.476 Enfield
Encyclopedia
The .476 Enfield is a British
centrefire
black powder revolver
cartridge
.
Used in the Enfield Mk II
revolver
, the Mk III variant was introduced in 1881 for the British Army
, supplanting the earlier .476 Enfield Marks I and II cartridges, which in turn had replaced the .450 Adams
cartridges, all of which also used black powder propellant.
The .476 Enfield cartridge was only in British service for a comparatively short while before it was itself replaced in service by the black powder-loaded .455 Webley Mark I
in 1887 and then by the smokeless powder
-loaded .455 Webley Mark IV in September 1894. Just over 1,000 Enfield Mark IIs were issued to the North-West Mounted Police, which remained in use until 1911, when the last Enfields were phased out in favour of more modern (and reliable) .45 Colt
New Service
revolvers.
Using the same bullet as the .455 (11.6mm) Webley Mark I
, the .476 casing was 0.05 mm (0.002 in) longer and carried a charge of 18 gr (1.17 g) of black powder, compared to 6.5 gr (0.42 g) of cordite
in the .455 Mark I.
While the .476 Enfield cartridge can be used in any British-manufactured .455 Webley calibre service revolver, there are issues with the later-production Colt
or Smith & Wesson
.455 Revolver models, which are liable to have slightly smaller bore diameters.
Despite the difference in designation, the .476 will readily interchange with the earlier .450 Adams and .455 Webley rounds (the latter in black powder Mark 1 and smokeless Marks I through VI), as well as the .455 Colt (a U.S. commercial brand for the same .455 Webley round, with slightly different ballistics), which all use the same .455 in (11.6mm) bullet
, the distinction being which diameter was measured. Officially, .450 Adams
, .476 Enfield, and .455 Webley
cartridges all could be fired in the Webley Mark III British Government Model revolver; although case length, bullet weight and shape, and powder charge differed, all three cartridges featured a case diameter of .476 inch with a bullet diameter of .455 inch, which could be fired in a barrel of .450 inch bore.
The Enfield name derives from the location of the Royal Small Arms Factory
at Enfield Lock
, the armoury
where British Military Small Arms were produced (in this case, the Enfield revolver the cartridge was best known for being used in), while Eley was a British commercial brand.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
centrefire
Centerfire ammunition
A centerfire cartridge is a cartridge with a primer located in the center of the cartridge case head. Unlike rimfire cartridges, the primer is a separate and replaceable component....
black powder revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
.
Used in the Enfield Mk II
Enfield revolver
Enfield Revolver is the name applied to two totally separate models of self-extracting British handgun designed and manufactured at the government-owned Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield; initially the .476 calibre Revolver Enfield Mk I/Mk II revolvers , and later the .38/200 calibre Enfield No...
revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
, the Mk III variant was introduced in 1881 for the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, supplanting the earlier .476 Enfield Marks I and II cartridges, which in turn had replaced the .450 Adams
.450 Adams
The .450 Adams was a British black powder centrefire revolver cartridge, initially used in converted Beaumont-Adams Revolvers, in the late 1860s...
cartridges, all of which also used black powder propellant.
The .476 Enfield cartridge was only in British service for a comparatively short while before it was itself replaced in service by the black powder-loaded .455 Webley Mark I
.455 Webley
.455 Webley is a British handgun cartridge, most commonly used in the Webley top break revolvers Marks I through VI.The .455 cartridge was a service revolver cartridge, featuring a rimmed cartridge firing a .45 bullet at the relatively low velocity of 650 ft/s...
in 1887 and then by the smokeless powder
Smokeless powder
Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced...
-loaded .455 Webley Mark IV in September 1894. Just over 1,000 Enfield Mark IIs were issued to the North-West Mounted Police, which remained in use until 1911, when the last Enfields were phased out in favour of more modern (and reliable) .45 Colt
.45 Colt
The .45 Colt cartridge is a handgun cartridge dating to 1872. It began as a black powder revolver round developed for the Colt Single Action Army revolver, but is offered as a magnum level handgun hunting round in modern usage. This cartridge was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1873 and served as the...
New Service
Colt New Service
The Colt New Service was a double-action revolver made by Colt from 1898 until c.1940. It was adopted by the U.S. Armed Forces in .45 Colt as the Model 1909 U.S. Army, Marine Corps Model 1909, Model 1909 U.S. Navy and in .45 ACP as the Model 1917 U.S. Army...
revolvers.
Using the same bullet as the .455 (11.6mm) Webley Mark I
Webley Revolver
The Webley Revolver was, in various marks, the standard issue service pistol for the armed forces of the United Kingdom, the British Empire, and the Commonwealths from 1887 until 1963.The Webley is a top-break revolver with automatic extraction...
, the .476 casing was 0.05 mm (0.002 in) longer and carried a charge of 18 gr (1.17 g) of black powder, compared to 6.5 gr (0.42 g) of cordite
Cordite
Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom from 1889 to replace gunpowder as a military propellant. Like gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance...
in the .455 Mark I.
While the .476 Enfield cartridge can be used in any British-manufactured .455 Webley calibre service revolver, there are issues with the later-production Colt
Colt's Manufacturing Company
Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...
or Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. The corporate headquarters is in Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1852, Smith & Wesson's pistols and revolvers have become standard issue to police and armed forces throughout the world...
.455 Revolver models, which are liable to have slightly smaller bore diameters.
Despite the difference in designation, the .476 will readily interchange with the earlier .450 Adams and .455 Webley rounds (the latter in black powder Mark 1 and smokeless Marks I through VI), as well as the .455 Colt (a U.S. commercial brand for the same .455 Webley round, with slightly different ballistics), which all use the same .455 in (11.6mm) bullet
Bullet
A bullet is a projectile propelled by a firearm, sling, or air gun. Bullets do not normally contain explosives, but damage the intended target by impact and penetration...
, the distinction being which diameter was measured. Officially, .450 Adams
.450 Adams
The .450 Adams was a British black powder centrefire revolver cartridge, initially used in converted Beaumont-Adams Revolvers, in the late 1860s...
, .476 Enfield, and .455 Webley
.455 Webley
.455 Webley is a British handgun cartridge, most commonly used in the Webley top break revolvers Marks I through VI.The .455 cartridge was a service revolver cartridge, featuring a rimmed cartridge firing a .45 bullet at the relatively low velocity of 650 ft/s...
cartridges all could be fired in the Webley Mark III British Government Model revolver; although case length, bullet weight and shape, and powder charge differed, all three cartridges featured a case diameter of .476 inch with a bullet diameter of .455 inch, which could be fired in a barrel of .450 inch bore.
The Enfield name derives from the location of the Royal Small Arms Factory
Royal Small Arms Factory
The Royal Small Arms Factory was a UK government-owned rifle factory in the London Borough of Enfield in an area generally known as the Lea Valley. The factory produced British military rifles, muskets and swords from 1816...
at Enfield Lock
Enfield Lock
Enfield Lock is an area in the London Borough of Enfield, North London. It is approximately located east of the Hertford Road between Turkey Street and the Holmesdale Tunnel overpass, to the River Lee Navigation, including the Enfield Island Village. The locality gains its name from the lock on the...
, the armoury
Armory (military)
An armory or armoury is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
where British Military Small Arms were produced (in this case, the Enfield revolver the cartridge was best known for being used in), while Eley was a British commercial brand.
See also
- List of cartridges by caliber
- List of handgun cartridges
- List of rifle cartridges
- 11mm caliber11 mm caliberThis article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the through caliber range.All measurements are in millimeters .-Pistol cartridges:-Revolver cartridges:-Rifle cartridges:-See also:...