Webley Mk1 Slant Grip Prototype?

[WebleyWombler]

Something else came to mind. Those safety catches are difficult enough to use with a straight grip, with the grips being well clear of the catch. With those grips coming close to to the catch it would have been very difficult to use.
I still think if it was a factory prototype that it would have had wooden grips. They might have painted them silver but why make those alloy grips?

I have been mulling this over for a while and have come to a conclusion. Webley used their own special thread screws on all their pistols. If the screws holding this together are a known thread type eg BSF. BA. ME etc. then it is an amateur built piece. If they conform to Webley series standards, it was built by them as there is no chance that an amateur would possess the correct taps and dies.

Webley stampings are often not that deep and I have seen them mostly obliterated by a refinishing job.

The screws are the key as I can't see Webley engineers deviating from their normal working practices, even for a prototype.

Personally, I think its amateur, but would love to be proved wrong.

[ggggr]

I have been mulling this over for a while and have come to a conclusion. Webley used their own special thread screws on all their pistols. If the screws holding this together are a known thread type eg BSF. BA. ME etc. then it is an amateur built piece. If they conform to Webley series standards, it was built by them as there is no chance that an amateur would possess the correct taps and dies.

Webley stampings are often not that deep and I have seen them mostly obliterated by a refinishing job.

The screws are the key as I can't see Webley engineers deviating from their normal working practices, even for a prototype.

Personally, I think its amateur, but would love to be proved wrong.

BUT--if it was done by somebody at Webley---an apprentice or just somebody who fancied tinkering and altering the straight grip then it would have Webley threads.
It was common years ago in engineering places for "foreigners" to be done on Saturday mornings

[WebleyWombler]

BUT--if it was done by somebody at Webley---an apprentice or just somebody who fancied tinkering and altering the straight grip then it would have Webley threads.
It was common years ago in engineering places for "foreigners" to be done on Saturday mornings

Agreed. But that gun was not built in the Webley factory. Webley grip screws are a very fine thread and have a slightly raised head. The grip screws shown in the photographs are standard countersunk screws with a much coarser thread than I have ever seen on any Webley.

I am now firm in the belief It is a home built (or Saturday engineering shop ) Modification by someone reasonably proficient at engineering and at the time of modification, it was polished and refinished so all the parts match. I do have a full set of Guns Review bound volumes from 1968 until it ceased publication. I remember the article mentioned earlier and will dig them out. It will be interesting to compare serial numbers.

[Abasmajor]

The strange thing for me about even genuine prototypes is that although I find them fascinating, I'm really only interested in owning examples from production runs, especially if these were limited.
Weird ?
Brian

[ccdjg]

The strange thing for me about even genuine prototypes is that although I find them fascinating, I'm really only interested in owning examples from production runs, especially if these were limited.
Weird ?
Brian

Nothing weird about that Brian, as IMO production models and prototypes are two separate collecting fields and have different types of appeal. Prototypes are more of an acquired taste and tend to appeal to the collector with strong interests in the development and mechanics of airguns. Production gun collectors tend to be shooters with an eye for the aesthetics of an airgun. Of course, many collectors fall into both camps (guilty as charged!).

Your comment also makes the valid point that just because you have a keen interest in a field does automatically mean that you will have the urge to collect from that field. For example, I am very interested in both rifles and pistols but have no desire to collect rifles, apart from keeping a handful of representative classics.

Cheers
John