MilSurp of the Holidays; November/December '13 - VOTING OPEN

[Picton]

Is that what the Mark IV in .38 takes, .38 S/W long? .38 special won't work?

T

You'll find out real quick that .38 spl won't work in a Mk IV; the case is probably about 1/4" too long for the cylinder. .38 S&W can be difficult to find. For years, I've been using the same steel-cased ammo I'd bought in around 2000, but I did score 50 brass-cased Remington rounds at Bass Pro last weekend. Pricey, though.

My story is the opposite of trippingpara's; I got into reloading after I finally found a .455 earlier this year, as ammo in .455 Webley is unobtainable for a decent price. Both revolvers are fantastic shooters, though fit and finish on the .455 is far superior. My Mk IV is pretty rattly.

I've posted this before, but...


The Mk VI was my holy grail, but the Mk IV has a better story. And it means more to me.

 

[PatMcD]

Tough to remember exactly which rifle was my first. I know it was a 96 Swedish Mauser, but not exactly which one; I've had a pile of them over the years.
I still find it hard to pass one by when I see it for sale.

No pics; pre-digital camera days.
I think I was paying $125-$200 for those first Swedes back then.

 

[majspud]

Seems it would be easier/more fun just to use 45acp and moon clips as said, if one (like me) wasn't re-loading yet.

T

 

[ColdDayInHell]

1976 m59/66 SKS, bought it cheap, all matching. I was in love, my first milsurp.

 

[trippingpara]

Seems it would be easier/more fun just to use 45acp and moon clips as said, if one (like me) wasn't re-loading yet.

T

That's what I do must often even though I do reload. Those moon clips can be a bugger though.

Sent from my Samsung Note II via Tapatalk 2.

 

[Picton]

Ah, but the .455 won't fire .45 ACP unless the back of the cylinder has been machined down to accommodate the moon clips. To be sure, many of them were shaved down after the war to suit the American milsurp market; "unshaved" .455s get a premium of around 20-30%, being much rarer in this country. I passed on many shaved Webleys before I found my unshaved one at a reasonable price.

Shaving them destroys much of the collector value, though they are MUCH easier to shoot that way due to ammo availability.

Now the sad part: getting a shaved Webley still might not save you from reloading. The Mark VI was not designed to deal with the pressures created by .45 ACP, and over time it'll weaken the gun to the point that the cylinder can eventually blow out catastrophically. The reason for this is that .45 ACP generates the same pressure as the proof load they used for the Mk VI back in the day. So every time you put a factory-spec round of .45 ACP through a shaved Webley, you're effectively re-proofing the gun. This seems unwise to me. See the pic below for what eventually happens...


There's your history lesson for the day.

The best solution is to handload the .45 ACP to .455 Webley specs. Then you get the best of both worlds. I've got plenty of .455 brass by now, but there was a time I seriously considered tracking down a shaved cylinder so I could use it with .45.

Don't get me started on the bullet, either; the .455 was designed for a hollow-base bullet for better accuracy.

 

[majspud]

Even the light load WWB I use in my 1917 M1911 is too much at 805fps?

T

 

[Picton]

Most folks on the Internet (you know how those people are) say that 600-650 fps is desirable, but it's not really a question of muzzle velocity as much as it is of chamber pressure. Proof load was 13,200 psi, and .45 ACP generates 21,000 (SAAMI).

I've got no idea how chamber pressure is measured in a revolver; I'm just going off a Canadian on a milsurp forum. The unshaved Mk VI seems to be much more common up there.

 

[majspud]

We forgot about this one. Voting open.

Please copy and paste in forum or PM. Entry number is the official number from post 1.

First place: entry #
Second place: entry #
Third place: entry #

T.

 

[30Mauser]

From the gut...
1st: 10
2nd: 12
3rd: 13

 

[majspud]

I have a pet that would love to meet your rabbits.

He rules the house; the cats won't come near him. Even when out of his cage in his 'pasture' an 18" high ~6' diameter circular pet fence, he'll charge after the cats if they get too close.

T.

 

[dhuze]

I have a 7 1/2 foot Red Tail Boa. He's probably hungry again.

 

[majspud]

I have a 7 1/2 foot Red Tail Boa. He's probably hungry again.

These ears are deadly weapons...

 

[majspud]

Let's call this Friday night,

T.

 

[30Mauser]

Let's call this Friday night,

T.

So far I think the rabbit's winning.

 

[majspud]

Well, I can put him on the entry list.

He's #17.

T

 

[majspud]

Votes in tomorrow; TGIF.

T.

 

[trippingpara]

The idea came to me in reading another post. How about we take a trip down amnesia lane and post your first ever love, er, MilSurp.

Rules:

1. Any MilSurp/C&R.
2. Limit of one entry per person.
3. Up to four pictures per entry with brief information; cost, significance, etc.
4. Entries close New Year's Eve
6. Chit chat/comments/reps allowed - this is supposed to be fun - we all like to show off

Entry#

1. majspud: (1995) DOT44 (Feb. '45) K98k
3+ =1

2. Dakar652: 1937 Swiss K31


3. Rotaryrocket: 1944 long branch Enfield no4 mkI


4. dhuse: 1918 M1911, modified


5. Maninblue1861: SA 2.06 10/43 M1 Garand


6. magoo: Chinese SKS


7. mac1911: Russian SKS 1953


8. Martin08: Yugo SKS


9. 30Mauser: Mauser C96 "Broom handle" - family bring back
1+2+1 =8

10. ranger4-7: Blue Sky import M1 Garand
1+ = 3

11. Gilham: CMP Service Grade HRA, 5.5mil
3+ = 1

12. trippingpara: No. 1 Mk. III Enfield
3+2+ =3

13. TFLeader: 1943 Oneida M1942 bayonet
3+1 = 4

14. Picton: Webley Mk IV .38
2+2 = 4

15. ToddDudya: Chinese SKS


16. ColdDayInHell: 1976 m59/66 SKS


17. Bun-San, the Mini-Lop rabbit. Well not so mini; he's about 10 pounds.

1 = 9
2 = 4
3 = 14

Sent from my Samsung Note II via Tapatalk 2.

 

[majspud]

And the results:

FIRST: 30Mauser: Mauser C96 "Broom handle" - family bring back - 1+2+1+1+ =11
SECOND: Picton: Webley Mk IV .38 - 2+2+3 = 5
THIRD: TFLeader: 1943 Oneida M1942 bayonet - 3+1 = 4

and a courtesy point for Bun-San the rabbit.

T.

 

[30Mauser]

And the results:

FIRST: 30Mauser: Mauser C96 "Broom handle" - family bring back - 1+2+1+1+ =11
SECOND: Picton: Webley Mk IV .38 - 2+2+3 = 5
THIRD: TFLeader: 1943 Oneida M1942 bayonet - 3+1 = 4

and a courtesy point for Bun-San the rabbit.

T.

I'm humbled and moved. My sincere appreciation on behalf of Bop and his men who sent the Nazis home!

 

[Picton]

Thanks, all; posting about my Webley reminded me I hadn't shot it in about five years, so I had it out last weekend. It was like reconnecting with an old friend.

Congrats, 30Mauser.