Possible Webley Case?

[45flint]

I bought a spectacular curly walnut case off the bay years ago that was made for a set of Wather PPK pistols. I sold my PPK and was keeping my 1908 Schwarzlose Model pistol in it. Going to sell that as well. Laid my Webley Target in it and with reconfiguring the compartments it might work? Going to have to find a vintage oil can and pellet container before I can begin. My thanks to all that gave me contacts to Webley case builders, may still go that way but the fact that no straight grip was cased kind of leads me to a nice wood one, we will see. Plus the case is no cost to me at this point.
https://imgur.com/gallery/9PF0t

[Abasmajor]

I bought a spectacular curly walnut case off the bay years ago that was made for a set of Wather PPK pistols. I sold my PPK and was keeping my 1908 Schwarzlose Model pistol in it. Going to sell that as well. Laid my Webley Target in it and with reconfiguring the compartments it might work? Going to have to find a vintage oil can and pellet container before I can begin. My thanks to all that gave me contacts to Webley case builders, may still go that way but the fact that no straight grip was cased kind of leads me to a nice wood one, we will see. Plus the case is no cost to me at this point.
https://imgur.com/gallery/9PF0t

Hi,

That would seem to be a great idea, especially as the wooden case would nicely compliment the wood grips fitted to the pistol.

I'm sure you are already aware that this is the correct pellet tin for period, notably only referring to "Air Rifle" rather than "Air Rifles" as only the Mk2 Service was available at the time rather than the choice of several models after the war. The .22 tin would obviously be orange in accordance with the recognised convention.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1Q...F4muMPpXS4fuyB

Regards
Brian

[micky2]

I bought a spectacular curly walnut case off the bay years ago that was made for a set of Wather PPK pistols. I sold my PPK and was keeping my 1908 Schwarzlose Model pistol in it. Going to sell that as well. Laid my Webley Target in it and with reconfiguring the compartments it might work? Going to have to find a vintage oil can and pellet container before I can begin. My thanks to all that gave me contacts to Webley case builders, may still go that way but the fact that no straight grip was cased kind of leads me to a nice wood one, we will see. Plus the case is no cost to me at this point.
https://imgur.com/gallery/9PF0t

Hi Flint, that's a nice box. it looks like it should convert to take a oil can and a tin of pellets. good luck if you decide to do it.

[45flint]

A suitable oil can and pellet tin will probably harder to find than the gun.

[nige346]

A suitable oil can and pellet tin will probably harder to find than the gun.

There a seller on the bay doing repro Webley tins of the correct era may suffice until a genuine one turns up, The oil cans can fetch remarkable prices

[Josie & John]

A suitable oil can and pellet tin will probably harder to find than the gun.

That's very true but please remember Webley did not produce a pellet tin during the life of any of the straight griped pistols. In fact boxes were still advertised in 1937 and the oblong Webley tin did not appear in Webley advertising until 1938, which is a little later than most believe.

A BSA box of pellets would be correct, as would one of the Kynoch branded boxes John Atkins features in the January 2018 issue of Airgunner magazine.

A 1920s can of Winchester or similar oil would also be contemporary.

Kind regards,

John

[Abasmajor]

That's very true but please remember Webley did not produce a pellet tin during the life of any of the straight griped pistols. In fact boxes were still advertised in 1937 and the oblong Webley tin did not appear in Webley advertising until 1938, which is a little later than most believe.

A BSA box of pellets would be correct, as would one of the Kynoch branded boxes John Atkins features in the January 2018 issue of Airgunner magazine.

A 1920s can of Winchester or similar oil would also be contemporary.

Kind regards,

John

Hi,

John is of course absolutely right, but if it wasn't possible to obtain accessories correct for the exact period of the pistol, I would go for the most attractive set of accessories closest to the period that would have been supplied or recommended under the makers name. I'm sure items not originally available when an item was originally sold would have been added later by the owner, particularly pellets which are after all consumables. Although there are some very attractive pre-war paper packaged pellets, I think tins always look better in cased sets even if not exactly period correct.

If I don't have originals, I store some of my Webley pistols in reproduction cardboard boxes with a mix of original and reproduction accessories and paperwork. Obviously not ideal, but preferable to storing them in boring old pistol covers.

Regards
Brian

[45flint]

I have the original pellet box from the Webley box which is small and would work but are these the same boxes that they sold pellets in? If a person boxed his pistol back then he would create a space for normal retail pellets. Not sure Webley pellets would necessarily be correct for over here? Looks like Stoeger sold RWS in early ads. Crosman’s early pellets were in cardboard boxes as well and would be contemporary but only in 22 at that time and this is a 177. Stoeger oil seems problematic to me as well, it really is meant for firearms and contains powder solvents, might void my Webley warranty! The old adds say you can use it as an antiseptic! Lol Bottom line is I kind of agree with Brian, in a display case like this I think the accessories could be later but I’m looking for crisp clean interesting graphics. If that is a Stoeger can or a Winchester can not sure it really matters. My real goal is a Hoffman can, you can dream right?

