jagdpolizei
Jr. Member
I was out for a couple hours (Montana) the other day 1 mile from my favorite IW fort dig site. Finding lots of the earliest Indian Wars cartridge cases/bullets (50-70, 44 Henry, 56 and 50 Spencer, also .54 3-groove and .58 3-groove bullets)all in very small general area. I have also found one Martini Henry .455 bullet ( sure this was re visiting Northwest Mounted Police ( the now rcmp) back in the day. This is all located in a river bottom 2 miles from the fort and it is well documented that troops foraged and Indians camped, hunted, and traded nearby (btw also found two FA head stamped 20 ga forager brass cases.
So I will get to the point.
In my search the other day, I came up with only a few finds (see photos). The small pistol all lead bullet had a very sharp spire point, measured at .442 with precision caliper, and weighed in at 220 grains. The rifling is sharp and is clearly a 7 groove right twist. The grooves are wider than the lands in the rifling transfer upon this bullet.
From what I have tried to research, all US .44s are eliminated due to the 7 grooves, right twist, and difference in land/groove width. The bullet shows to have 2 rings (cannelures?)
and solid base with a faint base sprue.
I am thinking that this can only be an.442 RIC webley which had all of the aforementioned characteristics re rifling and size/weight of bullet.
If this is truly the correct bullet designation, I am quite excited because the Custer legend has it that he died at Big Horn carrying two of these revolvers. I am asking for help in this thread to see if anyone has found any .442 webley bullets for comparison purposes and also for feedback from someone out there who knows more about these guns than myself.
Confirm or refute, I am open to all opinions or thoughts. If someone reading this owns a pistol like this, i would especially welcome photos of a fired bullet for comparison.
I realize that there are probably others who carried these guns out west, but I at least want to confirm the bullet and gun that fired it. I have already determined that NW mounted police in the day carried the webley (in .455) but never the .442 caliber so that is eliminated, I think.
So I will get to the point.
In my search the other day, I came up with only a few finds (see photos). The small pistol all lead bullet had a very sharp spire point, measured at .442 with precision caliper, and weighed in at 220 grains. The rifling is sharp and is clearly a 7 groove right twist. The grooves are wider than the lands in the rifling transfer upon this bullet.
From what I have tried to research, all US .44s are eliminated due to the 7 grooves, right twist, and difference in land/groove width. The bullet shows to have 2 rings (cannelures?)
and solid base with a faint base sprue.
I am thinking that this can only be an.442 RIC webley which had all of the aforementioned characteristics re rifling and size/weight of bullet.
If this is truly the correct bullet designation, I am quite excited because the Custer legend has it that he died at Big Horn carrying two of these revolvers. I am asking for help in this thread to see if anyone has found any .442 webley bullets for comparison purposes and also for feedback from someone out there who knows more about these guns than myself.
Confirm or refute, I am open to all opinions or thoughts. If someone reading this owns a pistol like this, i would especially welcome photos of a fired bullet for comparison.
I realize that there are probably others who carried these guns out west, but I at least want to confirm the bullet and gun that fired it. I have already determined that NW mounted police in the day carried the webley (in .455) but never the .442 caliber so that is eliminated, I think.
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