.455 Webley
| .455 Webley | ||
|---|---|---|
 MK II .455" SAA Ball ammunition |
||
| Type | Revolver | |
| Place of origin |  United Kingdom |
|
| Production history | ||
| Manufacturer | Royal Laboratory Woolwich Arsenal, Birmingham Small Arms Company, Eley Brothers, Kynoch Limited, and Grenfell & Accles. | |
| Specifications | ||
| Case type | Straight rimmed | |
| Bullet diameter | 0.454 in (11.5 mm) | |
| Neck diameter | 0.476 in (12.1 mm) | |
| Base diameter | 0.48 in (12.2 mm) | |
| Rim diameter | 0.535 in (13.6 mm) | |
| Case length | 0.77 in (19.6 mm) | |
| Overall length | 1.230 in (31.2 mm) | |
| Primer type | Large pistol | |
| Ballistic performance | ||
| Bullet weight/type | Velocity | Energy |
| 265 gr (17.2 g) FMJ | 650 ft/s (200 m/s) | 420 ft·lbf (570 J) |
.455 Webley is a British handgun cartridge, most commonly used in the Webley top break revolvers Marks I through VI.
The .455 cartridge was a service revolver cartridge, featuring a rimmed cartridge firing a .45 bullet at the relatively low velocity of 650 ft/s (190 m/s). The result was a cartridge and handgun combination with relatively mild recoil, but with good penetration and excellent stopping power. It was rated superior to the .45 Colt in stopping power in the disputed US Thompson-LaGarde Tests of 1904 that resulted in the adoption by the United States of the .45 ACP cartridge.
The .455 Webley cartridge remained in service with British and Commonwealth forces until the end of the Second World War. Six main types of .455 ammunition were produced:
- .455 Webley Mk I - 265 grain (17.2 g) solid lead round-nosed bullet propelled by black powder, dating from the late 19th Century. All subsequent .455 designs used cordite propellant.
- .455 Webley Mk II - 265 grain (17.2 g) solid lead round-nosed bullet propelled by cordite. There are minor differences between the Mk I and II bullet shape, though these concern the internal dimensions and so are not immediately apparent.
- .455 Webley Mk III - the famous "Manstopper" bullet intended for police, civilian and colonial use. Essentially, the Mk III was a 218 grain lead "hollowpoint" design, propelled by cordite. The cylindrical bullet had hemispherical hollows at each end - one to seal the barrel, the other to deform on impact. This bullet was soon prohibited for use by the military because it was not compliant with the Hague Convention of 1899.
- .455 Webley Mk IV - 220 grain, flat-nosed wadcutter with cordite propellant.
- .455 Webley Mk V - identical to the Mk IV bullet, but cast from a harder lead-alloy containing more antimony with cordite propellant.
- .455 Webley Mk VI - a 265 grain full metal jacketed bullet intended for military purposes, designed to comply with the Hague Convention. This bullet was used during the Great War and the Second World War. The propellant was cordite or nitro-cellulose.
- .455 Webley Auto Mk I - Produced from 1913 to about the middle of WWII. This is a semi-rimmed cartridge for the Webley & Scott Self Loading pistols
The Italian firm Fiocchi is currently the only commercial manufacturer of the .455 Webley cartridge (in Mk II). The American firm Hornady produces equipment for reloading .455 Webley cartridges.
Despite the apparent difference in caliber, .476 Enfield was virtually identical to the .455 Webley. The .476 had a 0.05mm shorter case, and could safely be fired in the .455 Webley.[1][2]
References
Sources
- Barnes, Frank C., ed. by John T. Amber. ".476 Ely/.476 Enfield Mk-3", in Cartridges of the World, pp.175 & 178. Northfield, IL: DBI Books, 1972. ISBN 0-695-80326-3.
- Maze, Robert J. Howdah to High Power. Tucson, AZ: Excalibur Publications, 2002. ISBN 1880677 17 2.
External links
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