J_Weaver wrote:Indiana Neri wrote:Any difference in stopping power?
Indy N.
I'm not sure. I've done a lot of research on the .455 and I haven't been able to find much info. Here is what I can tell you from first hand experience. Since getting my S&W HE a few months ago I've fired about 50 rounds through it. I personally find the .455 to be less powerful than the .45. However, the ammo I have may be loaded somewhat lighter than the military ammo that would have been used when the gun was new. The reason I say that is because my S&W is 89 years old and most .455 revolvers are of similar age. The manafacturer of the ammo may have loaded it light so that there won't be as much pressure on the old guns. But I really don't know, its just a theory, the .455 may have been that light? I would compare the .455 in report (sound) and recoil to the .44 S&W Special.
My ammo was made by Fiocchi, here is what there website says:
.455 Webely MkII- 262gr. bullet- muzzle velocity 655fps- muzzle energy 420ft-lbs
They also make .45acp. The .45 weights in with 390ft-lbs. According to them the .455 has 30ft-lbs more power? I don't have any first hand experience with the .45ACP so I can compare the two directly. But I swear the .455 seams mild compaired to the .45's I've seen. Maybe I'm just too used to firing cannons like the .44 mag.
I, too, have used the Fiocchi in my .455 (it's the only commercially-available .455 that I'm aware of, rare as it is), as well as some of the similarly-grained ammo available from the Old West Scrounger. The .455 ammo is grained lighter than .45 availble today. While the grain count and overall round size is smaller than .45, .455 still has a heck of a kick, and high stopping power.
The lighter grain count is a simple matter of 90-year-old metallurgical technology. The tolerances of gun parts at the time of the .455's manufacture were simply not equivalent to its descendants. A higher grain count would indeed subject the revolver to pressures which could strain the tolerances and cohesion of the metal. Too much explosive power in the shell could reduce the gun to shrapnel, not to mention the possible less-than-desirable effect on the user (not the kind of exploding cigar I'd want to be smoking!).
As for stopping power, many of the S&W .455s were manufactured for use by the British Naval Service, as well as seeing action in various other service branches and situations, including use by some Canadian outfits. Because of the tactical nature of potential naval conflicts, the .455 Naval-issue sidearm was designed and built for close-in work (hostile action on board the ship, boarding situations, etc. From my experience, the .455 would have been ideal: not the world's greatest sidearm at any great distance (though you might be surprised), but more than enough to stop an onrushing attacker with relatively few shots. High efficiency indeed!
While the Fiocchi and Old West Scrounger have distinctly different slug shape (I won't take the time at this late hour to go get open my case to compare, but would be willing to expound upon this at your request), Michaelson is absolutely correct in describing the overall period slug shape as significantly pointier.
The obvious, and perhaps most visibly impressive difference is in the shell diameter. Pop a .45 round into a .455 chamber without half- or full-moon clips or other modification, and the entire round will slip right through and fall on the ground. A .455 round won't even fit in a .45 chamber. The .455 round, while short and stubby, is a fat little fire hydrant of a round. Not a .50 caliber, like Smith & Wesson's new .500 Magnum (a real Howitzer--for boar or even bear hunting!), but it's pretty cool....
I'm sure Michaelson and others will chime in (it's always great when they do!
), but if you have any other questions, there's a pretty good chance it can be correctly and completely answered here!
Sincere regards,
Henry Jones, Sr.
P.S. to Neri: You have committed no "Guns & Ammo" blasphemy whatsoever. I began my .455 education little more than a few years ago because of this website, and in particular, this end of the forum. I met Minnesota because of the .455, and Michaelson, Lee Keppler, MK, Pyro, and many others because of this end of the COW! It is to these friends that I must acknowledge:
HJS
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My wife HATES to watch movies like this with me, as I DO point out things like that....as well as whether or not clocks are running on mantles in background scenes or the like. 
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Since I love to discuss stuff like ths I'll through out some more numbers. 
