Webley MK3

[jirushi]

Hi Paul, I've always been warned against using any silicone oil/grease on springers. However, I have also been advised to use a mix of silicone grease and moly grease on the leather washer. Just a very light smear of both. I used this on an Airsporter Mk1 washer and it worked well. But apparently silicone can cause problems where there is metal to metal contact. However the problem occurred before you used the silicone. Hmmm. What kind of grease are you using on the spring? And is the spring still straight?

I hope it's ok to ask another Mk3 related question:
I'm doing some experiments with my Mk3 which is a mix of parts (fluted stock, early type trigger, later cylinder with secured scope rail, sleeved transfer port, synthetic piston seal, shortened barrel).
Does this look like too much preload? 5 coils sticking out. The gun is "snappy". I'm thinking: 3 coils off. It's a new Protek spring.
Must test power, will do soon and report.

[deejayuu]

From our scribbles .22 Cal. Springs (mm) 1) 230 x 21.5 X 3 x 29/27 coils x 40 lb/inch rate 540 ft/s Jets. 515 Caledonian 470 ft/s S'dome

[jirushi]

From our scribbles .22 Cal. Springs (mm) 1) 230 x 21.5 X 3 x 29/27 coils x 40 lb/inch rate 540 ft/s Jets. 515 Caledonian 470 ft/s S'dome

Thank you!
That's only about 7 ft.lbs?
I thought MkIII's should produce 10-11 ft.lbs.

[Ragle Jnr]

Many years ago a friend and I were joined on our shooting with a guy with a Webley Mk 3. Occaisionally he would pull the trigger and get a very low powered shot. Eventually we noticed his loading procedure, on the poor shots he opened the tap, inserted a pellet then cocked the rifle, result a blocked transfer port and not enough air. After we kindly pointed this out and he tried cocking the rifle first we never saw him again!
HTH David

[averageplinker]

Hi,
Aside from your issue. I would dismantle and reclean the internals and use lubricants more commonly used in air rifles rather than curtain rails. So high moly grease and something like neatsfoot oil on the leather washer. (This is available in a small dispenser from Protek Supplies.)
There is a thread somewhere on here about an old school lube tune that should have lots of info that would help.
I wonder if you were to wipe the oil off the leather washer and soak it in the neatsfoot oil, allow it to sink in then wipe off the excess, it will expand to form a better seal and fire with greater power?
Rich.

[TonyL]

As per the above two posts.

[tikkapaul]

Hi,
Aside from your issue. I would dismantle and reclean the internals and use lubricants more commonly used in air rifles rather than curtain rails. So high moly grease and something like neatsfoot oil on the leather washer. (This is available in a small dispenser from Protek Supplies.)
There is a thread somewhere on here about an old school lube tune that should have lots of info that would help.
I wonder if you were to wipe the oil off the leather washer and soak it in the neatsfoot oil, allow it to sink in then wipe off the excess, it will expand to form a better seal and fire with greater power?
Rich.

Thanks for the info ,did think neatsfoot would have been better for the washer , and high moly grease will have to have another go, another reply mentions how to load it I have always cocked a rifle and then put in the pellet, why should this make a difference? I have been using springers of all descriptions for over sixty eight years underlevers especially never had a problem of this type before.

[averageplinker]

I have picked up a couple of leather piston washered break barrels over the years that had not been used for a while. On testing I found that some shots would send the pellet out and some wouldn't. I always try the simple solutions first and have put a few drops of neatsfoot into the transfer port and left it to soak into the washer for about a week. On both occasions this has fixed the issue. And yes the odd shots did sometimes sound "farty"!

[deejayuu]

another reply mentions how to load it I have always cocked a rifle and then put in the pellet, why should this make a difference.

I think the difference mentioned earlier refers to tap position when cocking. i.e. if the tap is in load mode cocking can create a "vacuum" so when loaded and moved to "fire" position the pellet may i) prevent full charging of compression chamber
or worse still ii) inhale the pellet into the chamber 'cos the transfer port is same size as barrel calibre
Dim but willing. J

[tikkapaul]

Hi Paul, I've always been warned against using any silicone oil/grease on springers. However, I have also been advised to use a mix of silicone grease and moly grease on the leather washer. Just a very light smear of both. I used this on an Airsporter Mk1 washer and it worked well. But apparently silicone can cause problems where there is metal to metal contact. However the problem occurred before you used the silicone. Hmmm. What kind of grease are you using on the spring? And is the spring still straight?

I hope it's ok to ask another Mk3 related question:
I'm doing some experiments with my Mk3 which is a mix of parts (fluted stock, early type trigger, later cylinder with secured scope rail, sleeved transfer port, synthetic piston seal, shortened barrel).
Does this look like too much preload? 5 coils sticking out. The gun is "snappy". I'm thinking: 3 coils off. It's a new Protek spring.
Must test power, will do soon and report.

Hi I used Bisley white grease but very little ,thinking silicone on the slide and wiping it off possible mistake, white grease on the breech plug and gun oil on the leather washer, had it to pieces half a dozen times now and it is still behaving the same, have also looked up a list of parts and see that on John knibbs list is a rubber breech washer ? not sure if this is a part for a mark 3 also did not find any remnants of one on taking it apart, I have counted the spring coils and four protrude before putting the rear trigger assembly , needs pressure but not excessive to start the threads.
As long as you do a crono test after to seeif its over the limit, some time ago I had a new spring put in my Airsporter and it ended up with quite a slapping sound when used it has been back to a different gunsmith and he could find nothing wrong and the two springs are genuine BSA parts not an upgrade.
Thanks, Paul.