.450 Adams

• Name —.450 Adams • Origin — United Kingdom • Type — Revolver • Service — 1868–1880 • Used By — British military, North-West Mounted Police, colonial military, police forces • Design Date — 1868 • Case Type — rimmed straight • Bullet —.455 • Neck —.475 • Base —.477 • Rim Dia —.510 • Case Length —.69 • Length — 1.10 • Rifling — 1: • Primer — boxer • Bw1 — 225 • Btype1 — ball (Kynoch black powder) • Vel1 — 650 • En1 — 211 • Bw2 — 225 • Btype2 — ball (Kynoch smokeless powder) • Vel2 — 700 • En2 — 245 • Balsrc — Barnes & Amber 1972

The.450 was adopted for the Adams revolver in November 1868, and served until it was replaced in service in 1880 by the.476 Enfield (in the Enfield Mark 1 and 2), which was in turn supplanted by the.455 Webley cartridge in 1887. • Illustration — From left to right:.450 Adams,.455 Webley Mk I,.455 Webley Mk II cartridges Originally loaded with 13 gr of black powder under a 225 gr bullet, it was later also offered in a smokeless powder loading. Despite the different designations, the.450 may be fired in any weapon chambered for.455 Webley,.455 Colt, or.476 Enfield. While not considered a suitable military round, the.450 Mark III cartridges did serve in reserve for the British armed forces as late as the First World War. The.450 Adams also proved popular among civilian users of Webley RIC and British Bulldog revolvers, being loaded in Europe, and persisting in the United States until around 1940. Both Colt and Smith & Wesson offered revolvers in.450 Adams. It was roughly similar in power to the contemporary.38 S&W,.41 Colt, and.44 S&W American. Handloaded ammunition can be made from shortened.455 Webley brass.