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Thread: The Webley smell

  1. #16
    Airsporterman's Avatar
    Airsporterman is offline Makes Scrooge look Happy and Generous!
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    I still remember the smell of my older brothers Airsporter Mk1 - awsome, he (very) occasionally would let me shoot it - I could only do so by resting the barrel on the side garden fence as I was too small and it was too heavy for me to hold up. ( I was 5/6?) The noise and kick in the shoulder too, I guess that's where my 'Airsporteritis' began!

    ASM
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  2. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by mel h View Post
    I think it's time to come out.

    My name is MEL, I'm an AIRGUN SNIFFER.
    And there are plenty of us I sniff all kinds of guns; different oils, different wood, different bullet lubes. An old friend of mine has guns that have a very distinct smell, he has a lot of old tetra-gun and Break-free oil, that smells different from the ones we get today. He often smells the same way himself.

    Opened a bottle of Webley oil that came with a tomahawk yesterday, it does not smell like the 70's and 80's webleys.

    Maybe its an aging/curing process that is needed?

  3. #18
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    The nearest smell is from an oil called "Gunmark Gun Oil" in a red white and blue tin, from a company called Gunmark in Fareham Hampshire. I think this may no longer be available but I still have a tin. Love sniffing it occasionally.

    Baz
    BE AN INDEPENDENT THINKER, DON'T FOLLOW THE CROWD

  4. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Benelli B76 View Post
    The nearest smell is from an oil called "Gunmark Gun Oil" in a red white and blue tin, from a company called Gunmark in Fareham Hampshire. I think this may no longer be available but I still have a tin. Love sniffing it occasionally.

    Baz
    I'm bringin this old post up again.

    One of the members on here was kind enough to sell me a C1 barrel block with a barrel stub in it.
    I want to fit a new blank to the block, but the block has the Webley smell... And the smell will probably disappear after heating the block up to soften glue, and the newly machined barrel will smell differently.

    Can anyone point me to a source of the oil that gives the Webley smell??? (Im actually almost serious about this )

  5. #20
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    I use a spray lubricant called Brunox when cleaning my BP revolvers and it has the spiciest smell I have ever come across. It lingers long after cleaning and if it were to be sold as an aftershave, I would certainly use it.
    Another nice aroma is the slightly musty smell when you lift the lid on an old Pre-War air pistol box.
    Brian

  6. #21
    micky2 is online now The collector formerly known as micky
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    Quote Originally Posted by Abasmajor View Post
    I use a spray lubricant called Brunox when cleaning my BP revolvers and it has the spiciest smell I have ever come across. It lingers long after cleaning and if it were to be sold as an aftershave, I would certainly use it.
    Another nice aroma is the slightly musty smell when you lift the lid on an old Pre-War air pistol box.
    Brian
    I am with you there Brian on the smell of the old pre-war air pistol boxes.

  7. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by micky2 View Post
    I am with you there Brian on the smell of the old pre-war air pistol boxes.
    I used to love the smell of 'proper' Eley made Wasps back in the day! They had an aroma of precision engineering.

    John

  8. #23
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    Ha interesting topic! I have slightly different view on the matter. It's old gun odor you are sniffing I'm afraid, not Webley specific, coming from slow deterioration of ancient oils/grease, proper wood (and acrylic finish), steel & leather seals. The reason later but still vintage guns smell differently is because of the increasing use of different (inferior?) materials, like plastic, alloys & cheapest of wood (mostly beech), wood finish, but also synthetic lubricants & seals.
    At least that is my perception. My pre early post war cupboards & drawers have this distinctive smell compared to the more modern rifle cupboard. I already posted a question earlier on how to get rid of this odor, as women in general () tend to dislike it a lot.
    Last edited by Dutch; 28-09-2020 at 09:45 AM.
    Collection: vintage air pistols & air rifles / vintage air gun accessories
    Facebook groups: vintage air guns 1. Webley, 2 BSA, 3. Haenel, 4. Weihrauch, 5. Diana

  9. #24
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    Youngs 303 is a redolent smell. Has an amazing multitude of uses.

  10. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dutch View Post
    Ha interesting topic! I have slightly different view on the matter. It's old gun odor you are sniffing I'm afraid, not Webley specific, coming from slow deterioration of ancient oils/grease, proper wood (and acrylic finish), steel & leather seals. The reason later but still vintage guns smell differently is because of the increasing use of different (inferior?) materials, like plastic, alloys & cheapest of wood (mostly beech), wood finish, but also synthetic lubricants & seals.
    At least that is my perception. My pre early post war cupboards & drawers have this distinctive smell compared to the more modern rifle cupboard. I already posted a question earlier with the question how to get rid of this odor, as women in general () tend to dislike it a lot.
    You might be on to something, but I dont think you are completely correct.

    I have had the smell on a Vulcan, a Victor, an Osprey, a couple Trackers, a Vulcan piston, a Hawk piston, and now on a C1 barrel block .
    It must be an oil or something added to the metal or mechanisms, but it may need some ageing to get the correct smell.

  11. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by Powderfinger View Post
    Youngs 303 is a redolent smell. Has an amazing multitude of uses.
    Interesting! I think a friend that has collected old british sporting rifles and shotguns for a while might have some 303. I'll ask him to let me smell it

    When I come to think of it, about a years ago I found an unused Purdey shotgun cleaning kit at a second hand store, which I of course bought since the price was "right". That kit has a bottle of Purdey "Nevarust" Oil, which actually has some resemblance to the Webley smell... I might be getting close now!!!

  12. #27
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    Smells can be very evocative of memories. I enjoyed the smells of old airguns (not just Webleys) when I was a young collector and when I smell the same combination of old oil, grease, wood, metal, whatever it is, now it reminds me of when time seemed plentiful and I spent hours poring over old Airgun Worlds, Dennis Hiller books and lists, Exchange and Mart, and so on, imagining what I would buy if money was no object. Happy days!
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  13. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Garvin View Post
    Smells can be very evocative of memories. I enjoyed the smells of old airguns (not just Webleys) when I was a young collector and when I smell the same combination of old oil, grease, wood, metal, whatever it is, now it reminds me of when time seemed plentiful and I spent hours poring over old Airgun Worlds, Dennis Hiller books and lists, Exchange and Mart, and so on, imagining what I would buy if money was no object. Happy days!
    Well put Danny. I used to really look forward to Dennis' s lists coming through the door. poring over them and calling him to order something that had caught my eye. Often Troubledshooter would beat me to it, if it was a Webley item!

    It was a different age before computers took over our lives. Granted communication is way wider today and that has its own advantages as we can communicate with like minded individuals all over the world at the touch of a button but I still miss doing it the old fashioned way. It was great to regularly chat with Dennis too.

    John

  14. #29
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    Surely the delicate perfume is 3in1 oil?

  15. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by piggy589 View Post
    We stopped farming pigs thirty years ago,but I still detect an odour on the yard when it's warm.
    SNAP ! I get the same odour opening a Wobbly pistol box.

    [ Sorry I just couldn't resist. Line em up and I will knocked em down. ]

    True Ely Wasp pellets also did it for me. I could only afford them at Christmas, birthdays etc. otherwise it was boxes of mediocre Marksmen.
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