.177 Webley Vulcan, a myth?

[Gamocfx]

Hi,

A couple of my mates or going to have a bit of a friendly comp with each other, a sort of shoot off (less gayer than a dance off I suppose) and one of them would like to know how much a Webley Vulcan in .177 would be? The reason for his choice is that he believes he will be able to humiliate all comers with the supergun of his youth

I have never seen one and scouring Gunstar/trader reveals nothing, if possible the carbine version is what he is looking for. Do any of these exist? if they do are they as good as he says they are? I know he can be wrong because he thought that he had his still in the attic/wardrobe/garage....

If it does exist I want to see how good he is with the Japanese 4x20mm plastic scope on it....which brings me to another point will it need a special scope mount or had Webley started cutting man sized grooves for scopes by the mid 80s?

Thanks in advance, this story has the potential to progress if he finds this rifle...

[I. J.]

Just four words - breech pin, naff trigger.

[Airsporter1st]

Just four words - breech pin, naff trigger.

You are right of course Ian, but for some indefinable reason, of all the guns I've owned/shot over the last almost 50 years, the Vulcan was by far the most pointable and accurate (shot freehand) open- sighted springer straight out of the box.

I recently acquired a nearly new boxed one and it felt just the same.


As I said, I can't put my finger on it, but there it is.

[I. J.]

You are right of course Ian, but for some indefinable reason, of all the guns I've owned/shot over the last almost 50 years, the Vulcan was by far the most pointable and accurate (shot freehand) open- sighted springer straight out of the box.

I recently acquired a nearly new boxed one and it felt just the same.

And there in lies the problem. With the open sights being fixed to the barrel there is no problem with a bit of lateral wear in the non adjustable breech pin. Its when you fit a scope that accuracy problems rear its head hence the Webley Teleskan. A pistol scope fitted onto where the rear sight on the barrel used to be. The basic trigger also doesn't help with the accuracy.

ATB
Ian

[Gamocfx]

So...will a scope fit this Jeckyl and Hyde rifle?

[Airsporter1st]

And there in lies the problem. With the open sights being fixed to the barrel there is no problem with a bit of lateral wear in the non adjustable breech pin. Its when you fit a scope that accuracy problems rear its head hence the Webley Teleskan. A pistol scope fitted onto where the rear sight on the barrel used to be. The basic trigger also doesn't help with the accuracy.

ATB
Ian

Again, you are right, but they don't all suffer from the worn breech pin. Much depends on their age/use, I guess.

[Muskett]

I presume we are talking MKI's. I sold a near mint (one nasty ding on the stock), .177, a few years back. With a Telescan! Most of my air rifles are .177 but for a MKI Vulcan they are best as a .22 and used at short range. Feather weight, small proportions and that agricultural trigger just isn't going to to get long range accuracy. However, its pointabily and full power makes it a great farmyard gun.

I've just bought a rough one and have another Telescan but this time rather than the nasty pistol scope I might use an old Tasco red dot or a Singlepoint.

I think the MKI Vulcan is an important collectors gun and rare to find mint. Plenty made and cheap enough but few looked after. I'm still looking for a mint one. Lots of MKII's but it was the MKI that made Webley a profit for a while. Plenty of innovation for its time. The MKII's might look better but its the MKI that does it for me nostalgia wise.

[webman]

I bought a very nice 0.177 Vulcan Series 1 Special (Walnut stock, nice ventilated butt pad) from a member a couple of years ago. Lovely looking gun, and not very expensive. So they definitely exist!

[I. J.]

This: http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Airs...ml?sort=6&o=81 is an odd ball Vulcan. A prototype made by Webley and fitted with an adjustable gas ram (Theoben type). The 'power plant' of the Vulcan wasn't the problem. The PTFE piston/spring combination worked well. It was the wobbly barrel and naff trigger. Seems strange that Webley should try to fix a problem that wasn't there and ignore the faults that were.
As for mounts. I woudl recommend a good one piece unit.

[Gamocfx]

Thanks Webman...do you have a scope on it? My friends memory is shaky, one minute a Walnut stock, the next a flash eliminator (ex infantry so probably an air stripper?). He maintains it was excellent and having read your post he may actualy be right

Webley made these for years (according to the Blue Book) so wheredid they all go? He also claims that it was bought from a catalogue? Was this possible?

Thanks for any input I am enjoying watching this unfold.

[I. J.]

I seem to remember they produced a Vulcan (Mk???) with a gold trigger blade and safety catch which had a walnut stock - or am I just going crazy?

ATB
Ian

[webman]

Hi Ian. You may well be going crazy, but the Series 1 Special did have a gold finished trigger blade and safety catch. The one I bought came with a nice period scope, and the rifle has well-cut 11 mm standard scope grooves. The Series 3 version of the Vulcan (1985-2000) had a foresight mounted on a long barrel weight, and was available with a carbine-length barrel. Maybe this is what your friend remembers. I know that airguns were available from catalogues, as a friend of mine has still got a Diana his aunt bought him.

[Hsing-ee]

I seem to remember they produced a Vulcan (Mk???) with a gold trigger blade and safety catch which had a walnut stock - or am I just going crazy?

ATB
Ian

Yes it was a Delux Walnut Wobbly Webley.

[T 20]

Its when you fit a scope that accuracy problems rear its head hence the Webley Teleskan. A pistol scope fitted onto where the rear sight on the barrel used to be.

ATB
Ian

Hi Ian

And let's not forget that Jim Tyler invented the Teleskan mount and showed it in Airgunworld and then Webley nicked his idea.



All the best Mick

[elewis411]

Thanks Webman...do you have a scope on it? My friends memory is shaky, one minute a Walnut stock, the next a flash eliminator (ex infantry so probably an air stripper?). He maintains it was excellent and having read your post he may actualy be right

Webley made these for years (according to the Blue Book) so wheredid they all go? He also claims that it was bought from a catalogue? Was this possible?

Thanks for any input I am enjoying watching this unfold.

Yep, i can remember lusting after a webley vulcan that was in my mothers catalogue along with a fwb sport/diana ? and a relum tornado.