Here is an interesting article on the Webley Mk3

[Faerie]

That's an interesting article, and for me particularly because "Webley’s post-war air rifle products were substantially of German design!"

After the war, the designs, machinery, and tooling for many German items were taken as War Reparations and sold off to British companies, hence Millard Brothers acquisition of Mayer & Grammelspacher's former equipment & designs.
I wonder whether the design for the Webley Mk3 came via the same route or whether (given that Webley had already tooled up) they simply felt safe in producing a clone of a German design ? It may be worth noting that (AFAIK) Mibro didn't produce an underlever rifle, so perhaps they passed on that design & Webley got it instead ?

[rapidresponse1]

found it a interesting read

[andrewM]

That's an interesting article, and for me particularly because "Webley’s post-war air rifle products were substantially of German design!"

After the war, the designs, machinery, and tooling for many German items were taken as War Reparations and sold off to British companies, hence Millard Brothers acquisition of Mayer & Grammelspacher's former equipment & designs.
I wonder whether the design for the Webley Mk3 came via the same route or whether (given that Webley had already tooled up) they simply felt safe in producing a clone of a German design ? It may be worth noting that (AFAIK) Mibro didn't produce an underlever rifle, so perhaps they passed on that design & Webley got it instead ?

Yes, I found the article a little confusing due to the Milbro reference and it seemed that Milbro had bought the design. I don't know the sequence of events.

However, whilst Webley might have largely used a German design, we can rest assured that the Germans pinched their designs from BSA/Lincoln Jefferies some decades previously, from which their Dianas then originated! Indeed, the Germans pre-WW1 were well known for copying everything we did and had been well behind in their industrial revolution. Alas, once they started they caught up and then exceeded us very quickly.

Rgds
A

[Josie & John]

That's an interesting article, and for me particularly because "Webley’s post-war air rifle products were substantially of German design!"

After the war, the designs, machinery, and tooling for many German items were taken as War Reparations and sold off to British companies, hence Millard Brothers acquisition of Mayer & Grammelspacher's former equipment & designs.
I wonder whether the design for the Webley Mk3 came via the same route or whether (given that Webley had already tooled up) they simply felt safe in producing a clone of a German design ? It may be worth noting that (AFAIK) Mibro didn't produce an underlever rifle, so perhaps they passed on that design & Webley got it instead ?

Milbro did indeed produce an underlever from 1955 until the early 1960s: the G55, which was a take on the Original Model 50.

[Faerie]

Milbro did indeed produce an underlever from 1955 until the early 1960s: the G55, which was a take on the Original Model 50.

Great, thanks for the info.
In the 70's, a friend had an Original Model 50 that was probably a "bring back" from someone who had served in Germany. It was the only "stutzen" stocked rifle I'd seen at the time, and I wasn't aware that Milbro had made a copy.

[PaulK62]

That's an interesting article, and for me particularly because "Webley’s post-war air rifle products were substantially of German design!"

After the war, the designs, machinery, and tooling for many German items were taken as War Reparations and sold off to British companies, hence Millard Brothers acquisition of Mayer & Grammelspacher's former equipment & designs.
I wonder whether the design for the Webley Mk3 came via the same route or whether (given that Webley had already tooled up) they simply felt safe in producing a clone of a German design ? It may be worth noting that (AFAIK) Mibro didn't produce an underlever rifle, so perhaps they passed on that design & Webley got it instead ?

From what I've read in various publications about airgun history, Webley had in mind an air rifle of their own design to supersede the Mk II. But, instead of reinventing the wheel, they decided to essentially copy the pre-war Diana 45's design to expedite production.