Originally Posted by
Josie & John
When Webley & Scott Ltd introduced the Mark I air pistol in 1924, they recommended Neatsfoot oil for lubricating the leather piston and breech washers. This is evidenced by an early Component Parts List, which mentioned Webley could supply Neatsfoot oil in bottles. There was no mention of the trigger adjusting screw on the parts list so whilst undated, the item probably dates from early 1925. No example of such a bottle is known and it is possible they were never Webley branded.
The instructions found inside early carton lids for the Mark I air pistol intended for the spring clip version also referred to Neatsfoot oil.
After the Mark II pistol and Mark I rifle with their metal piston rings were introduced in 1925, a thicker lubricant such as motor oil was determined to be more suitable for lubrication of these rings. They worked on a similar principle to the internal combustion engine and Webley therefore introduced a second grade of oil. Consequently Webley oil was supplied in two grades: No 1 for leather washers and No 2 for metal piston rings.
An undated Webley advertising leaflet for No 1 and No 2 oil included a line drawing of a tall Webley branded tin with an offset screw off spout. The tin’s cap was soldered to a screw off spout at 90 degrees, so either could be used and retained together. Webley referred to it as a ‘Filler Spout’. This leaflet is the earliest reference to Webley oil tins and believed to date from after 1925 and prior to the Valvespout tins, which were patented by Parker Hale in 1931. A tin in poor external condition is known to have survived, which has a centrally located filler spout.
Hope this helps.
John M
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