Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: MK 3's needed huge biceps

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Christchurch
    Posts
    4,829

    MK 3's needed huge biceps

    I have a few nice Webley MK 3 rifles in to check over. On a couple of them it felt like someone had put a really heavy spring in as they were almost impossible to cock. On stripping I found the cocking lever was far too tight a fit in the two lugs under the tap unit and I had to take down their width quite a bit. This seems strange as you would expect old rifles like these to wear in that area, not get tighter. Has anyone found this problem before ?

    Baz
    BE AN INDEPENDENT THINKER, DON'T FOLLOW THE CROWD

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Christchurch
    Posts
    4,829
    Quote Originally Posted by ggggr View Post
    Probably the result of over tightening the stock screws, especially if there are no washers. Often with Relums, the stock screws catch on the cocking arm, through going too far into the bracket as the wood in the stock wears with tight screws and no washers.
    Definitely not this as you can see by my post.

    Baz
    BE AN INDEPENDENT THINKER, DON'T FOLLOW THE CROWD

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    cambridge
    Posts
    908
    Morning Baz.
    Seems a bit odd. Even on a new one the underlever was not that stiff when I bought mine. Many of the components were hand fitted so I suppose someone might have swapped an underlever between rifles for some reason or another but if they did & it was that stiff you'd have thought they would have done something about it. Conversely if they had a very loose underlever I can't really think someone would have tried to close the flanges up......but then if they did I suppose they could have overdone things. But they are pretty solid so if a someone didn't quite understand what they were about I could see it being overdone & possibly marked as well but if there's no marks then it's still not to say someone had a go at closing them up. Opening them up a bit might not have been so easy. Maybe they thought it would "run in" rather than working on the insides of the flanges or the underlever who knows. Can't think Webley would have let them out the gate like that.

    But there again is it binding on the flanges or is it the pivot thats tight?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Christchurch
    Posts
    4,829
    Strange thing is the rifles are in almost mint condition, with no visible signs of being tampered with.
    Anyway, fixed now and very smooth like a MK 3 should be.

    Baz
    BE AN INDEPENDENT THINKER, DON'T FOLLOW THE CROWD

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2000
    Location
    Basingstoke, U.K.
    Posts
    6,728
    Hi Baz,

    Webley used to fit very strong springs to the Mk 3 - especially the later variants. I initially thought someone had fitted Ox square section springs to several rifles I have owned but original springs were somewhat over powered.

    John

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Zandvoort (Netherlands)
    Posts
    281
    I have noticed the same stiffness, but could not relate that to the tight fitting of the cocking arm. The relatively (compared to airsporters) shorter arm, with squared ribbed griparea combined with a newish/stronger spring, requires a bit of mussle and callus in my experience. Have a couple with softer springs wich are much more comfortable to use. So be cautious with grinding the cocking arm on good/crisp original copies. check te springs first.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Christchurch
    Posts
    4,829
    Quote Originally Posted by Dutch View Post
    I have noticed the same stiffness, but could not relate that to the tight fitting of the cocking arm. The relatively (compared to airsporters) shorter arm, with squared ribbed griparea combined with a newish/stronger spring, requires a bit of mussle and callus in my experience. Have a couple with softer springs wich are much more comfortable to use. So be cautious with grinding the cocking arm on good/crisp original copies. check te springs first.
    When the lever is very hard to move even when it is not connected to the piston it definitely needs work doing to it. They both work beautifully now.

    Baz
    BE AN INDEPENDENT THINKER, DON'T FOLLOW THE CROWD

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Felixstowe
    Posts
    1,046
    Interesting - I have had a few Mk3s and the standard ones were all easy to cock.

    I recently bought one of the later super targets (Anschutz sights). It was mint so I doubt it had ever been used - covered in dust and all of the initial lube turned to hard crud but it was immaculate underneath when cleaned. It was harder to cock than my previous ones but not impossibly so. I stripped cleaned and re-lubed it - guess what just the same as before.

    I think that it was just never "run in" so still has that "as new" initial stiffness although it is possibly a bit stiffer than that.

    With the others I can hold in one hand and just pull down the cocking lever with the other one. With this I have to put the stock against the top of my thigh and then cock it. (I really had to think of how to avoid any sexual innuendo - not sure I succeeded!).

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2001
    Location
    near rotterdam,netherlands
    Posts
    3,537
    Ive encountered heavy cocking on my .177 mk3 ST, but thats due to its long stroke I think.
    The .22 is far easier to cock anyway. But both are tuned for short range targetwork.
    Havent heard of mk3 cockinglink issues (too tight) but heard such issues on several modern springguns. Especially breakbarrel. With their barrel lockup being too tight. Fortunately, its often adjustable. Heard of some Diana ntec underlevers similar issues too though
    ATB,
    yana

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •