Quote Originally Posted by peter65 View Post
Looking for some information I have a Webley Hawke .177 with a chrome barrel and safety catch on the back of the breech, just want to know if anyone else has had or heard about them as I am wanting a new sight for the barrel end and also a new open sight.

Any information would be great.
Hi Peter, Webley made three versions of the Hawk, these were/are the MkI, the MkII and (yep, you've guessed it ) the MkIII. The first two of these were sold with two interchangable barrels -- one in .177 and one in .22. The MkI barrels were attached/swapped via a bayonet type fitting, and the MkII via a screw thread. Both the MkI and MkII have to be cocked to change the barrels, and the MkII barrels are also further held secure via a grub screw.

The MkIII Hawks produced by Webley came as either a .22 or .177 only. All models of Hawk had/have the push-in safety at the back of the chamber a little like the later Longbow although a bit more agricultural.

Early Hawk MkIIs differ from later Hawk MkIIs in as much as the early ones shared the more romantic monte-carlo style of stocks and swept-back fore-end sights that the MkI enjoyed, while the later Hawk MkIIs had stocks and sights the same as the MkIIIs (which are also extremely similar to those of the MkI Vulcan).

None of these Hawk rifles came with chrome barrels as standard, but several of the MkIIs had their barrels chromed by their owners around that time (mid 1970s) as apparently it was a bit of a fashionable bling bling thing . As far as spare sights go, having tried several avenues to find a few, the best I can suggest is this... Fore-end sights for the MkI and early MkII are extremely rare. I only found one for mine after months and months of regular searching.

Sights for the later MkII and MkIII Hawks are a little easier to find, but if all else fails, the old Webley Vulcan MkI sights (not the MKII or MkIII though), and Webley Exocet sights are fairly close and once fitted can look the part. All Webley rear sights from the Hawk MkII through to the Vulcan MkIII are the same however, which makes finding them quite easy as both Chambers and Knibbs stock these.

Right then, thats quite enough waffle from me, hope I've helped and happy Hawk hunting . ATB: Gareth W-B.