Posted: 1/19/2014 10:01:20 AM EDT
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My latest fascination is with the break-top Webley revolvers (Indiana Jones, and all that). Has anyone here ever used one or perhaps own one? Tell me about it. Are there any diseases to avoid?
I saw that converting them to fire 45ACP is popular, or getting one that has already been converted. That seems like a smart thing to do if you are not worried about collectability. I reload, so 45 ACP comes fairly cheaply and is easy to get. Is 455 Webley reloadable? |
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If you get a converted one make sure you load it lightly. I had an uncut one in 455 and stupidly sold it.
The 455 can be reloaded I think I used a 45 colt die to size and a 45 acp die to seat the bullet. Remington makes a factory 45 colt bullet that is 250 grains and sort of the same profile as the Webley bullet and is .454-455 in diameter and works pretty well. |
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Quoted:
If you get a converted one make sure you load it lightly. I had an uncut one in 455 and stupidly sold it. The 455 can be reloaded I think I used a 45 colt die to size and a 45 acp die to seat the bullet. Remington makes a factory 45 colt bullet that is 250 grains and sort of the same profile as the Webley bullet and is .454-455 in diameter and works pretty well. .45 ACP is near proof load for .455 webley. Just because the round fits, doesn't mean its a good idea. Overall they're great revolvers. I've enjoyed the Mk VIs I've owned. That said, there's a reason the design isn't more prolific and there are much better choices out there if you're looking for something to shoot a lot. |
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I bought a Webley MkVI revolver converted to .45acp last spring. Pretty cool old gun. I've been shooting it with 230gr cast lead bullets at about 700 fps(which is about the minimum load in my book).
I fired some regular fmj from it when I got it..and I bet the fellow that owned it before me shot regular ball ammo too. However when I read-up on the combination of converted Webley and .45acp..  ..took a good look at the ballistics of the old .455 vs .45 auto...plus the age of my old horse-pistol(made 1916)..I decided to follow advice for reduced V. lead bullet loads. The cylinders on these ain't exactly thick and they have a lot of locking bolt grooves machined on the surface making the chambers pretty thin. It would be a tragedy to burst my cool old revolver..
As far as a cool shooter goes..the converted Webley takes a moonclip of .45acp just like my 625 Smith or (about as ancient) Colt 1917. A break-top..moonclip fed self-ejecting DA revolver in .45 auto is a slick system...fun to shoot. 
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I love revolvers in .45 ACP. I bought a Webley Mark VI a few months ago and I load milder .45 ACPs and .45 Auto rim for it. Here are my current ,45 ACP revolvers. I bought a S&W M-625-3 with a 3 inch barrel today, but won't pick it up until next weekend. I have no idea why I have a .357 mag speed loader in that photo.
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They are what they are - which is a historically important, rugged, well-made, and pretty much obsolete military revolver that for all practical purposes you will have to reload for.
With that understood, they are fascinating handguns. I have a Mark IV (4 inch barrel) "Boer War" model, which was adopted in 1899 (!), and which has since been converted to .45 ACP. The trigger pull is heavy and the sights are rather poor. Due most likely to that, but also perhaps due to the bore diameter, I can't shoot it very well. My particular version also has a really poor grip, but that isn't a problem with later models. In general nowadays, I think an unmodified Webley .455 will go for more than a modified one. So getting an original one and paying to have it modified is not the best way to go. Fiocchi makes .455 Webley ammo. I'll never sell mine, but I admit I don't shoot it much either. I do wonder where all it's been before I got it! |
| Back in the '90s I had a room mate who had a Mk VI converted to .45 ACP. Interesting gun, but I couldn't shoot it well. Not the best trigger pull and the bore diameter may have been larger then the .452 bullets I was using. At the time I was a pretty good shot with pistols with very nice triggers like S&W revolvers in SA mode and tuned 1911s, but I had issues with long or heavy trigger pulls. I now shoot well with DA triggers and M&Ps, so perhaps I'd do the Mk VI better justice. |
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That said, there's a reason the design isn't more prolific and there are much better choices out there if you're looking for something to shoot a lot. I figured the main reason was that it was a Brit gun and in the US we went with Colt, S&W and Ruger solid frame revolvers. In Europe the trend was towards autos. Also, the long use by the Brits suggest it was sound. |
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I have a Mark VI chambered in .455 Webley.
You can still get factory loads for it from Fiocchi of Italy. They are mild (262gr bullet at maybe 650fps). It is great fun to shoot steel plates with it. The cylinder feels loose and sloppy, but as you squeeze through the pull the cylinder locks up tight. Sort of like the double hand on an older Colt revolver. Webleys look clunky but they handle very well indeed. There isn't a lot of extra beef in the cylinder or barrel thickness. The sight picture on my Webley is vastly superior to that on my 1911 or Colt New Service from the same time period. Trigger pulls are hard but manageable. It is hard and expensive to find an original uncut Webley these days, but stay positive and you will eventually find one. You may not be aware of this but they actually offered speed loaders and pistol bayonets for the Webleys back in WW1. You know you are in deep shit when you have to mount your pistol bayonet. 
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Same here - I have a cut Webley and shoot it with 250 gr LRN bullets in .45 Autorim brass, loaded to about 650 fps. You'll learn that it's not the "greatest combat revolver ever", either. Heavy trigger in DA & the latch spring is stiff. Sights also suck, as do most pistols of that era. |
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I have them both. I shoot .45 schofield in my 454 webley(that's suppose to the shell as close to the orginal load without going to an orginal .454. I also have two of the 38-200's, they are kinda neat. I brought a 200 gr. bullet mold in the .360 dia. for them. when I pour them they came out 215 gr. WC's. they just shoot a little high at 10 yards ,like about 8 to 10 incheshigh. but I also can resize them down to 357, ok, and they shoot agout 8 inches high at ten yards also, but a 215 gr. WC makes a very interessting self defence load for a .38. I shaved the springs on my 38=200's and make them much easier on the trigger in double action. my 454's Is (was ) nickle plated and it's loose as a goose. but it's fairly accurate. on a side note I did a cowboy shoot last Sunday and a guy was shooting an munber 1 enfireld and he had a 454 webley with the orginal type bullets, He brought the mold and I didn't get a chance to talk to him about where he go the mold. very funny looking shells. but they aren't bad. just different. but I perfer my 1871 open tops so far. but if you get a 454 don't convert it too .45 ACP. had ball isn't good for you barrel. and there ain't many 454 webley barrels laying around
Pat |
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I have had a couple that were cut for .45ACP. I used to shoot the first one with regular 45ACP ball, but that was pre-internet days, and we used to do all sorts of things that may not have been wise back in the day. I won't even tell you about what we shot out of my Astra 400. People would come unglued. Realize that back in the day, before the internet and cell phones and even color TV, alot of ideas that might not be the wisest now were seen as normal then. So alot of Webleys got converted to .45ACP and shot that way. I was no exception at the time.
My current Webley is also cut for .45ACP. I shoot it with light handoads using .45 AutoRim brass. Since I only shoot the auto rim in it, and not ACP brass, I don't get anything hot mixed in there by mistake. My 1917's have no problem shooting the light 45AR loads either, so I keep everything that's loaded in .45AR brass, Webley friendly. I'm not using .454 sized bullets, so my accuracy is not the best, but it's plenty good and it's a fun gun to shoot IMO. "Interesting" would be the most appropriate word used to descirbe it. Modern revolvers have much more going for them, but you don't buy something like a Webley for it's tacticoolness. You buy it because you appreciate it. Anyway, I have fun with mine. |
