Webley and a HEAVY bullet

[jonk]

So I have a Webley. Shaved to .45 acp. Bore slugs a generous .457. Even a fairly heavy .45 bullet has a pretty big jump to get to the rifling.

I also have a 370 gr Lee mold. Just loaded a dummy. Reaches the end of the cylinder with about 1/4 of it into the case.

This has possibilities, but load data is going to be entirely up to me, I would think.

I'm thinking of perhaps using 2400, and going from there... assuming no one has data on this combo (doubtful!) what powder would you use to start light and work up?

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Check the cylinder throat dimensions. I have seen well made commercial Webleys in which it was quite a bit smaller than groove diameter. It might have been enlarged by people converting the revolver to .45 ACP. That would convert the use of GI hardball from a big mistake from a medium mistake, and my guess is that some gunsmiths did it, and others didn't.

The length of the bearing surface of the bullet makes a difference to the effort required to force it through the throat.

[PB234]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-Auto-Rim*****

Maybe consider a different project?

[Bigslug]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-Auto-Rim*****

Maybe consider a different project?

I'm ALL about Mad Science projects, but PB234 makes a good point, and you should give the linked thread a serious read before you continue. While it WOULD be cool if Ruger started making a top-break revolver, a Webley is never going to be a Redhawk, and we would be foolish to attempt to make it one.

I would first ask what your objective is. If accuracy is what you're chasing, like both Ballistics and the linked thread says, the cylinder throats are usually smaller than the bore, and they shoot fine with the original HB bullets. (There's a thread going right now for MP Webley molds over in the group buy section ) If you wanted to run a more "conventional" approach with solid base bullets, you could open up the throats to .458 and shoot light rifle bullets (or slugs from custom molds) like you describe.

If you are after extra "THUMP", well, this is perhaps not the best launch platform for it. Small charges of fast powders are what the Webleys were designed for, and while you could certainly get 300+ grain bullets out of the barrel safely in the 500 fps range, what would you have gained? The original load of 265 grains at around 600-700 will already penetrate a lot of milk jugs - a bigger, slower bullet will still penetrate a lot of milk jugs. . .and have a HORRIBLE trajectory. Then there is the question of how long a bullet a Webley's rifling will stabilize.

I think if we want to deliver maximum damage from our Webleys, the ideal approach would be to stick with bullets close to the original weight, and start playing with aggressive meplats. A hollow base version of the RCBS 270 grain SAA bullet, for example. . .