What are these?

[Greeenriver SASS #38681]

I was at a yard sale the other day, and among the stuff I picked up was a partial box of 45 caliber rimed shells that fit nicely in the chambers of my 45 Colt caliber pistols. These are old rounds, box is yellow and dark blue, and labled Dominion C-I-L 455 Colt. They are a 265 GR lead bullet in a case that is about the same length as a 45 ACP or C45S cowboy load. But the bullet is long and pointed soft lead. Got 9 of these rounds in the box, and 1 extra that is the same bullet, but in a case about 1/8th inch shorter.

 

Actialy, I know what they are for, just wanted to brag on finding them, is all.

 

The side of the box says, "DOMINION brand centre fire cartridges are manufactured from high quality virgin brass. Primers are oilproof and non-corrosive.

 

The 455 calibre cartridge is loaded with a 265 grain non-fouling lead bullet. It has a muzzle velocity of 770 feet per second, and a muzzle energy of 349 foot pounds.

 

For use in British Service Revolvers No. 1, (MARKS I, II, III, IV, V, and VI) AND OTHER REVOMVERS DESIGNATED 455, 455 ELEY, AND 455 WEBLEY MARK II"

The rims are much thinner than a 45 Colt or 45 Cowboy Special, about half as thick.

 

Havn't decided if I'm going to shoot them, or just keep them as an odity yet. Probibly just keep them, as I've got over a thousand of the 45 Cowboy specials and don't need the brass for anything other than desplay.

 

Just thought this was interesting for a snowy day.

 

Greeenriver

 

PS: If anyone has a need of these that I can hand them to face to face, you can have them. I got them free with other stuff, and will pass them on for my cost. Be in NC for most of the winter, near Burlington.

 

GR

[Adirondack Jack, SASS #53440]

CIL Dominion was an ammunition Co out of Canada. What you have are rounds for a .455 Colt/Eley, aka .455 Webley. If the brass is almost as long as ACP and the bullets a long ogive 265 grainer, they would be a "Webley Mark I", (quite a bit longer than the later smokeless webley "Marks" and likely are pretty old. You will note the rims are a bit thinner than .45 Colt, though the diameter is about the same.

 

webley rounds

The middle round is a Mark I, (Black Powder) the one on the right is the Mark II (cordite). On the left is the parent cartridge, the .450 Adams (actually a .455 as well)

[Marauder SASS #13056]

Could they be the .455 Webley ammunition?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.455_Webley

 

http://www.cabelas.com/handgun-ammunition-...mmunition.shtml

 

Adirondack Jack was faster, but mine had pictures!!!

[Greeenriver SASS #38681]

CIL Dominion was an ammunition Co out of Canada. What you have are rounds for a .455 Colt/Eley, aka .455 Webley. If the brass is almost as long as ACP and the bullets a long ogive 265 grainer, they would be a "Webley Mark I", (quite a bit longer than the later smokeless webley "Marks" and likely are pretty old. You will note the rims are a bit thinner than .45 Colt, though the diameter is about the same.

 

webley rounds

The middle round is a Mark I, (Black Powder) the one on the right is the Mark II (cordite). On the left is the parent cartridge, the .450 Adams (actually a .455 as well)

 

 

Looking at the pictures, I got 9 of the center ones, and 1 of the left one. I knew what they were for, but didn't know the origon of the Doninion Co.

 

Thanks, both of you.

 

Think I'll just keep maybe 5 of the center ones, and the one oddball one for show and tell. May actialy shoot 4 of the taller ones just to see what they feel like and if they smoke like BP or not.

 

Greeenriver

[Adirondack Jack, SASS #53440]

Looking at the pictures, I got 9 of the center ones, and 1 of the left one. I knew what they were for, but didn't know the origon of the Doninion Co.

 

Thanks, both of you.

 

Think I'll just keep maybe 5 of the center ones, and the one oddball one for show and tell. May actialy shoot 4 of the taller ones just to see what they feel like and if they smoke like BP or not.

 

Greeenriver

Good luck with that. Primers may or may not go off, and if ya intend on shooting em in a .45 Colt revolver (I have), ya may have a headspace problem as the rims are so thin yer FP may not whack em hard enough. A work-around is to wrap some heavy thread around the case ahead of the rim to make em headspace like .45 Colt..... If they DO go off, and even if they are (semi)smokeless cordite, ya best clean yer iron real good, as they are likely corrosive primed.

[Dead Dog Jack]

Think I'll just keep maybe 5 of the center ones, and the one oddball one for show and tell. May actialy shoot 4 of the taller ones just to see what they feel like and if they smoke like BP or not.

 

Greeenriver

 

 

What I would like to know, Greenriver, is what revolver you are going to use to shoot them? They should not seat in a 45 Colt cylinder (I've tried!). Because the rim diameter on the 455 round is .535" and the rim diameter of the 45 Colt is .512," the ratchet on a 45 Colt cylinder is too large. The rim hits the ratchet, preventing the seating of the round.

[Noz]

Wrap thread around the case to make it fit? Reminds me of the story of the man that bought a 375 lever gun because it was dirt cheap. The reason for the cheap price is that the gun could not be opened. He took it to a gun smith and they determined that something was stuck in the chamber. To make a long story short, after much soaking in solvent and judicious application of force they got the bolt back and dug out the yards of duct tape that had been wrapped around a 357 magnum cartridge and then fired in the rifle. After clean up the gun works well.

[Yellowhouse Sam # 25171]

Wrap thread around the case to make it fit? Reminds me of the story of the man that bought a 375 lever gun because it was dirt cheap. The reason for the cheap price is that the gun could not be opened. He took it to a gun smith and they determined that something was stuck in the chamber. To make a long story short, after much soaking in solvent and judicious application of force they got the bolt back and dug out the yards of duct tape that had been wrapped around a 357 magnum cartridge and then fired in the rifle. After clean up the gun works well.

 

Darwin award winners seem to be quite innovative. That said, I just thought I'd heard everything.

[Adirondack Jack, SASS #53440]

The thread is wrapped just ahead of the rim of the .455 Colt-ELEY, aka Webley Mark I case to adjust rim thickness, not case diameter. The thread does not end up inside the chamber, but rather bunched up behind it, causing the rim to headspace back against the recoil shield, instead of having about a .025 gap because, the rims of the ELEY/Webley case are thinner than .45 Colt. Otherwise, yes, they will work.