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S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961 All 5-Screw & Vintage 4-Screw SWING-OUT Cylinder REVOLVERS, and the 35 Autos and 32 Autos


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  #51  
Old 01-22-2017, 06:10 PM
hanover67 hanover67 is offline
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I found a 45468 Lyman mold, which casts .455 182gr hollow-base bullets with my range scrap alloy. I don't have a .45 sizing/lube die. The bullets are .455 as cast, and I tumble lubed them in Lee lube. I've decided on a starting powder charge of 4.5gr of 700X with this bullet in Starline .45 Colt cases.

I had an old pair of Herrett k-frame grips that I modified to fit the.455 HE. They don't fit exactly but they're good enough to shoot with. Now all I have to do is get to a distant range. Mine closed a year ago.
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  #52  
Old 01-22-2017, 06:46 PM
hanover67 hanover67 is offline
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A couple of images of the gun with grips

[IMG][/IMG]

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  #53  
Old 01-22-2017, 07:35 PM
lebomm lebomm is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hanover67 View Post
Does anyone have a mold number for a Lyman or Ideal hollow-base .45 mold?
I have an old, framed Ideal mould chart on which the only .45 HB handgun bullet is #45468. It's a 2-grooved RNFPHB of only 170grains, presumably in No.2 alloy. Also probably long obsolete. Please let us know if you find something else.

Looks like a lot happened in the time I took to consult my chart and post a reply. Good luck and good shooting with your 182s. We're all waiting on your range report

Larry

Last edited by lebomm; 01-22-2017 at 07:43 PM.
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  #54  
Old 01-22-2017, 09:52 PM
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Here you go........ .455" Webley Bullets|Webley Cast Bullets

Here's the Mold (RCBS)... I have 3 .455's and have been trying to decide whether or not to drop the $125 for the mold.
RCBS 1-Cavity Bullet Mold 45-265-RN-HB 455 Webley (455 Diameter) 265
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  #55  
Old 01-23-2017, 07:56 AM
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About 5 years ago I started a thread about loading the .455 Webley for my Second Model. Loading .455 Mk II

Everyone was happy at that time because Hornady had a current supply of .455 brass and Graf & Sons had a current supply of special order Hornady swaged .455 bullets exactly to specs. I'm sad to say the Hornady brass has dried up, and the Hornady bullets seem to be gone also.

That RCBS mould looks like the way to go in the absence of ready-made bullets. The custom moulded bullets on Buffalo's website are just right for the Webley and will suit the man of leisure. No casting required! But they certainly come at a price.

Hornady still offers the 255 grain cowboy swaged bullet (.454" diameter). That probably is the best ready-made and inexpensive offering now.

Doesn't look like the Fiocchi ammo is available now. Does anybody know where any is in stock?

Best of luck!
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  #56  
Old 01-26-2017, 12:28 AM
hanover67 hanover67 is offline
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I don't know about Fiocchi ammo, but if I were going to try another case in my converted .455, I might look at .45 Auto Rim, assuming that the case rime will fit as well as .45 Colt. But, I also assume that would cause the same kind of cyminder ring problem shooting .38's in a .357 Magnum or .44 Specials in a .44 Magnum would create. For the time being I'm sticking with .45 Colt.
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Old 01-26-2017, 08:58 AM
Muley Gil Muley Gil is offline
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The rim on .45 Auto Rim is much too thick if your .455 has been converted to .45 Colt.
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  #58  
Old 01-26-2017, 10:44 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by deadin View Post
. . . Here's the Mold (RCBS)... I have 3 .455's and have been trying to decide whether or not to drop the $125 for the mold . . .
Glad this thread came to light again. I did purchase the mold and dropped a line about it in the Reloading section for any who might be interested.

455 Bullet Mold - Works Great
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  #59  
Old 01-26-2017, 11:55 AM
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I shoot a Webley Mark IV revolver. I laid in a quantity of the Fiocchi .455 ammunition some years ago, as much for obtaining the cases as for shooting purposes. I was very disappointed with the quality of the brass cases. They are thin and brittle. Thee to five cracked upon initially firing the factory loads and handloading durability is dismal.

I've read of good things about Fiocchi brass and have experienced it myself, with other cartridges in their line. This .455 stuff is dreadful though.

A shooting friend in the UK once supplied me with the Mountain & Sowden cases and I have quantities of them. This is pretty well an "everlasting" case. I've had no issues with repeated loadings with these cases.

Both Mountain & Sowden's cartridge case production and his handgun shooting career were shut down in the 1997 UK handgun ban.

I'm still vexed about both!
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  #60  
Old 01-26-2017, 04:06 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmcgilvray View Post
. . . I laid in a quantity of the Fiocchi .455 ammunition some years ago, as much for obtaining the cases as for shooting purposes. I was very disappointed with the quality of the brass cases. They are thin and brittle. Thee to five cracked upon initially firing the factory loads and handloading durability is dismal . . .
I have reloaded Fiocchi brass multiple times and they works flawlessly in my best condition 455 but splits a few in another gun. I measured the chambers and found my best example to be .476" and the chambers measure .485" in the one that splits brass.

