Chamber pressure reading please...

[LARscout]

Im not well versed in the computer software dealing with internal ballistics.

Any chance you could give me a psi estimate of these loads?
Im planning on a 3-4gr charge of W231 with a 230 lead round nose (.452) in a converted Webley .455 Mark 6. OAL of 1.175in.
Also gonna try 4grs of Trail Boss

The bore itself might be tighter than .455.

[da gimp]

get several good reloading manuals & use their recommended loads..... start off at the minimum & work your way up gently.......... to do otherwise is to invite disaster........

[joem]

I use both powders, but take Gimps advice and start at minimum recommended levels and work up from there.

[Tuna]

I have yet to see any reloading data listed in manuals for the .455 Webley. But my understanding is to never use anything other then starting data for the .45 acp as the max loads for the Webley.

[LARscout]

I think with the 3grs and a looser fitting .452 lead bullet I wont be racking up a high pressure.
Ive heard a 5gr charge with a 255gr LSWC being recommended from experience, but no pressure reading for that one. I simply wanted to satisfy my curiosity with an exact psi number range.


For those of you familiar with cowboy loads, could I use black powder with 45 Auto Rim under 13,000psi?
I'll most likely opt out of in the end, but I love having alternatives for when I get bored or want to replicate a historical feeling out of my weapons. Dont like the rotten egg smell of BP residue or the cleaning required to be honest.

[Johnny P]

The old Phil Sharp book COMPLETE GUIDE TO HANDLOADING has the .455 Webley Mk. II, but unfortunately none of the powders are available today.

[da gimp]

one of the old Lyman manuals did too I think...........might call Alliant or Winchester & ask them.........RCBS' reloading used to have a call line too.

[randy langford]

Go with the Trail Boss hard to screw up there.

[Gatofeo]

Cartridges of the World, 8th edition lists:
260 gr. lead bullet / Unique 5.0 grs. / 610 fps / 213 muzzle energy.
My notes show that Handloader No. 59, on page 13, has info. I can't find that issue but have it somewhere in the meticulously arranged stacks piled around my bachelor pad ...
Handloader 181 (June-July 1996) has info on making cases on page 18. Ken waters responds:
"The .455 calls for a .454 inch bullet." He doesn't suggest firing .45 ACP ammo in these revolvers, though they may fit. An experienced lathe operator can thin the rims of .45 Long Colt from the front side only, to convert to .455 revolver cases.
Fiocchi ammunition markets .455 rimmed ammo for Webley revolvers. It's loaded with a 262 gr. lead bullet.
The .455 Webley case is about 1/8 inch shorter than the .455 Colt-Eley, but the rim and body diameters are about the same. Should you amazingly find some .455 Colt-Eley ammo or cases, they would work.

Handloader 125 has info on pages 9 and 38. Can't find that magazine either, in all the stacks!

Handloader 161 has a long article by a reader. He urges caution with these old revolvers, noting that only the Mark V and Mark VI should be considered proofed for smokeless powder. Those with British WWI markings may be considered safe with sane smokeless powder loads. Those without these markings are suspect, until a year of manufacture can be ascertained.
He reported bad leading with swaged Speer lead bullet, but cast bullets of .454 inch worked fine. He used 5.0 grs. of Unique.
Tons of how-to info in this article, so I'd suggest you look for this Handloader 161 online in Fleabay or back order from Wole Publishing, if they have it.