I'm thinking of starting a mode$t collection of top breaks I just plain like to load & shoot them. I only have a .22 9-shot H&R for now.

I'd like to buy a Webley that shoots standard . 38 loads. Any other suggestions for a novice shooter/ collector? I'm not sure of other makes/models, but not being a handloader I want to stick with fairly common &affordable ammo. thanks to all.

Research the S & W schoefield

The classic Iver Johnson should be cheap and widely available in the USA? Others are Smith & Wesson and then not only Webley but the British Enfield as well.

Those H&R 9 shot .22's can be amazingly accurate. I had a Sportsman when I was a kid and it had a wonderful trigger and really shot well.
C.G.B.

Thanks for the tips. i did some research and it appears most of those Old top breaks cannot use modern ammo. Some use .38 S&W but the ammo isn't cheap. Others have been converted to .45 ACP but again only shoot older & milder loads.

The Russians made a top- break .357/.38 as a prototype in the Clinton years, not importable anyway. A few guys feel that a top break Judge (.45/.410) would be a good seller...

Uberti makes some Schofields

quote:

Others have been converted to .45 ACP but again only shoot older & milder loads.

Any factory 45 acp loads are to high pressured for the Webley light hand loads in the 650 to
700fps range should be used

quote:

Originally posted by joester:
Thanks for the tips. i did some research and it appears most of those Old top breaks cannot use modern ammo. Some use .38 S&W but the ammo isn't cheap. Others have been converted to .45 ACP but again only shoot older & milder loads.

The Russians made a top- break .357/.38 as a prototype in the Clinton years, not importable anyway. A few guys feel that a top break Judge (.45/.410) would be a good seller...

The 38/200 Webley or 38 S&W (whichever you want to call it) can take standard .38 Special pressures but proper 361 bullets are hard to find. I reload for mine with marginal accuracy with largest cast 358-359 bullets I can find; maybe one day I'll find a bunch of the correct size. But even with the slightly undersize bullets it's a hoot to shoot at short ranges. Don't give up on them; good condition police pistols from Singapore still sell in the low 300s or better if you're lucky.

American 38 S&W is downloaded due to the days when cheap Belgian pistols built for this as a black powder round were prevalent and dangerous to shoot with full house 38/200 ammunition or similar pressure 38 S&W.

quote:

The 38/200 Webley or 38 S&W (whichever you want to call it) can take standard .38 Special pressures but proper 361 bullets are hard to find

The 38S@W is a different cartridge then the 38 special and is loaded to different pressures.

I know. I said "can take", not "same as". I also said in the same post why the 38 S&W was loaded lower by factory ammo producers than the 38 Special and that reason does not have anything to do with the relative strength of a modern made Webley.

Note that the 38S&W is not in any way even similar to a 38 special in terms of bullet diameter, case dimensions or pressures. Anyway, those old top breaks made around 1900 or before are fun to shoot; I use round balls over a case full of 3f black powder. They still punch holes in paper and I know my revolvers won't blow up. 38S&W, 32 short, and 44 Russian. You have to reload if you want to shoot them but with round balls, and black powder, you can do it with practically no tools. I am talking about the old pocket revolvers, not Webleys. They are much stronger.

You must reload to enjoy the 38 S&W. I do roll my own and shoot several guns in this caliber. You can buy lead bullets sized to your need but I have used .358" bullets meant for the 38 Special with good results.

PS: I made up some 38 S&W loads using a 125 JHP that clocked 975 FPS from a 2" barrel. The much feared and deified 38 Special +P only makes 890 FPS from my 2" guns. This caliber is not a toy.