, 500 or more
12. oldbrownhat X at X dot X, 100
13. JRL, X at X dot X, 1500 (added by Onty, JRL is not member yet)
14. Dead Dog Jack, X at X dot X, 100
15. ddixie884, dgilbert07 at windstream dot net, 1000
16. bearbud, X at X dot X, 250
17. B.C.Jay, X at X dot X, 250
18. reader, reader452 at gmail dot com, 250
19. Dave_n (Co*nwy-at-ver*izon-dot-n*et). Make the usual substitutions and removal of hyphens and asterisks, 500
20. brooklands

[Springfield]

I'd buy 250. whytelw AT comcast.net

[Dschuttig]

Is that the same size brass as the fiocchi stuff that I can't seem to get anymore?

[Onty]

Is that the same size brass as the fiocchi stuff that I can't seem to get anymore?

No, Fiocchi brass is shorter Mk. II;.740-.760". I think that Hornady offered it for a while. If someone wants Mk. II, this Mk. I brass could be easily trimmed down.

Also, noted brass (ammo) Mk. I, .850-.870" long, could be used in revolvers chambered for 455 Colt/Eley. Here is the specification:

[GrantRCanada]

Onty:

In view of your location, I am hoping this is something which will be available to us in Canada - is that the case?
(The restrictions on exporting such items from the U.S. have sure gotten beyond tiresome! )

I would probably buy at least 250, if not 500 .... depending on price.

[dromia]

I'd be in for 250 -500 obviously depending on price, I am in the UK.

[Gary D]

Onty:

In view of your location, I am hoping this is something which will be available to us in Canada - is that the case?
(The restrictions on exporting such items from the U.S. have sure gotten beyond tiresome! )

I would probably buy at least 250, if not 500 .... depending on price.

What Grant said for me too.

[Onty]

Onty:

In view of your location, I am hoping this is something which will be available to us in Canada - is that the case?
(The restrictions on exporting such items from the U.S. have sure gotten beyond tiresome! )

I would probably buy at least 250, if not 500 .... depending on price.

The dealer is located in Canada, so we should have no problem of getting it, he will organize export from USA and distribution. As I mentioned, this brass will be available world wide.

Another main issue is to get enough customers in order to meet requirement for minimum production. Hope to have this information, and price, in foreseeable future.

I would appreciate if some of our friends from Australia and New Zealand inform other Webley shooters on their forums.

[PB234]

I am in for 250. Maybe more depending on price.

[dangt]

Yes for me, too. 250 plus, depending on price.

Dan T.

[Onty]

Posting for GarretA

I'd have an interest in 250. Please keep us posted. Thanks for the post!
Gary

[dangt]

I'm concerned about your rim thickness dimension. All of my .455 revolvers show very adequate headspace with brass of rims of .039". Some of my modified brass measures as large as .045 and those rounds still chamber and work well. The drawing I have is from an old Handloader magazine and it shows .039 rim thickness. What is your source for .031 to .036 rim thickness?


Dan T.

[GrantRCanada]

I'm concerned about your rim thickness dimension. All of my .455 revolvers show very adequate headspace with brass of rims of .039". Some of my modified brass measures as large as .045 and those rounds still chamber and work well. The drawing I have is from an old Handloader magazine and it shows .039 rim thickness. What is your source for .031 to .036 rim thickness?

The diagram Onty shows in Post #1 comes from a set of such drawings in Dowell's "The Webley Story". That range (.031" to .036") constituted the "low" and "high" range of rim thickness specified by the War Department, the nominal rim thickness given in the List of Changes entry for the Mark I cartridge having been .0335". (In other words, the range in the Dowell diagram represents .0335" +/- .0025" ....)

To confirm the nominal rim thickness of .0335", here is the actual List of Changes entry for the Webley Mark I cartridge -



(As a matter of interest, the dimensions of the Mark I .455 cartridge case were virtually identical with the earlier Enfield revolver case, and indeed the cartridges were interchangeable in Enfield and Webley revolvers ......)

[bonza]

I'd be interested in 250+

arquebus1523 AT yahoo DOT com

[jethunter]

I'd be interested in 500 ior more dependant on price. It's not hard to make from 45 colt brass so if it's too pricey I'll go that way instead.

[40-82]

I'd be interested in 500 or more depending upon price.

[Onty]

I'd be interested in 500 or more depending upon price.

Well, if we have a large order, I would expect that the price will be lower.

[Outpost75]

I would be curious for prospective purchasers to actually measure the existing head clearance in their revolvers. Many of these revolvers in the US have seen hard use and have excessive headspace. My Webley Mk4 and Colt New Service both accept .45 Cowboy Special brass, which is a .45 ACP case draw, having a .45 Colt head turning operation performed on it, with measured rim thicknesses of 0.055-0.059". In the case of tighter guns which actually have the proper head clearance it is a simple matter to face the case heads to obtain the exact dimension required using the facing cutter of a Wilson case trimmer, holding the case in a .45 ACP case holder.

In any case I would recommend that new brass be manufactured at the maximum material conditions permitted under their original drawings. The drawing posted does not indicate tolerances, but based upon my observations of guns which I have measured the 0.033" should be the minimum and a tolerance of +0.0015"/-0.0000" should work well. Attachment 72237Attachment 72239

[Outpost75]

I'm concerned about your rim thickness dimension. All of my .455 revolvers show very adequate headspace with brass of rims of .039". Some of my modified brass measures as large as .045 and those rounds still chamber and work well. The drawing I have is from an old Handloader magazine and it shows .039 rim thickness.....Dan T.

This has been my experience also. My Colt New Service measures 0.050! and accepts cut-off .45 Colt brass without having to face-off the heads on all but about 20% of them.

[oldbrownhat]

Tagged for interest! I might be interested in a smaller quantity, say 100.