Why does the Webley Vulcan behave so well?

[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 .....

[les allam]

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 .....

I did ask Steve Pope if he would do the barrel hinge bolt, but the answer was no, giving the reason above.
Les.

[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

[Thegreg]

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

I think Chambers just ran out of the Webley stock of those “2-stage” triggers because they offered them as upgrades to all the earlier models. As you mentioned they were only standard fit on the Xocet & Stingray.

I’ve fitted a couple to Trackers. They’re not a true 2 stage unit at all but it’s exactly the same as what BSA did in the Superstar and Goldstar. They do improve things a lot to be fair.

Cheers
Greg

[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.

[Speedmaster2]

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

Very disappointed Tony but that's life.

[look no hands]

I have to say I shot that Vulcan that Craig put on the sales table yesterday and it was rather pleasant for a standard (but probable well run in) rifle, a bloody good price as well.

Pete

[norris]

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 .....

What barrel did the Eclispe and Stingray have on them?

[HW777]

What barrel did the Eclispe and Stingray have on them?

Factory made as far as I know but I also thought the early Longbows and Tomahawks were the same

[PCPShooter]

I think some of the early Tomohawks in 22 had Uk Webley barrels _

It's going back a bit, I can remember most of what I was told (generally when talking about airguns with V Mach/Steve)

Webley did stuff like design a breech because they had thousands of o rings of a certain size in stock - that was the mentality unfortunately.

The Exocet, Stingrays, Lonbows, Tomohawks all decent enough rifles, Raiders too, - but simply not as well made or refined as HW'S - who apparently ran their business better too - from the fact they are still going. Can't argue that point -

It doesn't matter how rosey a set of glasses, spares are thin on ground, barrels bend easier than HW's, the non Walther barrels in 177 were't a patch on the HW stuff (or Diana) .....if folk want to pay premium prices for stuff - that's up to them isn't it.

The golden age of air gunning has gone - there are threads on whether we will be able to shoot lead pellets or not in a few years. I think not to see the time line context of this stuff is, well a bit fool hardy _

I love my old Excels, glad I've got them. The Cometa's do everything they and Vulcans / Exocets / Stingrays do, better barrel shims, better out of box from factory performance still in production. People buying a cheap rifle buy a Remington that retails for less now than an Exocet nearly 20 years ago _
The HW 95 is still a better rifle than the Longbow (which is what they were trying to compete with), I never rated my Tomahawk in the same way I rate HW80's.

It's just - history - like a lot of air gunning.

[Mach 1.5]

Webley used LW barrels on the Longbow & Tommy around about the end of 2002. Funny enough I spoke with Mr Hancock the other night and he informed me of how he persuaded the powers that be to start using LW..Mach 1.5

[evert]

....The Exocet, Stingrays, Lonbows, Tomohawks all decent enough rifles, Raiders too, - but simply not as well made or refined as HW'S - who apparently ran their business better too - from the fact they are still going. Can't argue that point -

It doesn't matter how rosey a set of glasses, spares are thin on ground, barrels bend easier than HW's, the non Walther barrels in 177 were't a patch on the HW stuff (or Diana) .....if folk want to pay premium prices for stuff - that's up to them isn't it.

Still, the Vulcan is easier to get a good shotcycle from than most modern guns, and it is easier to shoot well for me than most modern guns.
I set up an old mk2 for a friend of mine som years back by just fitting tight delrin guides to the OEM spring and lubricating it properly, and it performed excellent with no other modifications. They got the action balanced properly, which is more than you can say about many later springers.

[HW777]

Still, the Vulcan is easier to get a good shotcycle from than most modern guns, and it is easier to shoot well for me than most modern guns.
I set up an old mk2 for a friend of mine som years back by just fitting tight delrin guides to the OEM spring and lubricating it properly, and it performed excellent with no other modifications. They got the action balanced properly, which is more than you can say about many later springers.

The Vulcan which I've grow to like was Webleys attempt to up the power stakes to be more in line with other makers, by design or by chance they they hit on a balanced action ?

Where as the Longbow was what the Vulcan could have been from the start.

I still wonder what Webley/Venom could have later produced, had they still been in production