Is the Webley Premier the best shooting of their blued pistols?

[45flint]

I made a mistake at my first gun show and bought a Webley Premier E in just about new condition. It is a superb shooting and wonderfully compact little jewel. I understand increasing use of sintered parts in this series may be a negative but the combination of the adjustable trigger and the better cocking arm seem a winner. Is there a better Webley pistol in that long production run that would give this one a run for the money?

[mrgeoff]

I have heard people say the B series premier is best.
I have had B, D and E blued versions.
Personally I like the D series premier the best, but have ended up with a pair of B, 1 in each cal.

[Abasmajor]

I made a mistake at my first gun show and bought a Webley Premier E in just about new condition. It is a superb shooting and wonderfully compact little jewel. I understand increasing use of sintered parts in this series may be a negative but the combination of the adjustable trigger and the better cocking arm seem a winner. Is there a better Webley pistol in that long production run that would give this one a run for the money?

Hi,

It can come down to individual taste and aesthetics, but if the pistol is to be used, I would say the early A or B series Premier would be the model of choice. This pistol combines the best features of the Mk1 and Senior, but came before the use of sintered metal for the barrel catch and further changes introduced in an attempt to reduce production costs on the later variants.

I have a personal preference for the pre-war Straight Grip models myself, but as I say it can come down to personal preferences.

Regards

Brian

[Mark D]

As others have said, down to personal preference, for me the slant grip prewar Senior in .177 takes some beating. The early A&B series Premier a close second.

[Garvin]

I made a mistake at my first gun show and bought a Webley Premier E in just about new condition. It is a superb shooting and wonderfully compact little jewel. I understand increasing use of sintered parts in this series may be a negative but the combination of the adjustable trigger and the better cocking arm seem a winner. Is there a better Webley pistol in that long production run that would give this one a run for the money?

Steve knowing your preference for prewar quality, the first Premiers are probably the best bet for shooting, before the cost-cutting rot set in...

Your prewar pistols comparison was interesting, but perhaps you should use a prewar slant-grip Senior to make it more realistic, if you can get one?

I'm a sucker for the no-expense-spared luxury of the Seniors, although I know they were let down by their triggers pre- and post-war.

You might think about getting a prewar EM-GE Zenit too, although the use of pressed steel parts will no doubt offend you - but they are interesting as airguns that were made using methods that I suppose were unsuitable for firearms at that time. In every other respect they were top quality products and the design so good it was copied (or adapted) by at least three postwar manufacturers and lived on for decades.

[45flint]

Steve knowing your preference for prewar quality, the first Premiers are probably the best bet for shooting, before the cost-cutting rot set in...

Your prewar pistols comparison was interesting, but perhaps you should use a prewar slant-grip Senior to make it more realistic, if you can get one?

I'm a sucker for the no-expense-spared luxury of the Seniors, although I know they were let down by their triggers pre- and post-war.

You might think about getting a prewar EM-GE Zenit too, although the use of pressed steel parts will no doubt offend you - but they are interesting as airguns that were made using methods that I suppose were unsuitable for firearms at that time. In every other respect they were top quality products and the design so good it was copied (or adapted) by at least three postwar manufacturers and lived on for decades.

Got a EM-GE Zenit about a year and half ago when I started collecting. Extremely well finished bluing. I read that the end cap can come off and fly in your face? Thus shooting it with my thumb over the end cap has damped my enthusiasm somewhat?

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...psgogyzncw.jpg

[Garvin]

Got a EM-GE Zenit about a year and half ago when I started collecting. Extremely well finished bluing. I read that the end cap can come off and fly in your face? Thus shooting it with my thumb over the end cap has damped my enthusiasm somewhat?

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...psgogyzncw.jpg

True, I forgot about that rather fundamental flaw! When the founder of Falke airguns was looking at rebranding, then remaking the Zenit after the war, improving the end cap was one of his priorities.

[Geezer]

A Senior with a good trigger (mine has a fairly decent one, many don't) is quite impressive and comes with a bit of pride of ownership.

Never had a Premier - I can remember when you could pick them up for peanuts, and can't reconcile that memory with the prices the nicest A and B series ones now command.

I have a personal unscientific theory based on the 5 or 6 Wobblies I have owned that they are better in .177".

[Josie & John]

One Premier is nowhere near enough. You need the other Webley models, so that you can make an informed opinion on which is the best

John

[45flint]

A Senior with a good trigger (mine has a fairly decent one, many don't) is quite impressive and comes with a bit of pride of ownership.

Never had a Premier - I can remember when you could pick them up for peanuts, and can't reconcile that memory with the prices the nicest A and B series ones now command.

I have a personal unscientific theory based on the 5 or 6 Wobblies I have owned that they are better in .177".

I was happy that it was .177. I find the same thing with Haenel 28s, .177 seem better shooters, but my sample is small.

[45flint]

One Premier is nowhere near enough. You need the other Webley models, so that you can make an informed opinion on which is the best

John

That was my fear in buying one, too many models, too little time, too much money, and again I'm on the wrong side of the ocean.

[Shed tuner]

I have a personal unscientific theory based on the 5 or 6 Wobblies I have owned that they are better in .177".

I think this is due to the excessive transfer port volume / tortuous air path.. .177 creates a bit more back pressure / reduces the tendency to slam dut to all that lost volume.

[Abasmajor]

That was my fear in buying one, too many models, too little time, too much money, and again I'm on the wrong side of the ocean.

The Webley air pistols that were distributed in the U.S. by the Stoeger Company are particularly sought after here in the UK and attract a significant premium on the rare occasions they do appear for sale. Being for export, these models often had some nice extras such as wood grips not available to the home market. Not sure how often these pistols are seen where you are, but it might be something you may come across if you were very lucky.

Regards
Brian

[45flint]

The Webley air pistols that were distributed in the U.S. by the Stoeger Company are particularly sought after here in the UK and attract a significant premium on the rare occasions they do appear for sale. Being for export, these models often had some nice extras such wood grips not available to the home market. Not sure how often these pistols are seen where you are, but it might be something you may come across if you were very lucky.

Regards
Brian

Interesting, I saw last year a Tell 2 that was factory stamped Stoeger. Did Webley ever do that for Stoeger or do you have to look for special features?

[Abasmajor]

Hello,

The Stoeger models were stamped accordingly.

Brian