The .455 Webley Labyrinth

Mk. II Loads for a Classic Revolver.

- Terry Wieland

Terry Wieland

The .455 Webley may be the champion among pistol cartridges for presenting the most potential problems for a handloader. It is the only cartridge, in my experience, with pitfalls related to every single aspect: cases, primers, bullets, powders, bore diameter and even the chambers of the guns that were made for it.

It has been around for more than 120 years in its various forms, and for at least 70 of those years, it was an official sidearm of Britain and the British Empire. To understand the .455 Webley, you need some insight into the workings of the British War Office.

The War Office – the cabinet department that oversaw the British Army – was chronically short of money. The bulk of the defense budget went to the Royal Navy, which left the army making do with crumbs. During times of peace, the Exchequer begrudged them every shilling. The second major consideration was the army’s role. It was seen, foremost, as a police force for the empire, from India to South Africa, from Australia to Egypt.

In between major wars, the army was constantly fighting border skirmishes against often fanatical opponents. A patrol in the Khyber Pass was likely to find itself under attack from Pathans who took a lot of killing. Like the Americans in the Philippines, the British wanted a pistol that would stop a sword-swinging attacker in his tracks. This is the major reason that, as the rest of the world was switching to semiautomatic military pistols and high-velocity, small-caliber cartridges, the British stuck with their trusty revolver and its 265-grain, .455-diameter lead bullet.