Reader Forum

What connection, if any, did Hopkins & Allen have with Webley? Does the Webley being presumably manufactured in England represent a better grade of metal than used on the H&A revolvers? Is it metallurgically safe to fire? Steve Weedman Brian Smith responds. The content of the Hopkins & Allen series of articles in American Gunsmith pertains solely to H&A revolvers. If I’ve led anyone to believe that H&A and Webley were somehow related, that’s not the case and I apologize.

Comparison of H&A revolvers with Webley revolvers is like comparing apples and avocados; there is no comparison. The only similarity between H&A and Webley revolvers is the top break design. As the H&A articles stated, Hopkins & Allen revolvers were fabricated using cast iron frames and were designed to be fired with black powder ammunition.

Because of the questionable process control and the fact that any surviving H&A revolver has an unknown history, it is strongly recommended that H&A revolvers not be fired at all. Webley revolvers were much better made, but most of those chambered in 455 Webley were made in an era when process control was nowhere near what it was in the latter half of the 20th century, let alone today. You mention that your Mark V, apparently manufactured in 1915, was converted from 455 Webley to 45 ACP.

This was a dangerous practice, and Webley revolvers chambered in 45 ACP have been known to fail catastrophically when firing 45 ACP ammunition. The 455 Webley cartridge has a pressure limit of about 13,000 PSI and under, depending on the Mark. "Six Tons" is generally stamped on proofed Webleys, and that means six long tons, or 13,200 psi, where along ton is 2,200 pounds of force. In contrast, the 45 ACP cartridge has a pressure of 19,000 psi.

In effect, every time a Webley is fired with 45 ACP factory loads, it’s being proof tested! Don’t do it! It is widely recommended in Internet message boards to handload for the Webley converted to 45 ACP by using preferably 45 Auto Rim cases, a 260-265 grain cast lead bullet (contact Buffalo Arms—BuffaloArms.com, Westport, KY and from 4.6 to 4.9 grains of Unique powder. Alternatively, 4.0 grains of Trail Boss can be used.

These loads are reportedly below the 13,200 PSI limit of the Webley Mk VI, given what is reported in message boards regarding loading and shooting Webley revolvers, particularly those converted to 45 ACP. Personally, I have an ACPconverted Webley Mk 5 and have shot it for more than 25 years using a 262 grain cast bullet sized to 0.455" and loaded with 4.8 grains of Unique in Remington 45 Auto Rim cases. The loads are extremely mild and surprisingly accurate.

I use the same load in Fiocchi 455 Webley cases in my uncut Webley Mk VI revolvers. Remington Rolling Block No. 1 I have a Remington Rolling Block No. 1 in the shop brought in by a customer wanting to determine the chambering. The rifle was handed down to him through the family. No one remembers shooting it and now he wants to. The barrel is marked "CAL 7mm" and my 7mm

range rod goes in and fits really well with the stock bushing, however, it is not chambered in 7mm Mauser as it wouldn’t close on that dummy round. I did a chamber cast but the dimensions do not match any cartridge I’m aware of. The measurements are base 0.470, shoulder 0.436, neck 0.330, and case length of 2.27+ to the end of the chamber. Brian Perkins Perkins Gunsmithing From Mark Hollensen. Based on the measurements provided, it could very well be a 7×57 Mauser but not a 7mm Mauser.

These are different cartridges and the 7×57 is a tad shorter in chamber length. Try looking up that round (it is in Cartridges of the World ) and take a few more measurements from the casting to see if the base to start of shoulder, base to end of shoulder, base to end of neck, and the like match the specs for the 7×57. That might be your actual caliber. From Paul Mazan. This seems like a 7×57 Mauser in a 1902 Remington Rolling Block.

Unfortunately, currently available 7×57 Mauser cartridges are made to a standard that was agreed upon in the 1920s and, as you have discovered, the two are not compatible. If the firearm is to be shot, ammunition will have to be made by an experienced reloader that is familiar with making cartridge conversions. The base measurement of your casting is 0.470. That is slightly undersized as 0.473 is the current standard.

Your neck diameter of 0.330 is oversize as the current standard is 0.325, Your case length of 2.27 is longer than the current 2.244. It appears that the rounds won’t chamber because the neck is too large in diameter to fit in the chamber. It would appear that properly fitting brass could be made using 30-06 brass as the parent cartridge. From RK Campbell. If I had seen the rifle I would have said 7x57mm Mauser, by far the most common, but this is not the 7mm Mauser.

While I’m not certain, the barrel markings do not seem period correct so it looks like this might be markings from a gunsmith job. I do know that Argentina—along with dozens of the world’s armies— used the Remington rifle. Argentina replaced the Rolling Block and went to the Mauser bolt action in 7.65 Argentine. The original Remington rifles were in 43 Spanish.

I don’t think it a stretch to imagine some of these rifles were rebarreled or even re-lined and chambered in 7.65mm Argentine, which according to specifications was shorter than the 7mm Mauser. I have seen quite a few conversions of old rifles that were very cheap at one time and they were rebarreled to modern cartridges.

Check for a neck diameter of 8.78 mm (0.346 inches), shoulder diameter of 10.90 mm (0.429), base diameter 12.01 mm (0.473), rim diameter 12.05 mm (0.474), rim thickness of 1.00 mm (0.039), case length of 53.60 mm (2.110), and overall length of 76.00 mm (2.992). Cold Bluing Many thanks to Glen Calvert for his article "Cold Bluing" in the July 2020 issue. I followed his advice and my results were fantastic. The polishing with 0000 steel wool really evens out the finish. Wish I’d of learned this trick 45+ years ago.

Brett Olin Sent from my Daystrom M-5 Reupping Tool Supply Wonderful article. I have a few Real Avid Tools and they are well made, however, when it comes to Driver Sets, take a good look at Chapman Mfg. Co. (ChapmanMfg.com, Their sets for gun owners and gunsmiths are exquisitely made, very functional, priced fair, and their customer service is top notch. I have been using them for years and have multiple units in different parts of my work area. Alan J Chwick Everything22andMore.com From author RK Campbell.

Thanks for reading! I’ve used Chapman tools for years and still have a few, I just like the new Real Avid tools a bit better. AG