[TonyB]

OK,a buddy who just got his permit,got his family guns on from his Mother...turns out one is a Webley(one of those top break deals)I saw it the other day.it was still covered in Cosmoline type stuff.I couldn't tell if it was ever fired.....here's my questions:
I saw under the "latch"it had a 44,does this mean it's a 44spl?I couldn't find anywhere else where it said what caliber it was.
Is' it worth anything?should he fire it?Will it take modern ammo ok?
it does lock up tight and seems to be great shape..
thanks.

[bannockburn]

TonyB

The first Webley, Mark 1, was introduced in 1887 in .455 caliber. It had a 4" barrel and was easily distinguished by its birdshead style grips. Marks 2 through 5 primarily saw changes with mechanical and material improvements to the original design, as well as an additional 6" barrel being offered. In 1915, the Mark 6 was produced, the most notable changes coming in the form of a redisigned squared-off grip, and a standard 6" barrel. After WW I, the British Army decided to look for a smaller revolver design built around the .38/200 cartridge. Webley and Scott had just such a revolver, having designed it primarily for possible police sales. This was the Webley Mark 4, not to be confused with the older Mark 4 .455 caliber revolver. Many consider the Mark 6 .455 caliber to be the strongest and most capable of all the top-break revolvers ever made. The Model 4 .38/200 caliber revolver is also very well built, being more than adequate for the relatively underpowered .38/200 cartridge. If you have any other concerns regarding the condition of your Webley, have a gunsmith check the gun out to see if it's safe to use.

[Owlnmole]

1887...hmmm...or no particular reason, I just have to ask.

Does this mean that a Cowboy Action Shooter could carry an early Webley (or a reproduction, if such a thing exists) and dress as an Englishman visiting the Wild West?

Now that would be fun if you could pull off the accent. :D

[Jim Watson]

There is such a thing as a .44 Webley which is not the same as .44 Special; or you might have a service .455 with a 44 stamp on it signifying something else.

It is going to take pictures to tell. Or the empirical step of seeing if a .455 will chamber.

Sorry, Owl, all the Webleys I know of are double action which is not allowed by SASS. I think NCOWS will pass a real 19th century DA but am not sure.

[Owlnmole]

Dilettantes! What do you meant SASS won't accept period-appropriate double-action?!? You'd think Single Action was part of their name or something...oh, wait a sec. ;-)

[Jim K]

Without seeing the gun, or having measurements, it would not be possible to know if the number represents the caliber, or is some other unrelated number.

Is it a Webley, or just a Webley type revolver? There were many Webley copies, some of which would be dangerous to fire even with the weak ammo of the time they were made.

Pictures would help, and a full description of all markings.

Jim

[TonyB]

I'll see him at work tomarrow and see if he can post some pix and a full description of the markings..thanks,I know I didn't give a lot to go on.

[TJayN1231]

I'm TonyB's co-worker. I brought the gun to a local smith today and this is what I found... I knew the revolver is in fact a Webley Mark V from 1914. Although the gun is marked in several places with the number 44, it is a .455 caliber revolver. With the presence of the cosmoline and based on the gun smith's expert opinion, it looks like it has never been fired and is probably from some British Naval surplus. The gun is in excellent condition and the smith said cleaning off the cosmoline and ordering some custom webly .455 caliber rounds would be all required to fire it. My only concern is that firing it might decrease it's worth (like taking a classic toy out of it's package). I have no intention of selling it due to it's family value, but who knows, maybe an unfired Webley Mark V will be worth a good deal to my grandkids? That said, I'd love to fire a handgun owned by my grandfather.

[bannockburn]

TJayN1231

Congratulations on having a really great piece of British history in your family. The Mark 5 was produced beginning in December 1913, and differed from the Mark 4 by having a slightly larger cylinder with an accompanying modification to the frame as well. It should have a 4" barrel, though some later Mark 5 models were fitted with 6" barrels beginning in May 1915. I think if it were mine, I would be inclined to keep it in its unfired condition, as I would want to preserve such a rare find as this one.