Ammunition pouch

From 1887 the British Army issued 6 shot revolvers made by P Webley & Son, later Webley & Scott. the lead bullets for these were .455 inch calibre (about 11.5mm) and relied on the shock effect of their weight to stop an enemy rather than high velocity. Though the recoil did throw the muzzle violently upwards, requiring range practice for users. By 1914 many European armies had adopted smaller calibre self loading (automatic) pistols with greater magazine capacity, but the British Army continued to stipulate .455" revolvers, valuing their ruggedness and reliability. Automatic pistols could malfunction through dirt in the mechanism, poor quality or damp ammunition.