Date of my senior?

[mrgeoff]

Hi, please can someone help with the approx date of my slant grip senior I'm thinking of selling.
Number under the grip is 2075.
It's got a 3 pin trigger, very curved trigger, brown grips, knurled barrel. Are there other markings that is a tell tail for the date?


Thanks!

[Abasmajor]

Hi Geoff,

The number stamped under the grip is a batch number rather than a serial number, so doesn't really help with dating. There are however some subtle differences that can help, so a couple of good pictures would be useful.

A rough guide is the presence of a B4 post code after the Webley address stamped on the side of the pistol which indicates manufacture before 1958 when Webley moved from their Weaman St premises.

Regards

Brian

[mrgeoff]

It says
Webley & Scott ltd Birmingham 4

Anything else? (I'm terrible with pictures unless I'm posting in the sales section here, sorry)

Thanks :-)

[Abasmajor]

It says
Webley & Scott ltd Birmingham 4

Anything else? (I'm terrible with pictures unless I'm posting in the sales section here, sorry)

Thanks :-)

Hi Geoff,

As already stated, the Birmingham 4 stamping on the side of the pistol indicates manufacture before 1958. The knurling on the barrel extended to just under the first cocking link on those pistols made just after the war, but was quickly reduced to prevent unnecessary wear. If the knurling does not extend to the first cocking link on your pistol, I would think mid 1950s is the closest you will get to dating your Senior.

Regards

Brian

[mrgeoff]

Ok, thanks again. My knurling does extend about 8mm into the first short link, and the link has a turned up portion right at the end of the link, so it looks like the link flows into the knurling which is a feature I like.

So from this it sounds like early post WW2 so maybe 1945-1950?


Thanks!

[Abasmajor]

Hi Geoff,

I would agree with your estimated manufacture date for the Senior.

I must admit to a preference for pre-war Seniors without the knurling to the barrel and with much more elegant trigger blades.

Good luck with the sale should you decide to part with the pistol.

Regards

Brian

[mrgeoff]

Thanks for your help. As its a bit earlier than I thought it would be, and works very nicely still, im not going to sell this after all :-)

Going to part with a 177 premier instead, as I have 2 of those.



Cheers - Geoff.

[Geezer]

On my reading of the relevant section of G Bruce's book, the long knurling stopped from 21 September 1949.

Most Seniors of post-1947 vintage say "OIL" next to the oil hole, rather than the older "OIL HERE".

A few, including mine, have a plain end plug, bearing neither the pre-war "NOT TO BE REMOVED" nor the later "DO NOT REMOVE" stamping. Bruce says these were immediate post-war ones.