Is .455" Same As .476" ?:

I was reading a story about the British Webley-Green revolvers and I was becoming more perplexed by the minute - reading how these nicely made old revolvers could use both the .455" and .476" cartridges! .. surely the bigger round would cause problems?

You see .. you can learn something new every day 🙂

- Look .. You don't know what you don't know eh.

For starters - I read that the Webley-Green revolvers are more properly called the 'Webley Government' Model - but I don't get too excited about that sort of thing .. you can call me Marty or Martin - or even "Kav" and I won't object ... Although I did once work with a freak called Tony who insisted that his name was 'An-Thony' as per it's spelling ... so I thereafter made a point to call him "Thony" at every chance.

Well good old Wikipedia came to the caliber-party and explained that the .455" round used a .455" (or .454") diameter bullet - as did the earlier .476 round - which was named after it's .476" diameter case.

It seems that.450 Adams, .476 Enfield (Eley), and .455 Webley cartridges could all be fired in the Webley Government model revolvers - as they all used .450+" - .455" bullets from a similar case.

Confused again by calibers?.. I think that the bore size is or was .450 +". Please note that both bore and cylinder throat sizes are found to be variable - but the generally soft lead projectiles give a degree of flexibility.

This model .455" caliber revolver was bought privately by many British officers and NCOs - and used in the Boer War - plus both WWI & WW2 with whatever iteration of cartridges they might be issued with..

I get the idea that these 'different' cartridges were  various "loadings" from the Black-Powder and  'Cordite', & smokeless-powder change over periods with slightly different case length, bullet weight and shapes, and various powder charges for use in .450" bore revolvers from the 1880s. 

Enfield Cartridges - They Look A Bit Ugly Eh.

There's lots more interesting revolver history and 'battle history' out there but I won't just copy it here.

 - Google is your friend .. Or have a look at this tale about these old .455' & .450" cartridges. Link:

http://cartridgecollectors.org/?page=introduction-to-455-cartridges

Marty K.