Webley Disease....Highly contagious

[I. J.]

As a recent collector I’m finding Webleys are about the ideal collector piece.
1. It is a very good design, extremely well made and has stood the test of test.
2. They are accurate and fun to shoot, not always true in collectable guns
3. There were many variants to continue collecting interest.
4. They were widely exported, so everybody is in the game.

1. 'It is a very good design'. - It couldn't be a worse design! The piston travels backwards and the compressed air has to to through TWO 90 degree bends. Other manufacturers try to keep the air transfer as smooth and straight as possible.
'extremely well made' apart from the cocking linkages.

2. 'They are accurate' Compared to a Gat - yes.

3. 'There are many variants'. Yes there is the same basic design repeated over and over again with the only slight difference being barrel length, patent numbers, grip .....

4. 'so everybody is in the game'. NO!

[Abasmajor]

1. 'It is a very good design'. - It couldn't be a worse design! The piston travels backwards and the compressed air has to to through TWO 90 degree bends. Other manufacturers try to keep the air transfer as smooth and straight as possible.
'extremely well made' apart from the cocking linkages.

2. 'They are accurate' Compared to a Gat - yes.

3. 'There are many variants'. Yes there is the same basic design repeated over and over again with the only slight difference being barrel length, patent numbers, grip .....

4. 'so everybody is in the game'. NO!

Hi,

I can only speak as I find which would confirm that in actual use the Webley range represents the best in compact, spring air pistol design over a period of many years,

I have been lucky enough to own and shoot most of its competitors which would have been available during the considerable production period of the Webley, and not many even come close, in my experience anyway.

Regards
Brian

[ccdjg]

1. 'It is a very good design'. - It couldn't be a worse design! The piston travels backwards and the compressed air has to to through TWO 90 degree bends. Other manufacturers try to keep the air transfer as smooth and straight as possible.
'extremely well made' apart from the cocking linkages.

2. 'They are accurate' Compared to a Gat - yes.

3. 'There are many variants'. Yes there is the same basic design repeated over and over again with the only slight difference being barrel length, patent numbers, grip .....

4. 'so everybody is in the game'. NO!

Although I am not an avid collector of vintage Webleys, I do have quite a few in my springer pistol collection and I have had the opportunity to compare them with more than 250 different vintage springer pistols of all shapes and sizes and countries of origin. I can say in my experience that in terms of build quality, reliability, performance and aesthetics they comfortably come within the top 5%, and I can understand why collectors can become addicted to them.

My first air pistol was a Webley Senior, bought for me by my dear old dad 63 years ago when I was just twelve. It must have had thousands of shots put through it over the years and suffered all the trials and tribulations that a teenager could throw at it. It had new grips fitted at some stage. I remember even experimenting with ether to get it to diesel, and blowing the barrel out of its catch. Around then a new short link was fitted. I didn't take up air pistol collecting until 30 years later and when I eventually dug out the old Senior it was as rusty as hell with no trace of blue, so I decided to give it a make over and use it as a guinea pig in my early experiments with hot bluing.
The gun now takes pride of place in my collection, and here it is as it now looks (white lettering courtesy of Typex). It shoots fine, and no wobble anywhere. Not bad for a much used and abused 60+ year old pistol. Hardly a bad design. I think it is a clever use of the fact that air does not mind being forced round right angles to make a pistol that is half the size of a conventional in-line design with no significant loss of efficiency. I can think of few other air pistols that would still be in this sort of condition after all that this has been through.

[Abasmajor]

Although there is no evidence to suggest air pistols were ever officially used as firearms trainers, the rearward movement of the Webley piston does provide an admittedly small recoil component. I would say that shooting a Webley Senior provides a similar recoil characteristic to a .22 rimfire pistol and of course emphasises the importance of follow through in developing ones shooting technique.

Regards
Brian

[45flint]

In the blued pistol era the Webley was the pistol to beat. Andrew Lawrence studied all the prewar pistols in the development of the Hy-score. He took the most from the Webley. The rearward traveling spring is key to a normal feeling pistol recoil. He used the same with the Hy-score. I love my Haenel 28s because of the look and brilliant machining but as a shooter the Webley is far more accurate and is compact and feels the most like my 22 pistols.

[Troubledshooter]

Although I am not an avid collector of vintage Webleys, I do have quite a few in my springer pistol collection and I have had the opportunity to compare them with more than 250 different vintage springer pistols of all shapes and sizes and countries of origin. I can say in my experience that in terms of build quality, reliability, performance and aesthetics they comfortably come within the top 5%, and I can understand why collectors can become addicted to them.

