Silver plated Webley air pistol

[Prewar]

I was reading an old AGW magazine a few weeks ago that contained an article about an original 1920's factory silver plated and engraved Webley MK2 Target pistol with mother of pearl grips...has anyone ever seen one?

[hwvixen]

I've seen "retro" nickel plated ones & one so highly polished that it looked plated...there used to be an antique shop in Stratford that had a healthy stock of these & engraved versions...all priced for the tourists...

Apprently the yanks couldn't get enough of them.. but i've never seen a real factory plated one myself...

[Prewar]

I've seen "retro" nickel plated ones & one so highly polished that it looked plated...there used to be an antique shop in Stratford that had a healthy stock of these & engraved versions...all priced for the tourists...

Apprently the yanks couldn't get enough of them.. but i've never seen a real factory plated one myself...

Yes I saw a few of those yukky retro plated/engraved jobs in the nineties

[paulsfrost]

I had a factory plated and engraved webley back in the 90s with target back sight etc, sold when I stopped collecting a few years ago , it had black webley grips though not mother of pearl

[Prewar]

I had a factory plated and engraved webley back in the 90s with target back sight etc, sold when I stopped collecting a few years ago , it had black webley grips though not mother of pearl

Paul, was it a twenties/thirties pistol?

[Troubledshooter]

Here's a nickel plated Senior, which to the best of my knowledge is a factory plated model.
http://mynetimages.com/cfe3abe3.jpg
http://mynetimages.com/90e6e11e.jpg

Here's an engraved Senior:
http://mynetimages.com/57734869.jpg
http://mynetimages.com/6b714c0d.jpg

This engraved Senior was a very early effort by Don, as it's engraved through the blue, which he did to very few as it's much more time consuming.
It is also not engraved as heavily as later reblued examples.

[spartan]

I've seen "retro" nickel plated ones & one so highly polished that it looked plated...there used to be an antique shop in Stratford that had a healthy stock of these & engraved versions...all priced for the tourists...

Apprently the yanks couldn't get enough of them.. but i've never seen a real factory plated one myself...

the shop in stratford is still there, i do all the pistols for don blocksidge, minus the engraving off course, they are not that expensive when you consider the work and time that goes in them.

[hwvixen]

Hi David,

How would one tell if it's...original.?

[Troubledshooter]

Hi David,

How would one tell if it's...original.?

It is extremely difficult to tell, but there are certain characteristics to look out for, such as the fitting of component parts which need to be modified before plating, and the numbering of such parts, plus the polishing needed to prepare the gun can dull the rolled impressions, whereas the factory produced model should be crisp and clear.
It's difficult to explain, but one gets the feel about these things.
Mine has been seen by several collectors who know a lot more about these things than I do, and the general consensus is that it's a factory produced model, plus, the collector who originally owned it, and the engraved Senior, would not knowingly have bought an after market plated model, and he knew his guns.
I also have a plated Junior, acquired from a different source, which I believe to be a Webley plated gun.
I did knowingly buy an after market plated Senior, long since sold on, and the difference is obvious if the two are side by side.
The funny thing is, that in spite of being told repeatedly the gun he was buying was an after market plated model, and the price reflected this, I know for a fact the buyer spent the next few months trying to get other collectors and dealers to authenticate it as an original Webley produced item.

[harry mac]

It is extremely difficult to tell, but there are certain characteristics to look out for, such as the fitting of component parts which need to be modified before plating, and the numbering of such parts, plus the polishing needed to prepare the gun can dull the rolled impressions, whereas the factory produced model should be crisp and clear.
It's difficult to explain, but one gets the feel about these things.
Mine has been seen by several collectors who know a lot more about these things than I do, and the general consensus is that it's a factory produced model, plus, the collector who originally owned it, and the engraved Senior, would not knowingly have bought an after market plated model, and he knew his guns.
I also have a plated Junior, acquired from a different source, which I believe to be a Webley plated gun.
I did knowingly buy an after market plated Senior, long since sold on, and the difference is obvious if the two are side by side.
The funny thing is, that in spite of being told repeatedly the gun he was buying was an after market plated model, and the price reflected this, I know for a fact the buyer spent the next few months trying to get other collectors and dealers to authenticate it as an original Webley produced item.

Scottarms auction house had a brass plated Webley (senior?) in their last sale. Acording to the blurb in the catalogue it was originally a factory silver plated example, the silver having been worn off/removed, leaving the brass under-plating. Would it even be possible for plating to wear out like that? I would have thought that with the thicknesses of material involved any wear would take off both platings. Is it possible to plate onto an already plated surface with another type of metal? I can't remember what price the pistol went for as I wasn't bidding on it.

[hwvixen]

Thanks David,

That sounds very reasonable...I still wouldn't like to try tell the difference.. the retro plated ones are "pretty" though obviously dont have the historical or monetary value of the original Webley (factory) ones....

Prey tell Mr.Spartan...how much is that shop charging for the "tourist copies" these days...I seem to remember pistols valued quite...(cough)..highly...

I would agree though that the great "Don's" work certainly add's value....to the right gun....but it would be sacralidge to engrave a "minter"...wouldn't it..?