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I have a VERY good Colt New Service in 455 Eley that I inherited 30 years ago and have never shot--it's time. I have been told that 45 auto placed in half moon clips will fire in it. I would hate to ruin the gun as It may never have been fired ! Will this work or shall I bite the Bullet and buy contemporary ammunition? Much more expensive than the auto .
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If 45 ACP in moon clips will work then the gun has been modified, a pretty common occurance when the guns came back to the US. If it's been modified to take ACPs the 45 AR will work and you don't need the clips.
If the gun has not been modified, then 45 ACP will not fit - the 455 had a very thin rim. I'm not sure how to check - if there were any numbers on the face of the cylinder they would have been shaved off if it were turned down to accept the ACP - someone will come along soon with more and better info.
Whether it's original 455 or ACP, very nice gun.GOA Member & SAF Life Member -
Exactly right. FYI -- 45 AR means 45 Auto Rim. 45 AR is hard to find these days.
On a .455 Webley MK VI, you check the length of the cylinder using a dial caliper; should be 1.500 inches.
For the Colt, if the gap between the breech face and cylinder is about the thickness of a quarter, then it's been cut for .45 ACP in clips or .45 AR. It would be a much smaller gap for .455 -- as pointed out, the .455 brass has a rim only slightly thicker than the thickness of a case wall.Life Member NRA and 2A Foundation.
My posts are my own opinions and do not reflect those of any organization I am a member of.
Nothing I post should be construed as legal advice; if you need legal advice, see a lawyer.
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
William Pitt (1759-1806)Comment
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Also, the groove diameter of the .455 is larger and will lead like mad if used with .452" bullets.Comment
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Correct.
If it's in .455, try Old West Scrounger for ammo or brass:
Actually, Old West is a great resource for all old, obsolete ammuntion.The way some gunshop clerks spout off, you'd think that they invented gunpowder and the repeating rifle, and sat on the Supreme Court as well.
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"An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it."
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Check my current auctions on Gunbroker - user name bigbasscat - see what left California before Roberti-RoosComment
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FYI, there's an on line company that sells bullets - Penn Bullets - and they will size the "45" cal bullets anywhere from .451 to .456 I believe. They take a while to deliver so I buy in bulk, but their 45 caliber 225 grain full wadcutter is great in the 45 ACP revolvers. I use them in a Smith 25.GOA Member & SAF Life MemberComment
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455 eley ammunition/New Service colt
Thanks for the advice. I did the quarter test and it appears that you are right about the cylinder being turned down as it is a hair wider than the quarter. It also shows rub marks on the receiver that look like the width of the half moon clips. With the clips in w/45acp the cylinder closes with no problem. I assume that if it were not turned down it would not close???Comment
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BTW -- I'd love to see some photos of the Colt!Life Member NRA and 2A Foundation.
My posts are my own opinions and do not reflect those of any organization I am a member of.
Nothing I post should be construed as legal advice; if you need legal advice, see a lawyer.
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
William Pitt (1759-1806)Comment
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Go easy on that New Service; no hot rounds for it! Standard GI or even a bit less is best. I have a SW 1917 that I use auto rim cases and handload pretty mild loads for it. These old revolvers were made when metallurgy wasn't at the level of today.
My New Service in .45 Colt
The SW 1917 (Brazil contract) in .45 auto/auto rimComment
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On the Cabelas website they have ammo available for 455 webley mark II made by hornady. I dont know if this fits your gun.Dont just make a choice, be the person who makes the better choice.
SA XD9, Kimber TAC II 45, Bersa Minifirestorm 9, 1858 Remington Pietta, 1851 Navy Pietta, M1 Garand, Stoeger coachgunComment
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There ares still commercial sources of .455 available. However, with the back face of the cylinder cut down in a lathe to accommodate 45 ACP / 45 AR, the .455 would have too much headspace.
The .455 is not a solid head case and I envision several problems trying to use .455 in a modified revolver.- Ruptured cases
- Failure to fire because hammer energy is used to push the round forward in the headspace slop
BTW -- you probably noticed the star is exceptionally thin -- a side effect of cutting the back face of the cylinder.Life Member NRA and 2A Foundation.
My posts are my own opinions and do not reflect those of any organization I am a member of.
Nothing I post should be construed as legal advice; if you need legal advice, see a lawyer.
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
William Pitt (1759-1806)Comment
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