In praise of Webley air pistols

[ggggr]

Have a look at this close-up shot of the sear and spring, just ahead of and above the trigger.
http://www.luthier.ca/other/forum/Tempest_sear.jpg
Seems to me the spring is fine, was fine when I last assembled it and seems to function as it ought to. The trigger's action is normal. The sear leg showing just under (above) the spring couldn't be a lot longer without hitting the front of the trigger guard frame so it must be the right way around I think.


The tiny allen set screw in the trigger is indeed very loosely threaded. I'm out of Loctite, have to remember to get some next time I'm at a tool store. But checking it at all adjustments, from all the way in to almost all the way out, there's no change in the malfunction, so this isn't the problem.

I'll have a try tonight after my son gets to sleep. So morning tomorrow your time. I'll let you know what comes of yet another disassembly/reassembly routine. Thanks for the help!

I cannot make out the pic. When you strip the gun again, take out the safety. The trigger should still work ok. Remove the main spring and see if the gun cocks. Then try just putting the sear and stop pin in and cock the gun. You will probably have to fiddle the sear into the right position as you will not have a sear spring fitted. If you can get the gun to cock,then at least the holding face of the sear would seem to be ok. If it cocks then repeat with the trigger also fitted, but still no safety catch,sear spring or trigger guard. If it still cocks then take out trigger and refit safety and then trigger. If it is working, then refit sear spring and trigger guard. Finally if it is working, replace the mainspring.

Ps, when I fit the safety, I don't follow the Webley instructions. I just fit it with the cut out facing forwards and then put the big spring on to hold it in place.

[Gerard]

Thanks for all that ggggr, I'll use your very carefully methodical approach. Might help. I ought to have been clearer about what the picture represents. So I've added some arrows and text at the same link above which should make things crystal clear, just click again and the image should explain itself - unless your browser has cached the previous version, in which case clear recent history and refresh the image.

[ggggr]

Thanks for all that ggggr, I'll use your very carefully methodical approach. Might help. I ought to have been clearer about what the picture represents. So I've added some arrows and text at the same link above which should make things crystal clear, just click again and the image should explain itself - unless your browser has cached the previous version, in which case clear recent history and refresh the image.

STOP! Hi Gerard---as soon as I got off the computer last night I thought. I take it your fulcrum plate is not worn? Ok,take the barrel off and take the mainspring out before you look at the trigger again. Try to cock the gun by moving the piston with a screwdriver/small fod etc. If it now cocks and also holds while you push the piston, then your trigger set up is probably all right. If it seems to be, then try doing it with the barrel back on but still with no mainspring. If it does not cock now or seems marginal, look at the little cocking link Bk118 https://www.gunspares.co.uk/products...est-1979-2005/
It may be worn flat at the front and cannot pull the piston far enough back. You can knock out the pin and reverse it until you get a spare one.
If that does not work then it is into the trigger again.

[Gerard]

ggggr... thank you again for your generosity, I am grateful. I've finally taken some of my scant spare time away from my new Brocock Atomic (thing is fun!) long enough to dismantle the Tempest and check it over, and found absolutely no wear of any significance on any part. Putting it back together by the manual, step by step, I was doubly careful to observe each element carefully and reference your contributions here at the same time. And it works. All I can think is that somehow I misaligned the sear... though why it would work for well over 100 shots, then start failing, then fail completely is a mystery. But it's working well now, so all my pistols are happy at the same time. Hurray!

[ggggr]

ggggr... thank you again for your generosity, I am grateful. I've finally taken some of my scant spare time away from my new Brocock Atomic (thing is fun!) long enough to dismantle the Tempest and check it over, and found absolutely no wear of any significance on any part. Putting it back together by the manual, step by step, I was doubly careful to observe each element carefully and reference your contributions here at the same time. And it works. All I can think is that somehow I misaligned the sear... though why it would work for well over 100 shots, then start failing, then fail completely is a mystery. But it's working well now, so all my pistols are happy at the same time. Hurray!

Hi Gerrard--well that is good news. The only things I can think of (and I dont know how it could happen) is that the sear has somehow fallen back instead of being to the stop pin. had a few Tempests that wont cock but I guess it is after they have been played with. A push on the sear to get it back in sync has sorted them (but obviously get stripped for a full clean and lube afterwards anyhow.). Maybe you somehow put the sear spring back wrongly and it worked for a while. Then again, maybe a tiny bit of crud got stuck in the housing?
Main thing is it is working. Better do a bit of plinking to keep it in the mood

[Gerard]

Weirdly, the Tempest locked up again yesterday after my first shot with it in a couple of weeks. Just the same as before. I'd shot a couple of dozen pellets the week before that and no problem, but yesterday the problem recurred. I gave the sear a poke from below, just pressing with a pick and wiggling it around a bit, and it popped back into place and worked fine again to cock the pistol. I didn't shoot more as I had somewhere to go and haven't fired it since, but I'll give it a try soon and see if this keeps happening. This instance helps actually, as it makes clear that it's a problem with the sear's travel. Like it's over-travelling somehow, just a little, after firing. I might have to buy or make a new sear, once I figure out which part of it isn't quite right.

[ggggr]

Weirdly, the Tempest locked up again yesterday after my first shot with it in a couple of weeks. Just the same as before. I'd shot a couple of dozen pellets the week before that and no problem, but yesterday the problem recurred. I gave the sear a poke from below, just pressing with a pick and wiggling it around a bit, and it popped back into place and worked fine again to cock the pistol. I didn't shoot more as I had somewhere to go and haven't fired it since, but I'll give it a try soon and see if this keeps happening. This instance helps actually, as it makes clear that it's a problem with the sear's travel. Like it's over-travelling somehow, just a little, after firing. I might have to buy or make a new sear, once I figure out which part of it isn't quite right.

Hi Gerard---IF you are going to but spares then order a sear spring and sear. That way you could try the sear spring first to see if it cures the problem before changing the sear. I know suggested a lot already, but this does seem a sear related problem. I', assuming your trigger spring is ok?
Try swopping the sear pin for the sear stop pin, just in case it is a little bent or tight.
WITHOUT buying spares, this is what try if you feel up to it. (1) take out the trigger and lightly take a little off that bump between the trigger pin hole and the square bit that holds the sear. Also take a little off the top of the square bit as well and then lube the trigger up and retry it. http://www.airgunspares.com/store/pr...-Trigger-Wide/
(2) if that does not cure it then remove trigger and sear and then lightly take a bit off the front,bottom and angled bit at the back on the long leg of the sear http://www.airgunspares.com/store/pr...t-Pistol-Sear/
(3) if that does not work then strip again and remove the safety catch.


The reason for the first two is that maybe the bottom or back of the sear is just slightly dragging on the trigger. I cannot see (3) really affecting things if the pistol does fire, but there is always a chance the safety slot is not cut or aligned and the trigger sometimes does not fully return.