Private purchase sidearms

[calibre792x57.y]

You can still have a .455 Webley Auto chambered 1911 under section 7(1). Don't give up !

True - but at the time when the decision to sell was made no one knew how the Licensing Departments of the various Forces were going to interpret the very poorly drafted legislation. Even now when the anomalies have mostly been sorted some Forces are very reluctant to allow the acquisition of Heritage Firearms under S.7(1) and a great deal of persistence is needed. - SW

[Beerhunter]

You can still have a .455 Webley Auto chambered 1911 under section 7(1). Don't give up !

All you need is second mortgage - and a monitored alarm in some constabulary's areas.

Seriously not only is a .45 ACP easier to license [section 7(3)] they are VERY MUCH cheaper.

BTW, the posh bushing is on later commercial models.

[Khaki]

I used to carry a series 70 Colt .45acp, I find it a bit too heavy now days and have changed to a KelTec in 9mm Luger, still have my 1911 military model (1917) a great old gun, the basic design has not changed much since then, extensively used in competition, personal defence, popular with law enforcement and never quite abandoned by the military, indeed making a comeback with special forces etc.

khaki

[Ogilwy]

BH,

Colt were always posh. That Royal Blue on the later commercial models was supeurb and the 1911 family always reliable. I did have a Series 70 Government, as well as a Detonics Combat Master in .45ACP. The Detonics was an excellent backup gun, but with 230 Grn Ball in a pistol that weight it was viscious. The 200 Grn Speer lawman however was a really viable round.

Is .455 Auto not available to re-load? I remember a number of them going for sale in the 70's and seem to remember that you could get the dies for them.

Rod

[calibre792x57.y]

Rod - I used to shoot all my firearms and even around the late Eighties period, cases for the 0.455 Auto were difficult. North Devon Firearms Service made cases and die sets and a couple of sources turned out bullets. NDFS were a godsend to the shooter of obsolete calibres, but I believe the police put pressure on them to stop production. I used 4.5 gns Bullseye with a 225 gn lead bullet for both the Colt shown and my Webley & Scott Mk 1(N). Both worked well on this load and didn't show any signs of pressure. 57,000 people lost their hobby and sport and I have to ask, do you feel safer? - SW

[Beerhunter]

As has been said, it is the supply of cases that are the problem for reloading .455 Auto. However that is not what the "guidance" on obsolete calibres is based on but rather the availability of factory ammunition. Having said that I know lots of people with .455 Colts and Webleys and these days, they are rarely (if ever) fired.

Of course the like the guns themselves the bad guys do not have a problem illegally importing factory ammo for their illegal gats.

[Ogilwy]

SW,

Body armour is still in fashion at work, and No I don't feel safer. My friend handed in his S&W Mod10 in the morning and then in the afternoon stood outside No10 wearing his job S&W Mod 10! And the sense was?

I have the ability to still shoot at work so I am far luckier than most, and I have indeed fired 1911 .455 Auto at work, but with period ammunition, (the 1989 amnesty provided so much interesting stuff and a hard core of us ensured that alot did go to appropriate museums and collections of various national establishments).

Rod