.455 Webley brass?

[bc73]

Hi. This is my first post here! A guy at work has a Smith & Wesson .455 Webley. He wants me to load him some ammo and I have a source for bullets but brass is a problem.
$2.00 a piece for Midway brass is a little steep. I have a .45 long Colt and the brass will cycle through the cylinder on the Webley but of course it's too long. The cylinder has the serial numbers intact that match the frame so I don't believe it's been altered. Can I just cut the .45 brass to length and run with it or am I missing something here? Were their tolerances that sloppy? Thanks.
P.S. If he wants to sell the pistol, what's it worth?

[GRUMPA]

Believe it or not.....there's a difference in Webley cases. Here's a link, it has some drawings to help you along.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?199347-Brass-Webley-455-Mk-I-anybody-interested

I was going to offer those at 1 time, but there doesn't seem to be a market big enough in this country. Keep in mind reaming will more than likely need to be done to the case.

Hope that helps....

[jabo52521]

Grumpa, how does that Webly compare to the 45AR? Have a box ( minus 6) that I've had for years.

[GRUMPA]

Grumpa, how does that Webly compare to the 45AR? Have a box ( minus 6) that I've had for years.

To be honest I have no idea..

Edit: I did some quick looking around, and those require thinning of the head and possibly a reaming operation. Basically your looking at the same type of work if you were to use the 45LC case as the parent case.

[Tackleberry41]

Colt cut back would require reaming, as you would get into thicker brass. Midway lists a RCBS 45 colt to 455 forming die, but only works with remington brass it says. The AR brass it would be the rim, probably be short enough so no reaming required. Links on google say 7.62x54r brass can be cut down. Might be cheaper to invest in some proper brass vs a reamer and other stuff to make it.

[Geezer in NH]

Please be sure it has not been reamed for 45 auto on 1/2 moon clips.

[Hickory]

Pm sent on 455 Webley brass.

[pakmc]

I have a .455 Webley also. a Friend had a book on which cartridge, can work in a different gun. and .45 schofield will work in your friends gun. I shot the .45 schofields in my webley and they where pretty accurate!( I think I was using the 250 gr RNFM bullets for spencers and/or henrys' for cowboy shooting.)
Pat

[bc73]

I have a .455 Webley also. a Friend had a book on which cartridge, can work in a different gun. and .45 schofield will work in your friends gun. I shot the .45 schofields in my webley and they where pretty accurate!( I think I was using the 250 gr RNFM bullets for spencers and/or henrys' for cowboy shooting.)
Pat

Thanks for the reply. I'm going to research these. That may be my answer.
BC73

[ddixie884]

The .45AR is not much longer than the .455 MkI .895 vs .870 and .455Colt at .890 the chambers of most, if not all .455s will accept and function with cases of that length. No case reaming should be necessary if trimmed and cases of this length should work without causing a problem. No lengthening has ever been necessary on .45ACP conversions done to .455 revolvers with milspec chambers. The only problem with thinning .45AR rims might be that they have a generous chamfer on the outer edge of the rim.
Headspace of .455 revolvers should be too small for Colt or Schofield rims, unless the clearance is extraordinarily large, and out of spec.

[eagle27]

Easy to make Webley brass from 45LC brass, Just cut to length, no reaming required but you will have to turn the rims a little thinner unless the cylinder has been altered. 45 LC brass is all I used in my 455 Webley.
http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/tt146/Lindsayb_01/455Webley012.jpg (http://s606.photobucket.com/user/Lindsayb_01/media/455Webley012.jpg.html)

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/tt146/Lindsayb_01/455Webley013.jpg (http://s606.photobucket.com/user/Lindsayb_01/media/455Webley013.jpg.html)

[Tackleberry41]

Would imagine it depends on the brand of 45 colt. Your using Federal brass have found it to be thinner than Win.

[bc73]

Well, I tried 6 cut down .45 LC in my Webley today. 250gr. cast bullet, 3.8 gr. Unique; averaged 448 fps with Remington brass. Things went fine today. I think my friend may have a sloppy .455 Webley!

[runfiverun]

I was gonna suggest you look at some 44-40 brass [thinner than 45 colt] but you seem to have found a solution.

[eagle27]

Well, I tried 6 cut down .45 LC in my Webley today. 250gr. cast bullet, 3.8 gr. Unique; averaged 448 fps with Remington brass. Things went fine today. I think my friend may have a sloppy .455 Webley!

With the 250gr cast or jacketed (both shown in the photo in my earlier post) I used 5.5grs Unique for about 650fps, and 6.0grs Unique with 185-200gr jacketed bullets. The 200gr flying ashtray Speer was a good bullet in the Webley. This was a Webley MK VI revolver. I never tried to load to maximum, just stuck to factory duplication loads which killed one or two deer and quite a few goats and small game.

[ddixie884]

eagle27 to what length did you trim your .45Colt cases? The OP could use your load data, with this info.

[Ecramer]

I'm not certain where they're available now, but I have some brass known as Cowboy .45 Special that is used by Cowboy Action shooters. It is essentially a modern .45 Colt case cut to .45 ACP length. I use it for blackpowder loads in converted 1860 Armys. It looks to me like it would drop into the Webley with very little effort.

[eagle27]

eagle27 to what length did you trim your .45Colt cases? The OP could use your load data, with this info.

Sorry I did not get back sooner,

I trimmed my 45LC cases off at 0.885" which with w 250gr Hornady jacketed bullet crimped in the cannelure gave a COAL of 1.206".

I thinned the rims to approximately 0.050" bit difficult to get a good measure but just turned one down until the revolver closed easily on it and then made all the rest of the cases the same.

[kiwi]

I had my .455 1917 rechambered to .45 Colt and the cylinder faced off to fit the .45 Colt rim no mucking around with altering cases
load is 250 grain cast boolit 8.5 grains Unique quite mild and accurate, barrels is .452" throats are .454"

[Sekatoa]

My Webley is stamped "45 C". It takes 45 Schofield fine, or 45 LC but only with full wadcutters. It shoots he 45 LC Buffalo Bore manstopper load fine, but that expensive. I've found it likes the Saeco 225 gr wadcutter bullet with trailboss. It won't take 45 AR, or ACP with standard moon clips. I did fabricate some 50 % thinner moon clips and it would work with ACP, but they were flimsy and could only take three rounds per cylinder. It was more of an experiment than something to use routinely.