Webley Junior---problems

[ggggr]

I have been having a bit of a mess round with a Webley Junior the last few days,repaired/ put together a couple last year and have recently by Pm and phone call helped someone sort one out. I thought I'd post up a few things about them here. Here is a diagram of the later Mk2 version, with the alloy body and a stirrup catch instead of the sliding catch like on the Mk1.
https://www.gunspares.co.uk/products...-Pistol-MK-II/

As you can see, there are very few parts in the pistol. The trouble is, with neglect you can get multiple problems. If a pistol becomes "slow" to cock or wont cock at all, it could have various reasons why. Assuming a new mainspring has not been fitted, then it could be the sear, piston,worn long link or a worn small link. In my limited experience of Webley pistols it is usually the small link (BK119) that has worn-----and bear in mind, the Mk1 version of the pistol is at least 50 years old and could be 90!
Anyhow---what can happen is the front of the small link wears and it will barely pull the piston back far enough to engage properly with the sear. This causes the flat holding face of the piston to wear rounded and also the sear. As it becomes more difficult to cock the gun, Mr Chimpanzee uses more force to cock it ("You just need the knack") and the problem gets worse and worse. It can result in a knackered piston and sear.
If you have a gun that is not cocking, it really helps if you have another you can swap bits over from. To save you trying to remove the pins on the cocking linkage, that might not need removing, it helps if you have the barrel and linkage off a working gun to swap over to try.
The pistol I was helping someone with via PM and phone turned out to have the worn small link, the holding face of the piston was rounded but was cleaned up in a lathe, the sear was knackered AND the mainspring it had was too long.
So----Have a think when your Webley starts to become difficult to cock----and try to avoid an expensive job.

[Benelli B76]

For some reason these newer Juniors tend to put out more power when working nicely. Anyway, I thought you said "No more monkey metal for me" (20/05/18). It is impossible to stay away from it if you are going to be fully into airguns.

Baz

[ggggr]

Just a bit of an update/more musings.
I have been having a tinker with a Senior today and delved into the bits bin to try to sort out some linkages for it. I found a barrel and linkage that would not cock the gun and noticed the long link had a stretched hole at the barrel bracket end. Feeling bored, I used a bit of brass from an aerial
and bushed it. The gun still would not cock so I reversed the cocking shoe and that worked. I'll get round to sorting it soon, BUT in my opinion, barring monster springs being fitted or Proper chimpanzees cocking the pistol, I think most Webley cocking problems start with the cocking shoe wearing and then other problems occur as Mr Chimp uses more force to cock the gun, resulting in stretched links, pulled barrel brackets and worn sears.

I tinkered a bit more and fitted a new spring in the cocking linkage. Becasue I have reversed the cocking shoe, it would stick when closing the barrel, which I guess is becasue the edge of the shoe is squared off. I took a half round file and a rat tail file and chamfered it and the underside a little and it is much better oly sticking about 1 in 6 times. Hopefully it will bed in the last bit without attention. As this is on the spare .177 barrel as I am probably going to use the .22 one, I may just stick a label on it so I know in future if I do swap back.

[johnbaz]

Just a bit of an update/more musings.
I have been having a tinker with a Senior today and delved into the bits bin to try to sort out some linkages for it. I found a barrel and linkage that would not cock the gun and noticed the long link had a stretched hole at the barrel bracket end. Feeling bored, I used a bit of brass from an aerial
and bushed it. The gun still would not cock so I reversed the cocking shoe and that worked. I'll get round to sorting it soon, BUT in my opinion, barring monster springs being fitted or Proper chimpanzees cocking the pistol, I think most Webley cocking problems start with the cocking shoe wearing and then other problems occur as Mr Chimp uses more force to cock the gun, resulting in stretched links, pulled barrel brackets and worn sears.

Hi Guy

Hope you're well mate

I've had a Senior and a Premier that wouldn't cock, The premier had two extra sears with it as the last owner thought it was the sear that was the problem, He had an engineering friend make one which didn't work and then bought one from Knibbs, Still no joy, I paid £8 for the Premier and it turned out to be the 'Hump' at the muzzle end of the cylinder which is brazed in to place, There was wear which wouldn't allow the full cocking stroke to be achieved, I put a bit of weld in to fill the channel then tried to file it to shape- Not a chance!, The 'Hump' was hardened and the carbon was drawn in to the puddle of molten weld wire!!

I had to wrap emery cloth around a file to profile it!

Instant success followed though!!, Had to do it with the Senior too

It's the middle one, Still OK today!!



John