New Webley Tempest

[TonyL]

Its worth considering the MK1/Senior/Premier's that predate the Tempest. Even more compact and provided that they have been looked after lovely to shoot.

Yep, good point, as the main attraction for me is the compactness and the British-ness. As regards any performance issues, they'd be well down the list. I'm a big HW fan and own quite a few of them and they're what I'll pick up for any serious shooting. The Webley pistol would be just for informal plinking, short sessions just to give it an airing, and for the heritage. I shot a Premier very briefly (37 years ago as a yoof!) and a Hurricane about 30 years ago, and I can say that I definitely preferred the solid feel, more traditional feel of the Premier. So maybe you're right.
Right, it's my day off, but better get down town to do the shopping before 'er indoors rumbles me!!

[Ian]

Extract from "Webley Air Pistols - Their History and Development" by Gordon Bruce (2001)

"The Tempest model represented the 'last of the series' and was probably the most charasmatic of all Webley air pistols. Built to th every highest standards of the period, it had been thoughtfully designed, well engineered and was of robust appearance. Its imposing dimensions gave the aura of which it certainly matched in performance.
Official factory figures given for pellet speeds acheived by the Tempest model were 420 fps (.177) and 330 fps (.22) but, with proper lubrication and adjustment, velocities reading 530 fps (.177) and 410 fps (.22) could be obtained. Indeed, those pistols aquired in the United States were equipped with more powerfull springs in order to generate such high speeds"

[harvey_s]

Extract from "Webley Air Pistols - Their History and Development" by Gordon Bruce (2001)

"The Tempest model represented the 'last of the series' and was probably the most charasmatic of all Webley air pistols. Built to th every highest standards of the period, it had been thoughtfully designed, well engineered and was of robust appearance. Its imposing dimensions gave the aura of which it certainly matched in performance.
Official factory figures given for pellet speeds acheived by the Tempest model were 420 fps (.177) and 330 fps (.22) but, with proper lubrication and adjustment, velocities reading 530 fps (.177) and 410 fps (.22) could be obtained. Indeed, those pistols aquired in the United States were equipped with more powerfull springs in order to generate such high speeds"

If anyone can get a Tempest to do 530 fps with "proper lubrication and adjustment" alone I'd love to see it

However, if by "proper" he meant pumping it full of WD40 then perhaps it was possible

[richtel]

The Tempest centennial available at Pyramid Air in the US suggests the new pistols are rated at only 420fps @ .177 o 350fps @ .22 for the market- so same as over here. Similarly, I'd be amazed to see a webley pistol push out >500fps.

[Ian]

I thought that the Bruce book quote would provide some amusement / incredulity! Odd really as the chapters dealing with older models seem more reliable and factual - its as if the narrative on the modern ones was influenced by PR hype etc.

[coburn]

I suspect Bruce was using Beeman sales literature on those figures.

[Aimstraight]

Hi Folks,

Anyone out there bought one of the new Tempests and what do you think to them?

Cheers,

Tone.

Just bought one; short review in the Air Gun Reviews Forum. They are certainly not as glossy (refined) looking as the Brummie version, but I'm happy with it. I understand the Tempest has always been difficult to cock; for such power and compact barrel I would not expect otherwise.

[Gerard]

My English-made .22" Tempest was shooting in the 290's with its worn-out spring, my Senior .22" at about 260fps, both using RWS Hobby 11.9gr. So I ordered a handful of mainsprings and swapped them out using Bisley's Gun Grease on the springs and pistons and a couple of drops of silicone oil in the chambers. The Senior went up to 295fps with Hobbys as the original mainspring wasn't really that bad, so not a huge shift. The Tempest jumped to 355fps, for 3.3ft/lb. Not exactly a 'blaster' but the 11.9gr pellet hits plenty hard for some satisfying plinking out to 15 metres or so.

Still, I find my early 50's smoothbore Junior the most fun for short-range plinking. With the original spring still in but cleaned and lubed the .177" Junior does 300fps with 7gr Hobby. Adequate for popping bottlecaps out to 10 metres. But the thing which makes it most satisfying is the size and weight; the Junior does what a plinker ought to do, in a tiny package which I can put in a pocket and almost forget about when I'm not using it. The Senior or Tempest are just too big and heavy for that kind of casual use. And in 20 shot tests on paper at home at 5 metres I'm getting the same group sizes with the Senior and Junior - the Tempest groups close up somewhat as the grip style makes for better control without trying very hard.

