.455 Webley is a British

handgun A handgun is a short- barrelled gun, typically a firearm, that is designed to be usable with only one hand. It is distinguished from a long gun (i.e. rifle, shotgun or machine gun, etc.), which needs to be held by both hands and also braced ...

cartridge Cartridge may refer to: Objects * Cartridge (firearms), a type of modern ammunition * ROM cartridge, a removable component in an electronic device * Cartridge (respirator), a type of filter used in respirators Other uses * Cartridge (surname), a ...

, most commonly used in the Webley top break revolvers Marks I through VI. It is also known as ".455 Eley" and ".455 Colt". The .455 cartridge was a service revolver cartridge, featuring a rimmed cartridge firing a .45-caliber

bullet A bullet is a kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is shot from a gun barrel. Bullets are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax. Bullets are made in various shapes and co ...

at the relatively low velocity of 650 ft/s (190 m/s). The result was a cartridge and handgun combination with comparatively mild recoil. The .455 MK III "cupped" cartridge was rated superior to the

.45 Colt The .45 Colt (11.43×33mmR), is a rimmed, straight-walled, handgun cartridge dating to 1872. It was originally a black-powder revolver round developed for the Colt Single Action Army revolver. This cartridge was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1 ...

in stopping power in the disputed United States Thompson-LaGarde Tests of 1904 that resulted in the adoption by the U.S. of the

.45 ACP The .45 ACP ( Automatic Colt Pistol) or .45 Auto (11.43×23mm) is a rimless straight-walled handgun cartridge designed by John Moses Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic pistol. After successful military trials, it ...

cartridge. The .455 Webley cartridge remained in service with British and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

forces until the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Variants

Six main types of .455 ammunition were produced: * .455 Webley Mk I 1.55×21.7mmR Introduced in 1891. 265

grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...

(17.2 g) solid lead round-nosed bullet propelled by

black powder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). Th ...

. All subsequent .455 designs used

cordite Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom since 1889 to replace black powder as a military propellant. Like modern gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burni ...

propellant. In 1894 some Mark I cartridges were loaded with cordite (identified by a case cannelure and "C" headstamp) but it was found combustion was more efficient in a shorter case. * .455 Webley Mk II 1.55×19.3mmR Introduced in 1897. 265 grain (17.2 g) solid lead round-nosed bullet propelled by Barnes, p. 175, ".476 Ely/.476 Enfield Mk-3".

. With the change to cordite propellant, case lengths were reduced. There are minor differences between the Mk I and II bullet shape, though these concern the internal dimensions and so are not immediately apparent. ** (1900-1912) Replaced the Mk III until it was replaced by the Mk IV. The bullet is made of a 12:1 ratio lead-tin alloy. ** (1914-1939) Replaced the Mk V until it was replaced by the Mk VI. The bullet is made of a 99% lead and 1% antimony alloy. * .455 Webley Mk III 1.55×19.3mmR Introduced in 1898. The famous "

Manstopper Stopping power is the ability of a weapon – typically a ranged weapon such as a firearm – to cause a target (human or animal) to be incapacitated or immobilized. Stopping power contrasts with lethality in that it pertains only to a weapo ...

" bullet intended for police, civilian and

colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

use. Essentially, the Mk III was a 218 grain lead "

hollowpoint upright=0.2, Cross-section of a hollow-point bullet; proportions are those of a .22 Long Rifle cartridge Jacketed soft point (JSP) round. Right: Jacketed hollow-point (JHP) round. JSP is a semi-jacketed round as the jacket does not extend to ...

" 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. The Mark III was withdrawn from service in 1900 and the Mark II was reintroduced. * .455 Webley Mk IV 1.55×19.3mmR Introduced in 1912. 220 grain, flat-nosed

wadcutter A wadcutter is a special-purpose flat-fronted bullet specifically designed for shooting paper targets, usually at close range and at subsonic velocities typically under approximately 900 ft/s (274 m/s). Wadcutters have also found favor ...

with cordite propellant. Designed with the goal of producing a more effective bullet than the Mark II without violating the terms of the Hague Convention. * .455 Webley Mk V 1.55×19.3mmR Introduced in 1914. Identical to the Mk IV bullet, but cast from a harder lead-alloy containing more

antimony Antimony is a chemical element with the symbol Sb (from la, stibium) and atomic number 51. A lustrous gray metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite (Sb2S3). Antimony compounds have been known since ancient time ...

with cordite propellant. This cartridge was only in use from April to November 1914. Upon its withdrawal the Mark II cartridge was returned to service. Remaining stocks were designated for target practice and unloaded cases were loaded with Mark II bullets. * .455 Webley Mk VI 1.55×19.3mmR Introduced in 1939. A 265-grain full-metal-jacketed bullet intended for military purposes, designed to comply with the Hague Conventions. This cartridge was used during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The propellant was cordite or

nitro-cellulose Nitrocellulose (also known as cellulose nitrate, flash paper, flash cotton, guncotton, pyroxylin and flash string, depending on form) is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to a mixture of nitric acid and ...

. Cordite-loaded cartridges bear a "VI" on the headstamp while nitrocellulose-loaded cartridges are indicated with a "VIz". In addition to the Webley revolvers, the British and Canadian armies also ordered several thousand

Smith & Wesson Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (S&W) is an American firearm manufacturer headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Smith & Wesson was founded by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson as the "Smith & Wesson Revolver Company" in 1856 ...