[ETCHY]

The old type small fibre suitcases can be quite effective looking for housing pistols.

You sometimes find small ones (similar to briefcases) on car-boot sales & the like at reasonable prices. Think of the type of small case some little ww2 evacuee would be clutching & you'll get the idea of what I mean

[45flint]

Saw a Frank A Hoppes vintage gun oil can that was short just like the Webley cans. His company was formed in 1905 and is probably the best known maker of these products today, in the US. Old comtempory cans seem available and not at crazy prices. I can get 1920s Winchester cans on the Bay right now for north of $200! And it is not unlikely that anyone over here at the time would have bought Hoppes oil for their gun? Haven’t seen a short Stoeger or Winchester can. Short is much better for my case

https://i.imgur.com/g4DD3qc.jpg

[Troubledshooter]

I have the original pellet box from the Webley box which is small and would work but are these the same boxes that they sold pellets in? If a person boxed his pistol back then he would create a space for normal retail pellets. Not sure Webley pellets would necessarily be correct for over here? Looks like Stoeger sold RWS in early ads. Crosman’s early pellets were in cardboard boxes as well and would be contemporary but only in 22 at that time and this is a 177. Stoeger oil seems problematic to me as well, it really is meant for firearms and contains powder solvents, might void my Webley warranty! The old adds say you can use it as an antiseptic! Lol Bottom line is I kind of agree with Brian, in a display case like this I think the accessories could be later but I’m looking for crisp clean interesting graphics. If that is a Stoeger can or a Winchester can not sure it really matters. My real goal is a Hoffman can, you can dream right?

Strangely enough, when I found the first Webley oil bottle in the collection of a retired gun shop owner, it came with a tin of 'Wichester NEW gun oil', which is in a fixed spout can with a small plastic screw on tip cover. I still have this although the oil bottle has been sold. When a second oil bottle turned up, offered from Canada on Eb@y some time later, it too was offered with a tin of 'Winchester' oil.
The small pellet box in the original Mk.11 Target box would have contained a sample pack of pellets and a spare leather and brass breech washer. There would also have been a barrel cleaning brush.
Finding a card box of period pellets will be difficult, but they do occasionally crop up.

[Abasmajor]

Saw a Frank A Hoppes vintage gun oil can that was short just like the Webley cans. His company was formed in 1905 and is probably the best known maker of these products today, in the US. Old comtempory cans seem very available and not at crazy prices. I can get 1920s Winchester cans on the Bay right now for north of $200! And it is not unlikely that anyone over here at the time would have bought this oil for their gun? Haven’t seen a short Stoeger or Winchester can. Short is much better for my case

Original pre-war Webley 'Valvespout' oil cans usually sell for £300-£350 when they rarely appear for sale in this country. The three variants of the post-war can are more easily sourced and sell for £150-£200 depending on condition with the reversible spout being the hardest to find in my experience. At least these later cans were refillable which meant they were not immediately discarded when empty. Similarly, so many of the rectangular Webley tins survive often being used to store screws or nails etc in the dark corners of someones garden shed.

Regards
Brian

[45flint]

Strangely enough, when I found the first Webley oil bottle in the collection of a retired gun shop owner, it came with a tin of 'Wichester NEW gun oil', which is in a fixed spout can with a small plastic screw on tip cover. I still have this although the oil bottle has been sold. When a second oil bottle turned up, offered from Canada on Eb@y some time later, it too was offered with a tin of 'Winchester' oil.
The small pellet box in the original Mk.11 Target box would have contained a sample pack of pellets and a spare leather and brass breech washer. There would also have been a barrel cleaning brush.
Finding a card box of period pellets will be difficult, but they do occasionally crop up.

I have the spare brass breech washer but need to look for a contemporary cleaning brush for my case I think.

[45flint]

Original pre-war Webley 'Valvespout' oil cans usually sell for £300-£350 when they rarely appear for sale in this country. The three variants of the 1960s can are more easily sourced and sell for £150-£200 depending on condition with the reversible spout being the hardest to find in my experience. At least these later cans were refillable which meant they were not immediately discarded when empty. Similarly, so many of the rectangular Webley tins survive often being used to store screws or nails etc in the dark corners of someones garden shed.

Regards
Brian

I would rather buy another pistol than spend that much for a oil can! Lol Plus I like the rational that my pistol is a Hoffman import and the original owner would have bought a oil can over here. Another fun obscure search!