I don't think I'd want a higher-powered Tempest. None of these pistols were ever proper target pistols, they're for fun and challenging shooting at close range. Now if the Turkish plant were to start making replica Juniors, with rifled barrels and an additional 100fps velocity, that might be something I'd consider. Of course it isn't going to happen. But I have to wonder why no one else really made a pocketable plinker like that, at least not on any significant scale and not in recent years. All the informal target pistols seem to be larger than life, absolutely huge and impossible to put in a pocket. Desert Eagle scaled pistols are well and good if that's one's taste but the very size tends to limit the viability for casual use while out on walks or camping. I suppose the compact CO2 pistols are supposed to fill that niche now... but really? Who the heck wants to carry a second pocketfull of CO2 cans? The simplicity of a pocket spring pistol is ideal for pure fun shooting when less than serious about nailing penny-sized groups at longer range.

[Aimstraight]

.....Still, I find my early 50's smoothbore Junior the most fun for short-range plinking. With the original spring still in but cleaned and lubed the .177" Junior does 300fps with 7gr Hobby. Adequate for popping bottlecaps out to 10 metres. But the thing which makes it most satisfying is the size and weight; the Junior does what a plinker ought to do, in a tiny package which I can put in a pocket and almost forget about when I'm not using it.....

Just bought my first Junior, a Mk II (rifled barrel and familiar stirrup). Have to say I am impressed with its performance for such a compact pistol and understand its popularity.

[harvey_s]

My English-made .22" Tempest was shooting in the 290's with its worn-out spring, my Senior .22" at about 260fps, both using RWS Hobby 11.9gr. So I ordered a handful of mainsprings and swapped them out using Bisley's Gun Grease on the springs and pistons and a couple of drops of silicone oil in the chambers...

Unless you want some scrap iron on your hands I'd wash that silicone oil out of the cylinders sharpish - silicone oil should not be used anywhere where steel on steel contact occurs as it will start galling in very short order

[Gerard]

Thanks for that advice! I'll get the silicone cleaned out immediately and seek out a suitable substitute.

[Aimstraight]

Unless you want some scrap iron on your hands I'd wash that silicone oil out of the cylinders sharpish - silicone oil should not be used anywhere where steel on steel contact occurs as it will start galling in very short order

Is silicone oil good for anything? Maybe just a light coating generally over the outside of a gun to inhibit corrosion? New guns (especially CO2) seem to come slapped up with something, does not smell like mineral oil; suspect it is silicone? Mineral oil is probably as good, generally more smelly (nowt wrong with that) and maybe wears off quicker.

[harvey_s]

Is silicone oil good for anything? Maybe just a light coating generally over the outside of a gun to inhibit corrosion? New guns (especially CO2) seem to come slapped up with something, does not smell like mineral oil; suspect it is silicone? Mineral oil is probably as good, generally more smelly (nowt wrong with that) and maybe wears off quicker.

Wouldn't use it on the outside either personally in case it got in places I didn't want it - particularly in aerosol form.
It is however a very good plastic and rubber lubricant and for things such as plastic hinges and joints its ideal.

See here for a cautionary tale :http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....L-DAMAGE-Part2

[Aimstraight]

Wouldn't use it on the outside either personally in case it got in places I didn't want it - particularly in aerosol form.
It is however a very good plastic and rubber lubricant and for things such as plastic hinges and joints its ideal.

See here for a cautionary tale :http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....L-DAMAGE-Part2

Point Taken! Fortunately I have only used mineral oil on my guns. I read somewhere that some 'gun cloths' have silicone oil on them, at least that controls/minimises the amount deposited on say the outside of a gun. Use on plastics seems to be its main advantage, I used the spray (on a cloth) to wipe the plastic in metal sliders on my uPVC windows, also useful to help 'break in' a plastic Fobus holster.

[mrgeoff]

A friend has both a tempest and a nemesis, I personally like the nemesis as a plinker far more.