Why does the Webley Vulcan behave so well?

[elewis411]

Anybody know if the bore or stroke and maybe piston weight even was changed from the mk1 and mk2 as I had a mk1 which was one of the best hunting rifles I ever owned and took many many rabbits/ rats / crows etc but I just couldn’t get on with the mk2 I bought and gave up on it after a few month’s, both were .22.

[jjjohn]

The spring dampener was a milestone in spring guns imho.

[Mach 1.5]

Had a venom tuned MK1 back in 1983 and it shot very well. Mach 1.5

[Chrisj.]

I have a webley vulcan mk2 Carbine venom tuned at webley , it’s a stage 2 tune what ever that is . It shoots very well

[TonyL]

I have shot one or two Vulcans that shot beautifully at our Boinger Bash meets. Most notably Speedmaster's last year. It had been fettled; fettler unknown.

I think it has so, so much to do with the spring. Not to be viewed as a "mere" piston propulsion component. Everything revolves around the spring......force unlocked, force cocked, force at point of piston bounce, preload, rate.

[Bellycrawler]

I've had 2 & thought highly of them. Std from the factory & not messed with. I had the hinge pin converted to a bolt. Problem with the the jaws opening up solved.

[les allam]

I do like the Webley Vulcan.
I got my mk1 Vulcan in the early 80’s and still have it.
The gun got a upgrade by way of a V-Mach kit fitted, standard spring with guide’s piston liner,piston seal,top hat.
Much nicer shot feel.
I replaced the barrel hinge pin to sort out the wobble,but it is still there to some degree.
I will try and get a nice pistol scope to put on the Teleskan mounting block for old times sake.
Les..

[les allam]

I've had 2 & thought highly of them. Std from the factory & not messed with. I had the hinge pin converted to a bolt. Problem with the the jaws opening up solved.

Who did the bolt conversion for you?, I have always wanted my one sorted for a better lock up.
Les..

[maximus]

"I think it has so, so much to do with the spring"

I agree, the spec of the spring changes everything and its the most difficult to quantify when buying replacements. Some "standard" springs from suppliers are not the same as the original ones fitted from the factory.

[PCPShooter]

I've had 2 & thought highly of them. Std from the factory & not messed with. I had the hinge pin converted to a bolt. Problem with the the jaws opening up solved.

The Webley's do not have a centralised pivot point, putting in a bolt according to Venom / S Pope was not a great solution. The pivot location (centralised) was one of the main improvements on later rifles - Exocet, Stingray, Longbow etc which feature a bolt - if you can have a look at an older one with newer
This is the reason that the older barrels and blocks and vice versa are not cross generation interchangeable, pre Exocet, Post Exocet is generally the differentiator.

These all continued with same swept volume, about optimum for 22 in uk power.
So Excels, Victors, Vulcans, Exocets, Stingrays, Longbows all shoot with similar character. The older ones had the UK Webley barrels (in 22 try Superdome other RWS, FTT, JSB), but to compete with HW they finally upgraded to HW barrels on Longbow onwards, this was mainly because the German guns especially in 177 were outshooting the Webley's easily.

Breech shims, after a gentle squeeze of jaws in a vice if any wobble were the optimum solutions.

Hope this helps - as time passes and more folk pop off, I think stuff gets forgotten .....

[evert]

I think it has so, so much to do with the spring. Not to be viewed as a "mere" piston propulsion component. Everything revolves around the spring......force unlocked, force cocked, force at point of piston bounce, preload, rate.

Of course the spring plays a large part, but it you wont find a spring that solves basic balancing problems.
When stroke/piston weight/piston diameter/transfer port are properly balanced, spring selection just becomes that last ingredient.
What I'm trying to say is that Webley got it right with the Vulcan, perhaps even better than we have seen in many more praised later springers.

I've been fighting the TX, several HWs etc for a long time, but with a good example of the Vulcan, it is just easy to get balanced, linear, soft recoil without any major alterations of the action.

[PCPShooter]

Yep, very nice in 22 the UK Webleys

Was a shame when Chambers stopped the trigger upgrade kits, a kinda feux 2 stage. The stocks did need widening too to accommodate _
Gave a Stingray/Exocet level of refinement to a Vulcan or Excel

[Speedmaster2]

I have shot one or two Vulcans that shot beautifully at our Boinger Bash meets. Most notably Speedmaster's last year. It had been fettled; fettler unknown.

I think it has so, so much to do with the spring. Not to be viewed as a "mere" piston propulsion component. Everything revolves around the spring......force unlocked, force cocked, force at point of piston bounce, preload, rate.

Tony is still in my possession though for how much longer I don't know seeing as I've a tx200hc and tx200sr both in. 22 which I shoot more now. Also the sport 127 isn't getting much use either. I would like to have been at this weekends bash but I had a prior engagement which meant I couldn't go. That was stopped as I had an operation planned for today on my right shoulder which was cancelled as I tested positive for covid on Tuesday which has left me feeling bloody awful and totally fed up as I've been waiting for the op since before the beginning of covid.

[TonyL]

Sorry to hear this. You must be feeling so disappointed after having waited so long. I hope your recovery is full and swift.