Webleys?

[Rapid Lee]

Postings have been a little slow here lately, so I thought I'd spice things up a bit 



So what about Webley top breaks?  This one is a MK IV that's been converted to 45 ACP.  There are several issue marks on the backstrap which lead me to believe that it was issued to the 23rd Royal Field Artillery in May of 1905.  Wish it could talk!

Rapid

[St. George]

I have a couple of Mk VI's - both in the original .455...

One an RSAF-built  beauty from 1926 - and with the late web holster.

The other's a greyed-out Webley - built in 1916 - with the original dated holster.

Beautiful piece - no pitting - patina - no nothing beyond the loss of finish over time.
The bore's perfect and it locks up like a bank vault.

But - here's the cool part.

I bought it duriing my OCONUS travels and was pretty pleased to get it, as one might imagine.

Time marched on and one day - I got a lumpy envelope in the mail.
As a long-time insignia collector - I've learned to love that sort of thing arriving in my mailbox, so I opened it up and read the note.
The seller remembered that there were some 'other things' that were from the original owner of the piece.

I opened the wrapping to find a WWI Victory Medal, WWI George Medal, The 1914 Mons Star and Bar, and a Long Service Medal - all named on the rims to a Trooper in the 17th Lancers...

That 1914 Mons Star and Bar indicated that he was one of the first hundred thousand - the famed "Old Contemptibles'...

I'll post pictures one day.

Scouts Out!

[Virginia Gentleman]

I am in the process of getting one that has been modified to take .45 ACP in moon clips.  I do plan to use .45 Auto-Rim cases instead to eliminate the need to use the clips and to make it more authentic in operation.  I plan on loading .45 Colt 250-255 grain lead bullets in the .45 Auto-Rim to come close to the 265 LRN bullet the .455 Webley round was loaded with.

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[Happy Trails]

Here is my Webley MkVI that was converted from .455 Webley to .45 ACP.  I sometimes shoot .45 Auto Rims in it but .45 ACP in full moon clips is more convenient.  I have used it a couple of times in our yearly Wild Bunch match.



The action has been smoothed in both SA and DA.  They are fun top breaks.

Hap

[Rapid Lee]

Hap,

Another nice one!  Thanks for posting it.

Rapid

[Virginia Gentleman]

Wow!  :oThat is one pimped out Webley, nice to American eyes, but I can just see the British choking on their Tea and crumpets upon seeing this one.

[Virginia Gentleman]

I just picked up a Webley Mark VI that has been cut for .45 ACP and was made in 1918 in Birmingham, England.   It is a 90% gun with all the proof marks less the milling of the cylinder and extractor star.  I would never shoot standard .45 ACP loads out of it as they are like proof loads in the Webley and will wear it prematurely.  I settled on making my own "British Empire Load" with .45 Auto-Rim cases,  a light charge of Clays powder and 250 grain LRN swagged Remington black bullets.  It looks and shoots awesome, almost no recoil and very accurate.  The Peacemaker may have won the West, but the Webley won the wrest. I make simliar .45 Auto-Rim loads with 230 LRN bullets for my S&W and Colt 1917.

[Sydneyduck]

G,Day from downunder,
My webley is a 4inch  Barrelled Mk IV in .38 S&W It was the replacement for the .455 and was found by the brits to have equal knockdown power to the .455 when loaded with the 200g projectile. I paid $75 for mine at a gun show and had it refurbished. It is probably a late issue Civillian model about 1954 and has a perfect bore I shoot standard .38S&W 146 grain projectiles and at 25yds it shoots to point of aim It is just a nice small frame top break revolver.

[Virginia Gentleman]

I would caution any one that has a Webley that has been modified to take .45 ACP in moon clips or .45 Auto-Rim, NOT to shoot standard pressure .45 ACP/AR in it as the pressures for .45 ACP/AR are significantly highier than .455 Webley.  The .45 ACP or .45 Auto-Rim operates at a pressure level that even exceeds .455 Webley proof loads and shooting them will cause the gun to loosen up much faster.   The solution is to download the .45 ACP/AR with lead bullets in the 250-270 grain range to about 650 fps with light charges of fast burning powder.  You could use lighter bullets driven to a higher velocity, but the point of impact would be a bit low.

[Remus]

 Them Webleys are a treat to own 'n shoot. I had a Mark IV fer 'bout twenty years but had not fired it all that time. Used to, before that, when my Pappy 'n me used to go shootin'. Sold it a few months ago to help pay fer irons fer my CAS. Mine was a .38, War Finish with lanyard and black Webley grips., six digit serial #, marked:  WEBLEY&SCOTT Ltd. It was as tight and smooth a handgun ya cud ever ask to shoot...accurate?   Remus O'Dell

[ColonelFlashman]

All my loads for my Webleys are 18grs of FF or FFF w/ a 265gr 20 or 30-1 lead-tin ratio, be the cases actual .455Mk.1/Colt's, .45 A-R or ACP.

[Captain John Jarrett]

Gents,

  I originally posted this in NCOWS, but thought some who do not visit there might enjoy here.

  Floating someplace around here is my post looking for a double action for the shoots. Well here is the Webley I found and if I do say so myself she is a keeper. It also had the original(?) holster with it. Enjoy! 

[Rapid Lee]

That looks like a keeper, Captain John!  Thanks for posting it here.  I'm glad to see this thread has some legs; these old Webleys were very neat and very well made guns.  They're fun to shoot, too

Rapid