455 Webley MkVI reloading

[rayg]

I probably would shoot the gun less then 50 times if that. I checked and the Lee dies run about $41.00 with postage and cases about $1.00 ea. Plus bullets @ about $17 per hundred plus postage. A considerable sum just to shoot it a few times.
I read a post were someone suggested triming the width of the rims and cutting down the 45 Long Colt cases to the 455 case dimensions so I could make up a few cases that way and they stated further that you can make your own hollow based bullets by drilling out the base of the 45 LC cast bullet which if I recall my mould is .452 which is the right dia for the throat and bumps up to .455 bore with the hollow based bullets.
As I'm away from my reloading equipment for the moment and can't measure the case OD dia of the LC cases but I measured my revolvers chambers and they are .583 dia measured from the back, can't measure the fronts with my calipers. Can someone advise what the LC case OD diameters are and if they would fit my chambers? Also as suggested if I have to use the 45 acp case to crimp because the longer LC die won't work for that, maybe I should just buy the 45acp dies for sizing also. Would they work for 455 case sizing. Can someone provide the 455 and 45 acp case lengths to compare the two?
Ray

[GillaFunk]

I'm in a similar situation. I've got a MK 6, it's been shaved for moon clips.

I tried ordering .455 bullets from Western bullet, but they have been out of stock for weeks and they don't know when they will have what I need.

Based on my research, I'll be using .45ACP brass, Missouri bullet co. 255g .452 dia SWC soft lead bullets with a light load of bullseye powder to get up to the 6-700 fps needed for the cartrige.

my question is; What kind of COAL should I be using? I would assume, that by seating enough to provide the same powder space within the case as a proper .455 load, that would be a good place to start? or, better yet, the 230g 45ACP bullet I use is roughly the same dimensions as my .452. can I just load to that same COAL as I know that is a safe load for my 1911.

[Nate]

Why not use 45 Auto Rim cases? No need for half moons.

[GillaFunk]

If I can use brass I already have, and buy a 10 pack of moon clips....to me its a no-brainer. not to mention easier to load/unload with moon clips as a type of speedloader.

and the cylinder was trimmed to employ moon's anyways.

[rayg]

Well I just got through firing my Webley. As I mentioned I probably wouldn't fire it much and didn't want to spend a lot of money to do it. So I made cases using the 45 long Colt cases and 255 gr Colt cast bullets I had. In mikeing the Colt rims they were at .050 and I only needed to reduce them to .045, (.005), to fuction/turn in the cylinder. Having no machinery I cut the cases down to the correct length with a hack saw and trued the cut up. Then I reduced the thickness of the rim on the primer side with emery paper on a flat surface holding the case rim side down. The primers still were deep enough below the surface of the reduced thickness of the rim.
Then using the Long colt dies and the 255 gr, .452 dia bullets, I loaded them using 4 grs of Unigue and fired them and they shot well and were very accurate. However the trigger pull was terrible but dispite that I got a real good goup at 15 yrds.
I probably won't be shooting it much more it was just a challege to make the rounds, Ray

[rayg]

Forgot to post the target here it is.
Here are the six shots I fired from the bench with a hand support at 14 yds. Don't know why the two high ones but I did find in checking some of my 255 bullets afterward that some bullets were harder then others. I had made those bullets years ago and must have gotten some mixed up. (I haven't shot my old original 1884 dated 1873 Colt for years), or else I pulled the shots as the trigger pull on my Welbey is Terrible, extremely heavy and crippy. Almost takes two fingers. Anyway even the two high ones grouped well.

Next time I load I will check the hardness of each bullet. I read you can also drill out a cavity in the base of the 255 gr bullets to help expansion but doubt I need to do that the way it's shooting now.

[rayg]

Well I had some 45 acp "rimmed" cases that I had my friend cut the rims down to .040 thickness so they would work in the 455 uncut Webley. I tried them and they turn without draging. I'll load them up w/ 4 grs of Unique powder and will try them at the range next week, Ray

[rayg]

Went to the range last week and tried the converted 45acp rimmed cases out at 15yrds. The shots were scattered with flyers on the target and not grouping well and there was some un-burnt power in the barrel and cylinder. This told me the powder was not burning proper probably because of the longer cases. So I tilted the gun up before each shot to make sure the powder was against the primer and that did it. It shot nice groups from then on.

[GillaFunk]

I loaded up some .45acp brass with Missouri bullet co. 255g .452 dia SWC, using 45 Colt dies and Bullseye in various charges to get the accuracy and POA Id like. I dont recall the charge weights off hand, but the most accurate was ~660fps.

I got nothing close to what RayG has, accuracy wise. Still not happy with performance, and I may just locate some .45 Colt brass and go from there.

The fun continues.

[rayg]

Keep working at it. Remember you have to either cut the
45 Colt LC or rimmed acp cases down quite a bit, or you have to tilt the gun up each time to move the powder against the primer to get better burn and accuracy, Ray