Age of my Webley Mk3

[Andalusian]

House moves have deprived me of my list of Webley serial numbers and I would be most grateful to anyone who can date my Webley Mk3.

The cylinder carries the number 26686 and the underlever has the same number together with the letters HS, picked out in ivory white paint.
I think that the stock appears to be walnut (I am not an expert on timber but the oiled wood is pretty) and the tap lever has an attractive baroque style with some knurling. The inserted logo has Webley in uper and lower case and is underlined. It has no scope rail, which I understand may be date related. It is a beautiful air rifle and I would have liked to post a picture but have yet to learn hown to use "hosting systems" as mentioned in the site instructions. When it was given to me some fifteen years ago, I did replace the spring and piston seal but since we gave up our garden, I realise that I spend more time looking at it than shooting it.

I do hope that someone may have the knowledge that I lack.

[Josie & John]

House moves have deprived me of my list of Webley serial numbers and I would be most grateful to anyone who can date my Webley Mk3.

The cylinder carries the number 26686 and the underlever has the same number together with the letters HS, picked out in ivory white paint.
I think that the stock appears to be walnut (I am not an expert on timber but the oiled wood is pretty) and the tap lever has an attractive baroque style with some knurling. The inserted logo has Webley in uper and lower case and is underlined. It has no scope rail, which I understand may be date related. It is a beautiful air rifle and I would have liked to post a picture but have yet to learn hown to use "hosting systems" as mentioned in the site instructions. When it was given to me some fifteen years ago, I did replace the spring and piston seal but since we gave up our garden, I realise that I spend more time looking at it than shooting it.

I do hope that someone may have the knowledge that I lack.

From your description, an approximate guess would be mid 1950s.

John

[Abasmajor]

House moves have deprived me of my list of Webley serial numbers and I would be most grateful to anyone who can date my Webley Mk3.

The cylinder carries the number 26686 and the underlever has the same number together with the letters HS, picked out in ivory white paint.
I think that the stock appears to be walnut (I am not an expert on timber but the oiled wood is pretty) and the tap lever has an attractive baroque style with some knurling. The inserted logo has Webley in uper and lower case and is underlined. It has no scope rail, which I understand may be date related. It is a beautiful air rifle and I would have liked to post a picture but have yet to learn hown to use "hosting systems" as mentioned in the site instructions. When it was given to me some fifteen years ago, I did replace the spring and piston seal but since we gave up our garden, I realise that I spend more time looking at it than shooting it.BroN

I do hope that someone may have the knowledge that I lack.

Reference resources would date your Webley Mk3 to the transition period between Series 3 which ended around Ser No 25000 and Series 4 which went from there to around 39000. Production of the Series 4 started in 1957 and ended around 1961. These Series 4 air rifles are easily identified by the presence of the rounded stock rather than the more angular stock with the ribbed sides. So, your Mk 3 is probably an early Series 4 dating it to around 1957-1958.
Hope this helps

[Andalusian]

Reference resources would date your Webley Mk3 to the transition period between Series 3 which ended around Ser No 25000 and Series 4 which went from there to around 39000. Production of the Series 4 started in 1957 and ended around 1961. These Series 4 air rifles are easily identified by the presence of the rounded stock rather than the more angular stock with the ribbed sides. So, your Mk 3 is probably an early Series 4 dating it to around 1957-1958.
Hope this helps

That is very helpful, thankyou. Another user has kindly offered to post pictures for me so you may be able to confirm your opinion.

[deejayuu]

Here's the beauty

[johnbaz]

Here's the beauty

Very nice!!

It's an unusually light coloured stock for a mk3!!

I bought a stock that was black with muck and age, I stripped the finish and couldn't believe the grain that appeared!, I didn't stain it, Just used Alkanet root oil and either Tung based oil or I may have used acrylic lacquer, Can't recall which!!


EDIT- I just remembered that I oiled it as I only gave it four or five coats, It needed three or four more but I got bored!!


John

[Abasmajor]

That is very helpful, thankyou. Another user has kindly offered to post pictures for me so you may be able to confirm your opinion.

Given the Ser No and the rounded stock, I would stick with my original suggestion of an early Series 4 Mk3 dating to 1957-1958.
Brian