Thank you Mr Gilkes

[ggggr]

Just before Christmas 2021, Ollie kindly sent me a couple of things to occupy my mind. One was a chromed Webley Senior and the other was an earlyish Webley Mk3.

I managed to sort out the Senior fairly quickly but the Mk3 looked like it would be a problem and costly to do.
The fluted stock was in 5 pieces and was also repaired on the pistol grip. It was missing the piston (although Ollie reckons he has it somewhere) , the foresight and various screws. The front stock bracket had the screw threads mullered as well. However it did have the rearsight and the loading tap, so I reckoned I'd give it a go if I could.
Recently bits have been bought or scrounged and I've had a look at it the last couple of days.

I got a piston and a stock and someone donated a piston washer . It seems a bit small and has a synthetic inner but I thought I'd try it as I didn't fancy making one last night. I stripped and lubed the trigger last night and fitted the piston washer to the piston. Today I found a spring that I thought might do and be better for plinking with. I cut it to the same length as a Webley spring. It was about 20.5mm OD and length was originally about 310mm. Wire thickness is about 2.75mm.

I tapped the foresight into the dovetail and then dropped the action into a later type stock. I borrowed some stock screws off another gun to try.

It is easy to cock, quite pleasant to shoot (and hopefully get a bit nicer) and accurate, although shooting a fraction high at my short plinking distance.

Anyhow--it's cost a fair few quid to do, but at least it is working again now.


So--"Thank you Mr Gilkes" . Hopefully you will log in soon and see this.

[ogilkes]

Brilliant Guy. You bring them back from the dead, I thought that was a goner for sure.

Been off here for a while. Still no joy on the Mk3 piston and am still looking for the damn Cadet parts.

[ggggr]

Brilliant Guy. You bring them back from the dead, I thought that was a goner for sure.

Been off here for a while. Still no joy on the Mk3 piston and am still looking for the damn Cadet parts.

It's nice to see you on here Ollie.

Sometimes it is just a case of trying to hunt down the parts or hopefully get them cheap and/or free. With something like that Mk3 you weigh up the good bits (in this case , the rear sight and tap) and look at the other bits. I had to chase a front stock bolt bracket as the one that was with it had the thread butchered. You have a look at the main suppliers and realise that a few screws and bolts are going to cost £40 upwards and then you try and roughly cost up the rest . before deciding to leave it a while and trust to fate.

Luckily with this one I managed to eventually get the bits and the gun went together quite easily. I was expecting it to fight me a bit. I was quite lucky in finding that softer mainspring to cut down and that does make it a nice plinker that doesn't give my arms gyp.

I had a quick plink with that chrome Senior yesterday as well.

I consider myself quite fortunate in that people trust me and send me stuff, knowing I will give it a go at getting something working and not flog the bits on the bay--------and that people are generous enough to send them rather that selling on the bits themselves.

Obviously, sometimes it is not possible to get something working and then they are stripped for spares ----------and hopefully something crops up that they can be used on.

I've had a few Webley pistols sent for spares over the years and i end up managing to get them working. It is getting harder to chase spares at a price that makes a project viable though.

Thank you once again Ollie

[ggggr]

Just a bit of an update. I cut a bit of the broken Webley MK3 stock and with my very limited tools and skills, have made a set of grips for a Junior. The right one is a lot thicker than the left and I'll have to fit them and try them before staining. I've found that usually with use, you will find some bit of the grips is uncomfortable and will need sanding to suit----------so I don't bother staining etc until I'm happy they are comfortable.

[ogilkes]

The Mk3... the gift that keeps on giving!