Webley pistol powers?

[magicesperanto]

Has anyone done a comparison of the Typhoon, Tempest, Premier. Senior, Mk1 etc range of pistols?

Given the similarity in size and design, I would assume similar power outputs, but is this the case?

[nikvanorton]

My Seniors, Premiers and Tempests put out around 3.2-3.5 ft/lbs, depending on calibre. I have half a dozen Mk1s (pre-war & post war) and they are around 3 ft/lbs.
I have one .22 Senior (pre-war but angled grip) which is about 4ft/lbs.

Maybe the phosphor bronze 'piston ring' in the Seniors give them an edge?

[45flint]

I think I read that the most powerful Webley pistol was the straight grip senior? Something about its piston? Anyway my Straight Grip .177 Senior will shoot a little over 4 FPE.

[ggggr]

Has anyone done a comparison of the Typhoon, Tempest, Premier. Senior, Mk1 etc range of pistols?

Given the similarity in size and design, I would assume similar power outputs, but is this the case?

Somewhere on the web there are a few articles by a bloke who has a Mk1 that is over 4ft lb. He skims a bit off the front of the pistol to get a fraction more stroke and uses a leather cup washer with a more solid inner washer.

What you have to take into account now, is that generic springs will probably up or down the power. Even years ago, Webley had different springs for the same model. I'm assuming they were from different places. I'm pretty sure Troubled shooter put up a pic on here or Danny's site showing genuine Webley springs, with the tags on and they were different.

A Typhoon is just a Hurricane with a smaller frame and a weaker mainspring. Most Typhoons now will have a Hurricane spring fitted.

I was doing a bit of tinkering with a Tempest a few years back before the chrono expired, trying piston weights. Adding weights didn't really help with the power.

Now (From memory) ---------assuming that you are going to use the same mainspring, you would not expect the same power from guns with different piston weights.

I think the Mk1 piston is 67 ish grams, the Senor about 80, the Tempest Hurricane about 84 and the Premier about 90. So you would not expect the same power with a piston weighing a 1/3 more.

I have been told (mentioned on here a few times) that some late Premiers were low in power due to being fitted with barrels with rifle rifling . The story goes that the barrels were intended for Webley Hawk rifles but they started to bend upwards with resonance---------so they were cut down and fitted on the Premier Mk2's.
Also when some guns were producing low power, the barrels were changed to pistol rifling ones. This is on The Premiers with the barrel forging like the Tempest.

I did mention somewhere on here ( I think) , that after the chrono broke I did the Tempest by "feel" . It had a lightened piston with a deeper recess, a leather piston washer and one of the long 36 coil mainsprings. I have no idea of the power but it is lovely to shoot, with a very fast firing cycle.

I know it doesn't answer you question but it probably gives you more to think about.