Dating a Webley Senior via serial number

[Sphiinx]

Good evening to you all. I'm hoping someone in the know can help me with this. I'm looking to find out the age and value of my Webley Senior, but I've hit a wall on where to look.

Generally speaking I don't just mean "I've seen one go for £85" etc. I'd love some specifics regarding and taking into consideration its age mainly.

I'm aware that there are a few different models out there, and so I'll clarify that I have the slanted grip model, in .177, a knurled barrel with black plastic grips bearing the Webley logo.

My serial number above the trigger begins with 'S', which I believe is an indication that it was manufactured pre-war, and the three digits at the front of the barrel are 258.

Full serial number is S197258.

I'm on my phone at the moment so posting a picture is a bit more difficult, but I will later on if need be. I'd just appreciate any new information on this pistol, as it's a lovely piece. Thanks in advance.

[micky]

Good evening to you all. I'm hoping someone in the know can help me with this. I'm looking to find out the age and value of my Webley Senior, but I've hit a wall on where to look.

Generally speaking I don't just mean "I've seen one go for £85" etc. I'd love some specifics regarding and taking into consideration its age mainly.

I'm aware that there are a few different models out there, and so I'll clarify that I have the slanted grip model, in .177, a knurled barrel with black plastic grips bearing the Webley logo.

My serial number above the trigger begins with 'S', which I believe is an indication that it was manufactured pre-war, and the three digits at the front of the barrel are 258.

Full serial number is S197258.

I'm on my phone at the moment so posting a picture is a bit more difficult, but I will later on if need be. I'd just appreciate any new information on this pistol, as it's a lovely piece. Thanks in advance.

Hi and welcome to the BBS, yes it sounds like you have a prewar senior made from 1935 to about 1939, it should have brown grips without Webley logo on them, so yours are later ones, and the barrel is from a later model as it should be without knurling, hope this helps

[Garvin]

Good evening to you all. I'm hoping someone in the know can help me with this. I'm looking to find out the age and value of my Webley Senior, but I've hit a wall on where to look.

Generally speaking I don't just mean "I've seen one go for £85" etc. I'd love some specifics regarding and taking into consideration its age mainly.

I'm aware that there are a few different models out there, and so I'll clarify that I have the slanted grip model, in .177, a knurled barrel with black plastic grips bearing the Webley logo.

My serial number above the trigger begins with 'S', which I believe is an indication that it was manufactured pre-war, and the three digits at the front of the barrel are 258.

Full serial number is S197258.

I'm on my phone at the moment so posting a picture is a bit more difficult, but I will later on if need be. I'd just appreciate any new information on this pistol, as it's a lovely piece. Thanks in advance.

That sounds like an incredibly high serial number! (Too many digits, surely?!) Only the other day one of our resident Webley gurus was saying that serial no. 19000 (c. 1939) was the highest he knew about.

Black plastic slant grips were only on the Mk1 IIRC, so may not be original, as Mick said. I think I remember reading that some very late 'S' prefix Seniors had the knurled barrels, though.

[Sphiinx]

Thanks for the replies, I knew I'd find some knowledge here.

As for the serial, I did read that also, which made mine seem that little more unusual. It's definitely 6 digits, 7 with the letter S included. S197258. The last three of those digits also match the three near the tip of the barrel as they're supposed to: 258

I need to upload a couple of snaps I think. Give me some time.

[Sphiinx]

http:// http://s17.postimg.org/5ogik..._Ser_19000.jpg

Here is one that looks identical to my own. ( Though mine is in better nick )

[Josie & John]

It would be interesting to see some pics, particularly of the markings and serial number. As Garvin points out, the number mentioned sounds like it has 1 digit too many. The barrel knurling was added in 1939 and if this pistol is in the S19000 range, it could date from 1939 or was possibly sold the following year as part of Webley's 200th Anniversary commemoration. Black grips are associated with the Mark I as has been pointed out and I don't know of any fitted to slant grip Seniors. They should fit but whether they were factory fitted or a later replacement is open to speculation.

Kind regards,

John

[gingernut]

What does p stamped at the top of the trigger guard LH side denote?
The more you look at these pistols the more you find!

[Sphiinx]

Just on my way home now ready for another week of work. I'll get some pictures and closeups of the serial, barrel etc when I get there.

Thanks all for the inputs thus far though, I never realised how much variation and interesting information there was about air pistols and rifles until I came here and snooped about. I can feel a hobby burning up from within!

[Sphiinx]

Okay, here are some snaps of the points of interest so to speak. Included are the barrel, and its knurling. The serial number up close, the front barrel serial. The black grips, and markings on the side (Webley patents and Oil etc), and also the letter underneath the trigger guard (is it a T or an L? Unsure, but it probably means something).

Let me know if this link fails to work by the way, as I've never used this image linking thing, and I'm attempting to link an album rather than one picture. Thanks!

http://s172.photobucket.com/user/Chr...bile%20Uploads