Registered User
This year a bought a Webley Senior that was interesting because it had to be one of the first made right after the War. First of all it was in mint shape, not a mark on it.
Transitional characteristics:
1. Prewar trigger
2. One grip, the one showing, was prewar with no Webley embossing
3. Longer barrel knurling
4. No warning on breech screw
5. No white paint on lettering
Per Bruce’s book on Webley Pistols the first post-war pistols were in boxes 9.25 by 6 inches covered in light blue paper. Pasted on top was a pale green label bearing a picture of the prewar pistol. This nailed it, couldn’t believe it when I saw it especially here in the US. There is a picture of another one with a post-war pistol in the Vintage Airgun Gallery. Now all my Webley Pistols have original boxes except for my Straight Grip Senior. But I aready outfitted it pretty well.
Fun to have a proper box for it especially given the pistol is just about a perfect example.
https://imgur.com/a/267fqGl
Last edited by 45flint; 14-12-2018 at 09:57 PM.
Politically Incorrect
Nice find. It's always good when you can get genuine original boxes, particularly the scarcer ones such as the one you've just found.
The two examples I have do not have the Webley name on either grip.
All you have to do now is find a Valvespout Webley oil can as illustrated on the inner lid label.
Registered User
I found the same box well it found me. guy I bought it from bought it with a later senior in so box was no use to him and he knows I like mint boxes so wen he pulled it out at 1st glance I thought repro, but ones in my hands I was gob smacked original box for £75 made my week. well
Registered User
Would that be the period oil can or by early post war were the screw on spout cans available?Originally Posted by Troubledshooter
Nice find. It's always good when you can get genuine original boxes, particularly the scarcer ones such as the one you've just found.
The two examples I have do not have the Webley name on either grip.
All you have to do now is find a Valvespout Webley oil can as illustrated on the inner lid label.
Registered User
A nice find but (and I hate saying this bit), the box is slightly early for the transitional pistol you have placed with it. Some of these post June 1939 Seniors were boxed in the pre war style but these late pistols had labels pre-printed with the price of 45/- at lower left and right of the lid label. Ironically, the price of the Senior and other Webleys had remained constant throughout the 1930s but as soon as the price was printed on the label, prices started to rise. To rectify this, Webley started to fix various labels over the pre printed prices, so finding overstickers in these places would also be 'correct' for a pistol such as yours.
A fellow collector has carried out extensive research into transitional Seniors, their presentation and the various boxes they came in, so I don't want to go into too much detail here, suffice to say this research will be published when it has been completed and I for one am eagerly awaiting it.
Best regards,
John.
Registered User
I assumed when I bought the box it was a box for a prewar Senior, it was sold as such. Was thinking that after the war they still might have had some left, like they had prewar grips? But your saying that they changed to boxes with prices in shillings before the war. Would they have used these boxes for export to the US with pricing in shillings? Worse case I now have a box for that Stoeger Slant Grip Senior I have been after to complete my Senior collection!
Last edited by 45flint; 15-12-2018 at 12:59 PM.
Registered User
Yes, your box is for a pre war slant grip Senior and would suit any pistol made between December 1935 and mid 1939. However, as you say, undoubtedly older boxes may well be encountered with earlier pistols, such was and remains the nature of serial production.
Good question around the pricing in shillings (rather than pounds) - it would interesting to hear from other U.S. based collectors that may own a boxed transitional Webley, as that would answer this question better than I can.
John
Registered User
I really think the best solution is to find that Slant Grip Steoger (unboxed)
Registered User
Hello,
A few photos of Webley oil cans with the pre-war 'Valvespout' can as depicted on the lid of your box pictured next to the collage and the immediate post-war can next to that. The 'Valvespout' can is by far the rarest in the UK with the 'Reversible Spout' pictured as the background to the collage being the hardest of the post-war cans to find in my experience anyway.
As you are already aware, Webley were notoriously slow in updating the images on their catalogues and boxes, so the box would most likely have been produced later than the picture of the oil can on the lid.
Happy Christmas
Brian
Last edited by Abasmajor; 15-12-2018 at 02:17 PM.
Registered User
I actually had a chance to buy the oil can with the spout attached to the cap about a month ago. The price got up to $150 and I just couldn’t do it. Rather put the money in a gun!Hello,
A few photos of Webley oil cans with the pre-war 'Valvespout' can as depicted on the lid of your box pictured next to the collage and the immediate post-war can next to that. The 'Valvespout' can is by far the rarest in the UK with the 'Reversible Spout' pictured as the background to the collage being the hardest of the post-war cans to find in my experience anyway.
As you are already aware, Webley were notoriously slow in updating the images on their catalogues and boxes, so the box would most likely have been produced later than the picture of the oil can on the lid.
Happy Christmas
Brian
Registered User
Hi,
I know what you mean as here in the UK the cost of acquiring rare packaging and accessories can often exceed the price of an associated pistol in quite reasonable condition. Still, there is definitely something very satisfying when you are able to compose a contemporary set when the pistol is cased.
Brian
Registered User
That is so nice. Problem in US is these items are even more difficult if not impossible to obtain, the oil can I passed on was from Canada.Hi,
I know what you mean as here in the UK the cost of acquiring rare packaging and accessories can often exceed the price of an associated pistol in quite reasonable condition. Still, there is definitely something very satisfying when you are able to compose a contemporary set when the pistol is cased.
Brian
Last edited by 45flint; 15-12-2018 at 06:51 PM.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
