Double Spring Clip Webley Mk1 Air Pistol.

[JimmieDee]

With respect, Jimmie, although it's looking that way, we can't know for sure on the basis on two examples in the absence of official proof.

To quote slug-gun, who is a very experienced collector and author of Webley Air Rifles 1925-2005, there are three scenarios:

1. Either both projections were broken off on a pistol which has seen very little use, and then expertly repaired and blued over by its owner to match the existing action?

2. Webley decided at some point, probably fairly late on in the making of the double spring clips, that the projections had a limited function and removed them during manufacture?

3. The pistol was sent back to the factory by the owner because the projections were bending or whatever, and Webley 'fettled' the pistol at that point in time?

I have asked one expert for an opinion, who said he hasn't come across any definitive literature report saying some pistols had the forward lugs absent. I've yet to hear from another expert I asked (who has examined the Holts pistol in person) but he's very busy and I'm sure he'll respond when he has time.

Of course. I'm usually more careful with my words as you know. Maybe the word "probably" would be more appropriate. But as you say, without any official proof, we only have physical evidence to base our assumptions on.

But let's take each of the three potential explanations and explore them....

The first one I think I read sarcasm coming through. We know of at least two such pistols. It's possible that both may have been repaired by the owner. But I think this very unlikely. I also measured the breech blocks of mine this morning and could not tell any difference in length from the rear to the front. I would have expected some difference if it had been re-machined to remove any signs damage. I'll take another indepth look this evening. But let's be perfectly clear. Mine, and it sounds like the other, show absolutely no signs of repair or damage in this area.

The third case is very similar to the first. Do we think Webley would have re-machined and reblued pistols that had been returned to the factory? Hmm. I wouldn't have thought so. That's a lot of work perhaps. It may have been cheaper to send out a replacement and repackage the original one with the lugs removed for resale. Who knows.

For me, option two sounds the most plausible and pondering over these questions is one of the most interesting parts of collecting in my opinion.

Maybe in time other double spring clips will be revealed and may so the same trend, or not. We do know for certain that Webley kept improving their designs. We also know that some, probably the later variants of the double spring clip, did indeed have the compression tube cap locking screw as shown in Gordon's book if you look carefully, but also on my own later pistol. I wonder if the other later pistol mentioned above also has the locking screw?

All the best,
Jimmie Dee