The Webley & Scott Vulcan Air Rifle -- A Vox-Pop History

[Paul SE]

Excellent post Gareth

As you may recall, I purchased a Mk1 Vulcan a couple of weeks ago from a fellow BBS member.
(http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....-Vulcan-Mk1-22)

The Vulcan is one of those guns that I really should have bought when they first came out back in '79, but at that time I had a Mk3 Hawk

One of the thngs I cannot understand is that the Hawk Mk3 is slagged off as a really poor rifle, yet the Vulcan is a Hawk Mk3 with a larger diameter cylinder and different seal on the piston

I have to agree with ggggr in that many of the parts were the same and interchangeable on both rifles.
I found that the .177 Mk1 Vulcan that a mate had at the time, was without doubt, more powerful than the Hawk, but also that the firing cycle seemed smoother and quieter.

Another thing I've noticed on my Vulcan is that there is a pressed metal plate that sits between the trigger guard and the stock; I don't recall this item on the Hawk

As for prices, I remember the Mk1 Vulcan being sold at Jim Johnsons Norbury shop for £45.95

[Garvin]

Brilliant history, thanks Gareth! Just shows how much information there is buried in BBS posts if you take the time to look. But it's amalgamation posts like these that will endure.

Years ago on the American Vintage Airguns forum I tried to pull threads together into some sort of index of posts on early Weihrauch air rifles, which sort of worked but as it turns out was vulnerable to the Photobucket switch off.

[Muskett]

I'm a fan of the MK1 because it was the "boy" scaled full powered rifle of my youth. When all the "grown ups" were raving about the 81/2 lbs HW35E, most 10 years olds could barely lift the German machine, let alone afford one.
The Vulcan MKI packed a punch in a package we could shoot. Very heavy trigger but we worked through that. Open sights were OK, but we all wanted to fix a scope. Scope creep was an issue. Take the iron sights off and it exposed an ugly breach area. Webley brought out the Telescan scout scope that fitted on the barrel block; good system let down by a basic Webley branded Jap pistol scope with very fine wire crosshair. Anyhow, generally a 4x40 or 32 could be bolted on somehow and they were the scourge of critters around many a farmyard. I think the .22 was the better as these rifle worked best at short ratting ranges.

The MKII was much more refined but lost that small package size. You may as well have had the far superior FWB Sport, so I did. Vulcan MKII Deluxe is a good looking rifle but let down by that trigger. "Buy British" wasn't enough. By the time the Webley Omega came out, a fine rifle, things had moved on again.

If only Webley, and BSA for that matter, had have produced a better trigger to compete with the Record. British Industry was pile it high, sell it cheap. Thing is their cheap on old machinery was still expensive and not very profitable as the market had moved on and demanded more. Thankfully Theoben proved we could still make high quality and truly innovated rifles. Air Arms and a few others still prove we can.

[Arthur John Smithsplease]

Never had a chance to shoot one of these.

How were/are they?

Better than the BSA offerings of the same era?

[Muskett]

Very similar to a BSA Mercury. I think the BSA's have the better trigger and better sights, and point better too; though not quite the same power. Neither particularly inspiring bar the price ticket.
Shot my Vulcan MKI today. Packs a punch, shoots fine, but that trigger sure is a heavy one. I'm not going to play with it as thats how it should be. You get used to it and shoot it fast, shoot it fun. Have a Tasco Red Dot on mine

[Gareth W-B]

Excellent post Gareth

Brilliant history, thanks Gareth.

Thank you very much Gents, your comments are appreciated, as I 'aim' to please (did you see what I did there ??? )

Never had a chance to shoot one of these.

How were/are they?

Better than the BSA offerings of the same era?

The Vulcan is a lot more evenly balanced than the BSA Mercury, and so imho, is far more pick-up-and-pointable, and on average, the Vulcan was 1.5ft.lb more powerful (my experience was that back in the day, the Mercury struggled to cross the 10ft.lb mark straight from the box).

I also prefer the open sights that came as standard on the Webley Vulcan over the Mercury, too, but BSA had it pegged with the trigger, but only just though, as both were/are inferior to the HW35 triggers of the day (this was pre HW80 and HW77).

Notwithstanding the roll pin in place of a breech bolt as moaned about in my opening post, here, however, for me, the Vulcan was the complete package, as being a late teen at the time of its launch as I was, the visual aesthetics of the Vulcan gave it much more sex appeal than the other two, with only the later FWB 127 and 124 offering more trouser movement.

[Blackrider]

Great thread Gareth !
I've had two Mk. III K's in .22 Cal. And I really rated them. I used the first for general pest control in farms,
factories and industrial premises to good effect.
My Mate used a BSA Lightning at the time and as we shot together, we would "compete" for the best shot.
Fond and happy memories for a smashing British spring air rifle ! An illustrious member on here and good friend (Johnbaz) now owns my second Vulcan .22 k these days and he may show you a picture ?

[Gareth W-B]

Great thread Gareth.

Thank you good Sir.

[johnbaz]

Great thread Gareth !
I've had two Mk. III K's in .22 Cal. And I really rated them. I used the first for general pest control in farms,
factories and industrial premises to good effect.
My Mate used a BSA Lightning at the time and as we shot together, we would "compete" for the best shot.
Fond and happy memories for a smashing British spring air rifle ! An illustrious member on here and good friend (Johnbaz) now owns my second Vulcan .22 k these days and he may show you a picture ?

I somehow missed this thread!!

My Vulcan KS from B'rider, 'Tis a lovely little thing!

It has a stubby little moderator fitted in this pic..



John