can anyone help date my Webley Service mk.2 from the serial number......please.

[flatrajectory]

Jules,
If you need the full spring data I will happily remove it and measure everything for you, just pm me.
Pete.

[deejayuu]

Thanks again Pete even if you did manage to divert me from the task in hand!!
So in the middle of three other projects I had a good look at the Mk ll Service still in the queue.
The spring dimensions are 21.5 mm 3.2 wire 29 coils 27 active and has a rate of 40lb/inch by my method. Then thought it looks familiar so went back to
one of the Mk lll springs. Same sizes and rate.
Another Mk lll is same size but only 30 lb/inch rate.
Going back to the Mk ll the transfer port, should that be tunnel, is 45 mm X 4 mm. A tuner's nightmare apparently and yet as
you have found it will get the velocity and feel OK.

[flatrajectory]

Thanks again Pete even if you did manage to divert me from the task in hand!!
So in the middle of three other projects I had a good look at the Mk ll Service still in the queue.
The spring dimensions are 21.5 mm 3.2 wire 29 coils 27 active and has a rate of 40lb/inch by my method. Then thought it looks familiar so went back to
one of the Mk lll springs. Same sizes and rate.
Another Mk lll is same size but only 30 lb/inch rate.
Going back to the Mk ll the transfer port, should that be tunnel, is 45 mm X 4 mm. A tuner's nightmare apparently and yet as
you have found it will get the velocity and feel OK.

Your spring is the correct one.....same as the mk3 but slightly shorter. The one in my example was completely wrong.......3.35 wire,22mm od. It was tight in the piston even before cocking.
However, as has been discussed on the mk3 thread,the standard mainspring in the Webley mk3, BSA Airsporter and now the mk2 Service were all oversprung to begin with. Modern thinking regarding mainsprings has proven to be correct. That is that a thinner section,longer mainspring will be easier on the cocking linkage, smoother and softer firing cycle and still give good power output.
The transfer port in the Service rifle is,as you say, a long tapered cutout in the rear face of the back block. Nothing you can do about that but the rifle still works well so not to worry too much. I had wondered if it might be possible to somehow weld up the long tapered cut out, just leaving the normal sized hole at the top of the tp,to see if velocity improved. However we must realise that we my be going too far with what is after all a valued collectable that most owners would prefer to be ORIGINAL .
I am thinking though of machining the piston ring groove deeper to accept an 'o' ring seal. What do we think....?
Pete.