My first air pistol was a Webley Senior, bought for me by my dear old dad 63 years ago when I was just twelve. It must have had thousands of shots put through it over the years and suffered all the trials and tribulations that a teenager could throw at it. It had new grips fitted at some stage. I remember even experimenting with ether to get it to diesel, and blowing the barrel out of its catch. Around then a new short link was fitted. I didn't take up air pistol collecting until 30 years later and when I eventually dug out the old Senior it was as rusty as hell with no trace of blue, so I decided to give it a make over and use it as a guinea pig in my early experiments with hot bluing.
The gun now takes pride of place in my collection, and here it is as it now looks (white lettering courtesy of Typex). It shoots fine, and no wobble anywhere. Not bad for a much used and abused 60+ year old pistol. Hardly a bad design. I think it is a clever use of the fact that air does not mind being forced round right angles to make a pistol that is half the size of a conventional in-line design with no significant loss of efficiency. I can think of few other air pistols that would still be in this sort of condition after all that this has been through.

That Senior looks to be in exceptionally good condition, John, considering what it's been through.
I started collecting Webley's many years ago for two reasons, the first being that at the time they were of British manufacture, and the second was because I like them.
I've been sidetracked slightly over the years by BSA Airsporters and Scorpion pistols, Walther LP53, LP2 & LP3 pistols and Weihrauch HW45 & 75, but my main interest has always been Webley.
I've accumulated quite a lot of literature over the years, and I sometimes find that just as interesting as the products.

[Geezer]

I refuse to rise to the bait of IJ's amusing trolling.

Oh, all right then.

Compared to most of the largely rubbish contemporary pistols when the Johnstone-Fearn Webley came out in 1924 or so, the Webley was streets ahead. It is a poor design in ultimate performance terms, and if I had to shoot a 10M match with a classic springer, it would not be my choice. But it's a surprisingly good shooting proposition despite its design limitations, the older ones are beautifully made and finished, and about four generations of British air gun shooters grew up either owning one or wanting one. So they are just nice.

My first air pistol was a Webley, but at the same time I wanted a 3-litre Ford Capri when I grew up. I now know for sure that a 3-litre Capri was actually a bit of a crap car. But I still want one.

This whole vintage/classic thing has to accept the role of nostalgia. I mean, I have nostaligic feelings for the Mk1 Airsporter, although it came out twenty years before I was born.

I guess this is why some people collect Gats. Weirdos.

[I. J.]

I reckon I.J. doth protest too much, secretly he will have a stash of mint examples stashed away that he admires, he's just trying to keep the market for himself

Bang to rights! Im just waiting for the price of scrap steel to rise.

I refuse to rise to the bait of IJ's amusing trolling.

Oh, all right then.

Good effort.

[45flint]

Bang to rights! Im just waiting for the price of scrap steel to rise.





Good effort.

Wow almost 20,000 posts how can he be wrong?

[I. J.]

Wow almost 20,000 posts how can he be wrong?

According to the mother-in-law (may she rest in peace - soon) I am most of the time.

[I. J.]

I guess this is why some people collect Gats. Weirdos.

Gat collectors I can understand. They are happy if the pellet shoots out. 'Wobbly' owners arent happy until they have the 5 pin, Canadian patent, tin grip variant.
The one good thing about Wobbly collectors is that they leave the good stuff un bought for other collectors.

Im off now to Cellotape bread crumbs to my window sill to drive the pigeons wild

[45flint]

Gat collectors I can understand. They are happy if the pellet shoots out. 'Wobbly' owners arent happy until they have the 5 pin, Canadian patent, tin grip variant.
The one good thing about Wobbly collectors is that they leave the good stuff un bought for other collectors.

Im off now to Cellotape bread crumbs to my window sill to drive the pigeons wild and smear dog muck on braille signs.

And the good stuff prewar is?

[I. J.]

And the good stuff prewar is?

I rarely deal with guns that were around at the official opening of Stonehenge.

although I do admit to owning a 1914 BSA underlever which I have used on a few occasions to enter national rounds of HFT.

[1shot1kill]

And the good stuff prewar is?

Dog muck on drawing pins on door handles! Right up yr street I reckon IJ!😉

[PaulR]

Im off now to.....smear dog muck on braille signs.

Am I alone in finding the above remark offensive - or have I missed some sort of "in" joke?