Quite often splitting cases is due to someone trying to smooth out the chambers and enlarging them in the process. Check your chamber dimensions and see what you get??
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  #61  
Old 01-26-2017, 04:08 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eddie Southgate View Post
You won't hurt it with warm loads. I been shooting the old HE's for years with the same loads Elmer Keith loaded them with and I have not hurt one yet . They were not built for mild loads so what makes you think that's what you need to use in them now??

Eddie


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Skelton blew a chamber on a M-1917 Colt .45 acp, which does have a heat-treated cylinder. The .455 S&W does not. He used a load with Unique powder that was recommended by Keith and others.


I don't know which loads you've used. But an idiot may make up Ruger Only or similar ammo, and that could easily blow up one of these old guns, never proofed for such high pressures.


You do what you want. Personally, I won't load even a heat-treated M-1917 with ammo much hotter than std. .45 ACP pressures. One factor to consider, apart from the thin chambers, is that these guns are now 100 years or more old.
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  #62  
Old 01-27-2017, 06:17 PM
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Default 1917 .455 British

I've enjoyed handloading the original .455 Webley Mk VI for quite a few years now and have just purchased a Smith & Wesson hand ejector 2nd Model made around 1916 in original .455 calibre. I'm looking forward to loading the Mk I case formed from .45 Colt cases. I have always shot the 265 grain hollow based bullet cast in 1:20 alloy from the super mould by R.C.B.S .45-265-RN-HB. I'm a little concerned that S&W groove diameters start at .457 but I have yet to slug my new acquisition. If they do start there I'm hoping that the skirt of the bullet cast in this soft alloy will blow out satisfactorily to maintain accuracy. In the Handloader of December 2016 Terry Wieland was finding some difficulty in obtaining load data for the British Webley Mark VI. I have always relied on the data put out by Lee Precision for the Mark II case with no problems at all. I'm not quite sure how photos are made in this forum but this is my new acquisition...
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File Type: jpg .455 S&W Hand ejector. Second model Left side..jpg (231.2 KB, 19 views)

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  #63  
Old 03-10-2017, 10:11 PM
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I finally got to a range to shoot my S & W .455/.45 Colt. My load was 4.5gr of 700X powder, Lyman bullet #45468, 182gr with my alloy, Winchester primers and Starline .45 Colt brass. I was happy with the accuracy, although I had to shoot offhand since the range did not have any benches. Attached are photos of the target and a loaded cartridge and the hollow-based bullet. These bullets drop from my mold at .455" diameter. I don't have a .454" resizing die, so I tumble lubed them in Lee alox and loaded them as they came from the mold.
[IMG][/IMG]RL=http://s621.photobucket.com/user/hanover67/media/Smith%20and%20Wesson%20455/1st%20.455%20Target_zpsogum8xxj.jpg.html][/URL][/

[IMG][UIMG]
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  #64  
Old 03-10-2017, 10:21 PM
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Bullet photo

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  #65  
Old 03-20-2017, 08:12 PM
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I managed to pick up an unmodified .455 S&W in 90% condition for $625 on GB a few weeks ago. Listing had realy fuzzy pics so I took a chance on it. Only loaded ammo available is on GB at premium prices tho - have some on order. I'd be surprised if it was shot much at all as it is the tightest cylinder on any S&W I've purchased.
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Old 03-20-2017, 08:51 PM
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Welcome to the forum!

Bravo, that's a great find and good price for unmolested, un-converted, and 90% finish 455.

Triple 1st Model or 2nd Model??? With a serial # or partial # we can provide which variation it is and likely a shipping date.

We love to see pictures if you can post them, or the link to the GB auction photos is allowed now that the auction has ended.

The first thing I'd recommend is flood the action and cyl arbor with gun cleaning spray to flush out the 100 year old dry grease and re-oil with modern lubricant.

Shoot and enjoy!
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  #67  
Old 03-21-2017, 10:00 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nvcdl View Post
I managed to pick up an unmodified .455 S&W in 90% condition for $625 on GB a few weeks ago. Listing had realy fuzzy pics so I took a chance on it. Only loaded ammo available is on GB at premium prices tho - have some on order. I'd be surprised if it was shot much at all as it is the tightest cylinder on any S&W I've purchased.
Neat that you found one unmolested. Of course that means ammo is hard to come by if you really want to shoot it.

Be advised that older .455 cartridges are very likely to be corrosive and after firing it special cleaning will be required to prevent damage to your revolver. To boot, the old stuff may have some collector value itself, so it try to find something modern to shoot. Fiocchi and Hornady both used to make .455 Mark II in the not-too-distant past. Perhaps you can locate some. Or you can learn to handload, but even then finding components can be problematic.
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Old 03-21-2017, 10:37 AM
nvcdl nvcdl is offline
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Here is a link: http://www.gunbroker.com/item/622953311

The pictures are awful - looks much better in person - has dings and light scratches in finish but doesn't seem to have been carried or shot much at all.

Serial # is 6517X


Quote:
Originally Posted by Hondo44 View Post
Welcome to the forum!

Bravo, that's a great find and good price for unmolested, un-converted, and 90% finish 455.

Triple 1st Model or 2nd Model??? With a serial # or partial # we can provide which variation it is and likely a shipping date.

We love to see pictures if you can post them, or the link to the GB auction photos is allowed now that the auction has ended.


Shoot and enjoy!

Last edited by nvcdl; 03-21-2017 at 06:15 PM.
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