.44 Hand Ejector revolvers, chambered in .455 Webley, in a rush to equip their troops for the

Great War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The urgency was such that the earliest of these were converted from revolvers already completed and chambered for

.44 Special The .44 Smith & Wesson Special, also commonly known as .44 S&W Special, .44 Special, .44 Spl, .44 Spc, (pronounced "forty-four special"), or 10.9x29mmR is a smokeless powder center fire metallic revolver cartridge developed by Smith & Wesson in 1 ...

. Approximately 60,000

Colt New Service The Colt New Service is a large frame, large caliber, double-action revolver made by Colt from 1898 until 1941. Made in various calibers, the .45 Colt version with a 5½" barrel, was adopted by the U.S. Armed Forces as the Model 1909.Murphy (1985 ...

revolvers were also purchased, in .455. The Italian firm

Fiocchi Fiocchi Munizioni (Fiocchi Ammunition) is one of Italy's largest and oldest manufacturers of ammunition. The company's headquarters and main production plant are in Via Santa Barbara in Lecco, Italy. History Fiocchi Munizioni was founded on 3 Ju ...

and American firm

Hornady Hornady Manufacturing Company is an American manufacturer of ammunition cartridges, components and handloading equipments, based in Grand Island, Nebraska. History The company is currently run by Joyce Hornady's son, Steve Hornady, who took over ...

are currently the only commercial manufacturers of the .455 Webley cartridge (in Mk II). Hornady, RCBS and Lee produce equipment for reloading .455 Webley cartridges.

.455 Webley Auto

The .455 Webley Auto Mk I cartridge was produced from 1913 to about the middle of World War II. This is a semi-rimmed cartridge for the Webley & Scott Self Loading pistols. The early version of the cartridge (c.1904) had a shorter 21.7mm semi-rimmed case with a narrow rim and a pointed bullet. A later improved version of the cartridge (c.1910) was similar except it had a 23.54mm long case and a round-nosed bullet. The Mk 1 service round (c.1913) was identical to the 1910 version of the cartridge except it had a thicker rim. The Mk 1 cartridge's bullet headspaced on the rim. It was loaded with a 224 grain cupro-nickel-jacketed bullet with a muzzle velocity of 700 feet per second. Various sub machine guns were tested using this cartridge however none were adopted.

World War One use

The Webley & Scott pistol was sold to the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

and

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

during World War I. There were also some Colt M1911 pistols chambered in .455 Auto purchased by the Royal Navy. Although not a standard sidearm or a standard service cartridge, a few Colt M1911 "British service models" chambered in .455 Auto were sold commercially to British navy and army officers through outfitters. The service ammunition came packed in seven-round boxes stamped "not for revolvers" to prevent confusion.

.476 Enfield

Despite the apparent difference in caliber name,

.476 Enfield The .476 Enfield, also known as the .476 Eley, .476 Revolver, and occasionally .455/476,Barnes, p.175, ".476 Ely/.476 Enfield Mk-3". is a British centrefire black powder revolver cartridge. The Enfield name derives from the location of the Roya ...

was quite similar to the .455 Webley. The .476 had a shorter case than the .455 Mark I and could be fired in weapons regulated and marked as safe for the caliber, such as the Webley "WG Army" model. This had a cylinder that was long enough to accommodate the significantly longer cartridge in which the bullet swelled out to .476" beyond the case. It would not chamber in any government-issue .455 Webley Marks I–VI.Maze, Robert J. ''Howdah to High Power'' (Tucson, AZ: Excalibur Publications, 2002), p. 32. The

.450 Adams The .450 Adams was a British black powder centrefire revolver cartridge, initially used in converted Beaumont–Adams revolvers, in the late 1860s. Officially designated .450 Boxer Mk I, and also known variously as the .450 Revolver, .450 Colt ...

(1868),

(1881), and .455 Webley Mk.I (1891) British service cartridges all featured a case diameter of .476 inch 2.09mm File:WebleyCartridges.jpg, From left to right: .450 Adams, .455 Webley Mk I, .455 Webley Mk II cartridges File:455 Webley auto cartridge.JPG, .455 Webley Auto Mk I cartridge File:Colt 1911 Cal. 455.JPG,

M1911 pistol The M1911 (Colt 1911 or Colt Government) is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. The pistol's formal U.S. military designation as of 1940 was ''Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911'' for th ...

"British Service Model", which uses the Webley Auto Mk I cartridge. The weapon is stamped with ".455" on the slide and the underside of the magazine

Notes

References

* Barnes, Frank C., ed. by John T. Amber. ".476 Eley/.476 Enfield Mk-3", in ''Cartridges of the World'', pp. 175 & 178. Northfield, IL: DBI Books, 1972. . * Maze, Robert J. ''Howdah to High Power''. Tucson, AZ: Excalibur Publications, 2002. . * Wilson, R. K. ''Textbook of Automatic Pistols'', p. 228. Plantersville, SC: Small Arms Technical Publishing Company, 1943.

External links

"Those Confusing .455s" by Chris Punnett
��Additional information on the .455 Webley cartridge {{DEFAULTSORT:455 Webley Military cartridges Pistol and rifle cartridges British firearm cartridges Rimmed cartridges