The Wallis & Wallis Webley Omega .177

[Gareth W-B]

(1) would have been nice if they had done a deluxe version like they did with the VULCAN
(2) wonder why they never

... (1) Completely agree, wow, what a lovely rifle that would've been , and (2) dunno (and now, sadly, most likely, never will ).

[monkeywrench]

An astute buy indeed, light iron prices are on the up again

[Muskett]

All this one-upmanship really isn't cricket Mine didn't come from an auction nor is it perfect..... but it does have a factory gold trigger. Does that make it a delux???

http://i820.photobucket.com/albums/z...IMG_3965_2.jpg

Happy New Year everyone.

This year I'm going to tune up my shooter Omega .22 and see what it can do. (Thats after my separated collar bone is fixed which I busted over Christmas )

[RustyBuzz]

Congrats Gareth,

There's such love for the Omega it's making me reconsider my opinion. It was such a disappointment to us on launch, maybe that's coloured my view. The old man has one, maybe I'll get him to dig it out and give it a go.

Atb

Richard

[ogilkes]

Intersting. What was the big dissapointment when originally released?

[Binners]

Intersting. What was the big dissapointment when originally released?

Webley were dissapointed because the first few batches were bought by either Cabin Crew or Hairdressers.

Not much changes

[RustyBuzz]

Intersting. What was the big dissapointment when originally released?

Well, the Omega was launched prior to the HW77, at a time when chronographing at FT comps had been introduced and the FWB 124 reigned supreme. Webley wanted a flagship rifle that would dominate the FT circuit and raise their overall brand value.

At Airmasters, we had close ties to Webley as they used to distribute our range of Knok down targets and a few other of our bits and we were also quite successful on the FT circuit. So Webley came to us, amongst others including our own dear ‘BT’, to ask what we wanted in a rifle, what would beat the brilliant but imperfect 124?

Easy answer. Give us a 124 with a FWB or failing that a LW choked barrel, a 335 barrel lock up assembly and most importantly a record trigger. ( remember we didn’t have a lot of imagination back then as what we really wanted was a HW77K).

It really was easy. Copy the 124’s overall mechanics, buy in the barrel, add the 335’s breach bolt assembly and barrel latch if you can, and copy the record trigger as closely as possible ala Ken Turner.

So we all waited with baited breath and.....close but no cigar. They decided they could make a better barrel. Sorry but they didn’t. With the pellets available then the results were very average at best. However the breach lock up was good but the trigger was not.

Everyone I respected tried them and came to the same conclusion. Better than the Vulcan but not even close to what we were using for FT. The take up on the FT circuit was negligable. A real shame but I’m thinking that maybe with modern ammo things might be different. Maybe they got better after the first run, I’ll give it a go.

Now I must dash, I've got a blue rinse at 4.30

[ogilkes]

Well thanks for that, fascinating. I see now, a certain amount of Webley pride involved (and I suspect fear of idle production machinery). A great shame. It took Air Arms then to realise that imported parts and following a rough template (HW77) was one way to high sales!

So from there Webley decdied to move on to the Tomahawk and Longbow and its destiny.....

Duty Free anyone?

[Binners]

Well thanks for that, fascinating. I see now, a certain amount of Webley pride involved (and I suspect fear of idle production machinery). A great shame. It took Air Arms then to realise that imported parts and following a rough template (HW77) was one way to high sales!

So from there Webley decdied to move on to the Tomahawk and Longbow and its destiny.....

Duty Free anyone?

Don't mention it Ollie... of course I used the abbreviated version but I knew you could read between the lines....Glad to be of help

[Gareth W-B]

Webley were dissapointed because the first few batches were bought by either Cabin Crew or Hairdressers.

Not much changes

Bought sommat else for myself of late, too, a nice new BBS moderators keyboard and I've a feelin' it'll be getting a comprehensive trial test run very soon, very very soon indeed.

[Muskett]

I could never understand how stubborn British Companies could be to sticking with their old ways. Leyland motors; anyone wanting to work down a mine; Post Office and British Airways. Sorry, I'm wearing my Swiss hat (they are pretty stuck in their old ways too).

BSA and Webley! We screamed for a better trigger; record equal. A decent barrel; I think both companies made their barrels on their original WW1 machinery. It wasn't rocket science. Have a cheap plinkers line, old machinery and premium line with best up to date stuff. Oh you would have to invest something! AA and Theoben did!

[Gareth W-B]

It wasn't rocket science. Have a cheap plinkers line, old machinery and premium line with best up to date stuff. Oh you would have to invest something! AA and Theoben did!

Very valid and salient points . You have, in short, highlighted the inherent problems involved in having either quangos, or accountants (or both ), running an otherwise successful company -- a quintessential British disease unfortunately, which has seen off more fine companies than I care to remember (the British motorcycle industry certainly springs to mind ) ...

[kevin.ronnie]

Hello Gareth, glad your happy with the Omega.
rgds kevin.

[Artfull-Bodger]

well I have in my posession a mk1 Omega .177 with choked barrel, and its blardy brilliant, using JSB 4.52 it puts ten shots inside a 15mm circle at 50yards with a complete cack handed muppet like me shooting it!
it looks like it was designed by god and every time I shoot it it makes me smile!

and if you can't comprehend the brilliance of the design then your obviously a heretic and should go post on a thread about Relums or something!

[mallyally]

well I have in my posession a mk1 Omega .177 with choked barrel, and its blardy brilliant, using JSB 4.52 it puts ten shots inside a 15mm circle at 50yards with a complete cack handed muppet like me shooting it!
it looks like it was designed by god and every time I shoot it it makes me smile!

and if you can't comprehend the brilliance of the design then your obviously a heretic and should go post on a thread about Relums or something!

bloody miraculous i would say
unless you mean a 15 INCH CIRCLE
my ripley aint THAT accurate / not with me shooting it anyway