I almost, well, like the Webley Typhoon

[Iain K D]

Perhaps I should start off by saying I wasn’t really thinking of getting one of these … ever, but I had a trip to Manchester Air Guns last week wanting to buy myself something new – not to upgrade for target shooting, but just a single-shot springer for plinking with. Other than a couple of Chinese ones, they didn’t really have much else so after a couple of shots with the shop’s display gun, which didn’t seem too bad, I thought I’d give it a try.

From the “Bulmer does a strip” in December’s AGW, I had a pretty good idea that it would be worthwhile stripping and relubing the gun, so other than just a couple of shots to chrono it I got stuck in straight away (oops – there goes my warranty!) Sure enough, there was grease in precisely two areas – a big dollop on the barrel detent (page 82 of August’s AGW shows the same thing on a Stingray) and a small blob under the rearsight, presumably just to hold its spring in place during assembly. So, after cleaning the rust spots off the exterior of the piston and giving it just a very light polish, that went back in with a wiping of Moly G-N paste, and the mainspring with a coating of moly grease, minus the large weight at its front end – I was quite happy to put up with any loss in velocity this might give.

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...yphoon004T.jpg

The breech jaws and barrel lock also got a good greasing, looking at the trigger mechanism the critical area seemed to be the contact between the sear and the support beneath it which has to be rotated out of the way by pulling the trigger. These areas were very lightly polished (with Brasso – they have certainly kept their original stamped appearance) and on reassembly had a dab of G-N paste put between them.

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...yphoon005T.jpg

Muzzle velocity with RWS Hobby has now dropped from just over 500 fps to around 400 fps, I can cock it just taking hold of the barrel but for a much more comfortable grip I still prefer to use the cocking aid. The trigger travel is still long but the weight, in my opinion, is not unbearable – it is a bit like the DA pull on a CO2 pistol.

Given the amount of play between the two halves of the grip, I wasn’t at all sure what to expect accuracy wise, but from the two sessions I’ve had with it so far, I don’t think these two groups – at 10m, standing and (mostly) single-handed – are too bad. The rearsight notch is too narrow for my liking so I’ve already started to widen it a bit.

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...yphoon007T.jpg

There is, still, a lot I don’t like about this pistol – a better grip and a neater rearsight would be nice, and it’s a pity there’s so much plastic – but I can’t help thinking that if you strip away the expectations from it being called a Webley (as the assistant in MAG said, “It’s as much a Webley as my left foot”) it’s a perfectly usable plinker. It’s just never going to be a classic like the Tempest or BSA Scorpion.

Iain

[ogilkes]

I'm impressed at your perserverence. I had one briefly to see what it was all about. Above all else it was the diddly litle pistol grip and the total unbalance of the thing that annoyed me. Its as big and as heavy as a scorpion but all front heavy... yuck.

[Maltoid]

I cannot believe the rust on that new piston and the sandpaper it on looks a bit rough

I have the old typhoon it is a very good pistol for plinking with.

[Iain K D]

I cannot believe the rust on that new piston and the sandpaper it on looks a bit rough

Yes, I was amazed to see that - although it came off quite easily and the bluing elsewhere on the gun is unaffected.

Iain

[Maltoid]

Iain

Here is my vintage typhoon I don't know why they changed it as this is definately the better version

here

and here

Eric