A capped case will tend to do that even with proper headspace. Had you had a live round with those dimensions, the primer would probably have appeared normal as the case would have backed against the breechface. I noted that when firing a revolver with hot glue bullets and a primer only. Drilling the flash holes larger helps with the issue.
Cartridge Power in Triple Lock .455 Days, etc.
- Thread starter Texas Star
- Start date
OP
Texas Star
US Veteran
Peter-
As you're surely aware, .455 Colt is simply a commercial loading of the MK I, so chambering for it seems logical in Colts...
Will all .455 guns also fire .476? I've seen WG Webleys marked to fire either. But I think Colt made their .476 guns in addition to their .455's. Or, maybe they just made them before .455 became the common caliber.
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The chamber on a .455 revolver is overly long. If you chamber a .45 Colt empty case it will go a good bit deeper than a .45AR case. I believe the standard specs for the wartime .455s will chamber all previous martial ammo .450, .476 and .455 rnds, by design. JMHO-YMMV.
PJGP
Member
Yes, but these really backed out, as in fell out when the cylinder was opened. I find that using a capped correct case frequently results in the cylinder not wanting to turn to the next chamber because the protruding cap binds against the recoil shield. I have experienced this with Webley and S&W revolvers; haven't tried any others.
Peter
PJGP
Member
Tex, I was responding to Skeetr57's post #17 with my comment on Colt chambering.
In response to #22 and 23, the standard 455 chamber will take 450 and 455 Mk I and Mk II. The only guns that will take the 476 are those so marked; such guns are commercial ones. The issue is the bulbous bullet and the associated chamber throat. No military contract Webleys were made to take the 476, which was of course rendered obsolescent with the introduction of the Mk I Webley Service revolver.
Peter
In response to #22 and 23, the standard 455 chamber will take 450 and 455 Mk I and Mk II. The only guns that will take the 476 are those so marked; such guns are commercial ones. The issue is the bulbous bullet and the associated chamber throat. No military contract Webleys were made to take the 476, which was of course rendered obsolescent with the introduction of the Mk I Webley Service revolver.
Peter
PJGP
Member
Actually the other way around Tex. From the start of production the New Service was available in 455, Colt were already active in the British market. The 455 NS was always marked "455 Eley" because that was the brand of commercial 455 (Mark I) that was available to them.
The Canadian North West Mounted Police adopted the 455 NS; they had used the Enfield "476" revolver previously. Dominion (Canadian company) then produced ammunition, clearly for the Mounties, which they called "455 Colt". The only other manufacturer to ever make "455 Colt" headstamped ammo was the Winchester Repeating Arms Company (WRA), but this seems to be scarce so production cannot have been very large.
Peter
I see that I am wrong about the .476 Eley. I had a misconception, but Googled it and now I understand. Thanx for the info. Now I know the true facts.
OP
Texas Star
US Veteran
Oh, I agree. But I think Dominion (CIL) ammo was available to civilians as well as the Mounties.
I have a book on RCMP firearms from the beginning until some time in the 1960's. For some obscure reason, they issued the New Service in both .455 and .45 Colt calibers. The .455's were eventually supplied to western divisions and .45 Colt to the east.
Thanks for the info on the.476. Apparently, no one, Mounties included, liked the old Enfield revolver but the cartridge was effective.
A Colt .476 was used on live cattle in the trials that eventually led to adoption of the Colt M-1911 pistol by US armed forces.
Not many Americans have shot .455 revolvers a lot, so the Winchester ammo was probably loaded mainly for export. I've read that Dominion and Winchester ammo was non-corrosive, an advantage over the Eley production.
I've fired Dominion cartridges in .270, 7X57mm, and .303. It was good stuff. I never had a misfire and it was accurate.
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PJGP
Member
Very much so Tex. I have a number of boxes of it, plus some in 38 S&W. Some of the 455 is plain lead and some plated lead.
Peter
PJGP
Member
For everyone's information. The 476 is the Mark III, the only one with the bulbous bullet.
Peter
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