A Work of Art In .455 Eley

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Last Post 22 March 2024
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Ed Harris posted this 06 November 2023

I recently picked up my .455 Pocket Blaster from Sandy Garrett after rebuild. When original cut-off barrel was pulled to set back and correct a loose cylinder gap, Magnaflux inspection revealed a crack at the root of the thread. So Sandy took a 3-1/2" piece of Douglas barrel leftover from another job, profiled, threaded and fitted it up, fabricated and silver soldered a new front sight, then removed end shake, adjusted timing, targeted and tweaked everything and matte blued. Weighs 35 ozs. empty. Mika pocket holster in hand warmer pocket of my Carhart barn coat fits perfectly.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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gnoahhh posted this 06 November 2023

A bellicose belly gun!

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Ed Harris posted this 06 November 2023

Indeed!

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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delmarskid posted this 06 November 2023

I like it.

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Lee Guthrie posted this 08 November 2023

MP Moulds makes a nice 265 grain hollow base mould for .455 Eley. Can get in either .455 or .457 (for those larger cylinder throats). I picked up one several months ago and it casts nice bullets, when you get it hot enough for those pesky base pins.

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Ed Harris posted this 08 November 2023

The hollow-based bullet is not needed in the .455 Colt New Services because cylinder throats are .456" diameter. The HB bullet IS helpful in Webleys in which the cylinder throats are commonly smaller than barrel groove diameter. This was intended to aid combustion of the Cordite powder charge. My Webley MkVI shot very much better after its undersized, and non-uniform throats varying from .449-.451 were honed by Doug Phillips to .4555" and an Accurate mold was ordered to fit.

I found the Webley less than ideal for carry and as a shooter so sold the MkVI and bought instead a 1914 New Service .455 Eley which groups like a target revolver and is stronger. A charge of 3.5 grains of Bullseye matches service velocity in the shorter 0.76" Mk2 cases and 4 grains in the longer 0.87" Dominion .455 Colt Mk1 or in .45 Auto Rim brass for " shaved" revolvers.

DO NOT exceed 3.5 grains of Bullseye in top-break .455 Webleys, regardless of the brass used.

They are fragile and should be treated gently.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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JeffinNZ posted this 08 November 2023

.455 Webley is like someone throwing a bag of cement at a target. Slow but VERY convincing.

Cheers from New Zealand

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Eutectic posted this 09 November 2023

A great comfort to have in your pocket. The sight of big hole in the barrel often concludes the argument without waste of ammunition.

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Ed Harris posted this 09 November 2023

And - I was told on good authority years ago by an old retired copper that any New Service Colt, of any barrel length, in any caliber, is a superior impact weapon when empty to a leaded leather sap or wooden truncheon. And the revolver won't be harmed by occasional such use.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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RicinYakima posted this 09 November 2023

While I will not say anything bad about your old retired copper, I found this piece of equipment very handy in the 1970's. Then they were considered "non-lethal" weapons and widely used.

Boston Leather Model 5412 2ply Denver Sap

An edge strike would break bones, but a side would only paralyze soft tissue.

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RicinYakima posted this 09 November 2023

If you look down on my right thigh, you will se a special pocket made to hold the sap.

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Ed Harris posted this 09 November 2023

I am sure your "slapper" did the job.

Ole "Buck Toothed Bill" went on the job in DC in 1948 when he got out of the Army, the year I was born. He had been an MP brig chaser in the ETO and had no sense of humor. Bill retired from DCMPD in 1962 when I was a wee lad who loved to hear barber shop stories...

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Lee Guthrie posted this 09 November 2023

I shudder to think how many rounds of full power .45 ACP and Auto Rim have been fired through Mark VIs. Nothing like a cylinder full of almost proof loads every time........

I noticed the huge discrepancies in cylinder throats: I went on a binge somewhile back and bought .455 Eleys in Webley, Colt, and S&W. The Webley looks "cool", but is nowhere near the quality and accuracy of the Colt and S&W.

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Ed Harris posted this 09 November 2023

Agree. A couple .455 S&Ws I checked with gage pins and passed on had .457-.458 throats. The Colts in .45 Colt and .455 have been consistent at .4555-.456 and shoot well with soft lead, cup-based .454 diameter .45 Colt factory component bullets.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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RustyZipper posted this 01 January 2024

For a different caliber I had swaging dies. The nose punch for wadcutter was designed after the old Brit "manstopper" hp. Heavily tapered and deep, that HP, set up as a wadcutter/ HP was amazing. An HP in soft lead with that design would be efficient at very mild velocities Have thought about an HP mold from MP molds for my 1917 Brazilian. Or just get 45acp dies with the HP nose punch for that 2.5" gun. Yeah, I shortened and crowned it. Still needing the tritium big dot front sight. Be Well Brothers, RZ.

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RustyZipper posted this 01 January 2024

A sort of PS. One can carry the "slapper" in the state on Misery only with a concealed Carry Permit. I'm sure an officer of the law wouldn't be allowed to carry that. Not PC. Be Well, RZ.

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Ed Harris posted this 01 January 2024

Recently got some Dominion .455 Colt off GunBroker. More substantial load than the Fiocchi ammo I have been shooting, 700 fps. I reduced the front sight by 0.02" after this firing. Next range trip will shoot Fiocchi, Hornady and WW2 Kynoch for point of impact. Also got some Fiocchi in .450 Corto to try. A 14.65 gram (226 grain) bullet at 245 m/s (802 fps) from a 11.58cm (4.5") test barrel at 720 Bar (10,400 psi). Very similar ballistics to our .45 Auto Rim.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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OU812 posted this 01 January 2024

I noticed you have lots of very interesting pistols. NICE

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Ed Harris posted this 02 January 2024

Ole Bucktoothed Bill favored the Colt New Service. He said that having two was adequate, but six was not too many.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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9.3X62AL posted this 02 January 2024

I think 'Ole Bucktoothed Bill' and i could have talked for hours.

I got into the police trade in late 1977. My Class 'A' uniform pants had sap pockets for the entire duration of my career until 2005, but God forbid that any of 'Gentle Ben's' deputies EVER carry a beavertail. He had to retire in 1986 before real arms and tools were deemed proper to save your life or minimize injury.

About 20 years ago I had a shot at a 90%+ Colt New Service in 455 Eley. 5.5" barrel I think it was. Still having kids in school and month left at the end of the money in those days, its $400 tariff was a little strongly-flavored. I should have lived on Top Ramen for a month, but hindsight is always 20/20. Had the example been in 44/40, 44 Special, or 45 Colt, I would have opted for the noodles.