Webley Prideaux loaders

[ferrit]

Hi
Just a word of caution to the Webley collectors out there, there are a large number of prideaux webley loaders out there at the moment and if you intend to buy one please use caution. They all seem to be incorrectly marked if you look at them closely with P-L2 this is incorrect the correct mark should be P-L and then a smaller capital D with a line under it this stands for Prideaux - Limited. The 1919 date has serifs on the 1`s and all the originals I have seen are l sans serif other than this they are very good

[ashf9999]

Hi
Just a word of caution to the Webley collectors out there, there are a large number of prideaux webley loaders out there at the moment and if you intend to buy one please use caution. They all seem to be incorrectly marked if you look at them closely with P-L2 this is incorrect the correct mark should be P-L and then a smaller capital D with a line under it this stands for Prideaux - Limited. The 1919 date has serifs on the 1`s and all the originals I have seen are l sans serif other than this they are very good

Indeed there is a certain deactivated weapons shop selling them in their current catalogue, but at the price they are asking they clearly are not in the same league as the type which tend to attract a price of many £100's at reputable auction houses. That said, they may be worth what they are asking at around £125. Well done for pointing it out though. As most people know, the vast majority of the MkV1 Pritchard bayonets out there are not 100% right either. As long as one is not paying top dollar then I guess it is up to the individual.

[richard577]

I have one of each in my hand at the momment,borrowed of a couple of friends, so I could compare. When they are side by side the copys stand out for what they are.

[Tantomurata]

One dealer that is selling copies has sold copies of all sorts of items over the years, and the wording is never clear that the items are not genuine. (Webley revolver stocks and bayonets, Sten MkII socket bayonets, Japanese NCO sword blades, deactivated Mk1 Stens, etc, etc,....)

[ferrit]

Hi for closure to the correct markings for the Prideaux loader, below is what the Royal Armouries Leeds in the UK have to say. So this comes from the horse’s mouth

I can confirm from reference to the Sealed Pattern that the correct mark is P-LD (superscript ‘D’) for ‘Prideaux Ltd’. I would speculate that the ‘2’ has been added either deliberately, to distinguish them from the originals, or by mistake (by someone intending to deceive). I don’t know the origin of the reproduction loaders, so can’t comment on which of these may or may not be the case.


I’m sorry to disappoint, but it is after all better to know than be in doubt.

Jonathan


Jonathan Ferguson
Curator of Firearms

I have also been informed that the sealed pattern has 2 brass round holed rivets holding it together and the copies all seem to have blackened steel, also the originals have sans serif number ones and the copies serif (1) type with a tail at the top.

[loach369]

The origin of these 'pattern' ie reproduction Prideaux loaders is, I am told on good authority, India.
With originals now selling for close to £500 it was only a matter of time.

[Rollo]

Webley pattern revolvers are still made new in India in various configurations, so these reproduction loaders may actually just be current manufacture for current guns rather than an attempt to deceive.

[loach369]

[QUOTE=Rollo;5529689]Webley pattern revolvers are still made new in India in various configurations, so these reproduction loaders may actually just be current manufacture for current guns rather tha