Post-War Webley Senior with slim Pre-War trigger?

[45flint]

There are quite a few 'transitional' variants made between 1939 and 1947 that were not documented in Gordon Bruce's book. I have looked at them in some detail over the years and perhaps at some point, I'll put some words together. Are both of the grips marked 'Webley'? and is the Senior serial or batch numbered?

A nice find and an interesting time to research.

John

I reread your questions and didn’t notice you asked if both sides of the grip were embossed with Webley. I looked at the pics again I am really surprised I never noticed only one side has Webley embossing. I looked at those pics over and over looking for each little variation, missed a pretty obvious one. lol. Talk about a transitional gun, lol

Were they using up the last of the prewar grips as well as the triggers?

[Josie & John]

I reread your questions and didn’t notice you asked if both sides of the grip were embossed with Webley. I looked at the pics again I am really surprised I never noticed only one side has Webley embossing. I looked at those pics over and over looking for each little variation, missed a pretty obvious one. lol. Talk about a transitional gun, lol

Were they using up the last of the prewar grips as well as the triggers?

It is not unusual to find Seniors from this era with one grip marked Webley and the other plain. I think assemblers were probably grabbing whichever grips came to hand first out of a box and fitting them. It's another pointer to the transitional nature of these pistols.

John

[45flint]

It is not unusual to find Seniors from this era with one grip marked Webley and the other plain. I think assemblers were probably grabbing whichever grips came to hand first out of a box and fitting them. It's another pointer to the transitional nature of these pistols.

John

I bet as they used the plain grips up they put the embossed grip on the same side as the brass emblem on the Straight Grip Seniors, true of mine? The brass emblems with these were only on one side, would seem perfectly proper?

Are there any examples of non serial number Seniors with 2 plain grips?

[Josie & John]

I bet as they used the plain grips up they put the embossed grip on the same side as the brass emblem on the Straight Grip Seniors, true of mine? The brass emblems with these were only on one side, would seem perfectly proper?

Are there any examples of non serial number Seniors with 2 plain grips?

That was my initial thought too but I also know of Seniors with grips fitted the other way around, in that the Webley marked grip is the one fitted to the right side of the grip frame and lies against the base of the box/case. I don't know of any of the 'later' batch numbered Seniors with plain unmarked grips but finding such an example may not necessarily mean the pistol is 'wrong'.

John

[Dutch]

Nice find! Its more likely however that the newer grip is a replacement!

[45flint]

Nice find! Its more likely however that the newer grip is a replacement!

I doubt that: the gun is as new not a mark on it. It’s has all the characteristics of a transitional gun from 1946-7? It’s seems that during this time it was not unusual to have the two types of grips on the same gun. See Johns comments above. They used up what they had, just like the earlier slim trigger. Fun having one that’s a little different but it’s more treasured by me given its perfect condition and I do think the slimmer trigger is more elegant?, and these back then were blued very well.