Why are Webley pistols so special?

[45flint]

I totally agree that the Webley design produced the most efficient air pistol in a compact design and carried on so many years because of this and the quality of the build. But I think the Germans had a interruption in the early 1940’s that hampered their ability to continue with their designs? If I had to choose one prewar pistol masterpiece it would be the Haenel 28R. The best shooting pistol would be the Webley straight grip Senior.

[ccdjg]

It would be interesting to know exactly how much Frank Clarke contributed to the design of the Webley Mark 1. His reimbursement contract letter from Webley for his consultancy work says: "...in consideration of the assistance you have rendered us in working our the air pistol having a tip-up barrel, jointed at the muzzle, we hereby agree that during the life of the British patent ......we will pay you the sum of threepence per pistol........

It doesn't sound much, but that is equivalent to about £1.50 per pistol in today's money, so quite a nice earner for him.

[Biker_Bob]

I've just fallen into Webley land again. I picked up a very clean Premier E series in .177 from Newark Arms fair.
I think in answer to the question, a lot of it has to do with the sheer density of the thing.
For such a small object it's very heavy, being made as it is of steel and for me it's the thought of holding a small piece of proper British engineering - a reminder of a time before everything went to s**t.
And yes, they can shoot very nicely - interestingly for me the best hold is the exact opposite of the hold required with an HW45. With an HW45 I have to hold it in the standard 1911 combat grip style i.e. loosely at the bottom of the grip, whereas with the Webley I get the best accuracy with a very strong double handed interlocked thumbs hold. I wonder if the thinning of the grip at the top is intended to encourage you to wrap your thumb around there, because that's what it does for me.
The sights are simple, but I like the way that the windage sledge is slightly tapered, so that it doesn't move when you undo the screw which enables easy elevation adjustment without disturbing windage.

[AC99]

I have been a huge fan of Webley air pistols since I bought my first mk1 from a lad at school in about 1957 for 30/-, he needed the cash to buy more rolling stock for his model railway. It had originally been his fathers and he and his sister had used it to shoot matchsticks through the barrel but thankfully not nails!

I had to fit a new breech seal, piston washer and spring and the barrel hinge bolt had been lost and replaced with a length of Meccano brass studding which also had to be replaced. I acquired all these bits from the local Webley dealer and as a mere 14 year old I found it quite easy to dis-assemble and rebuild the pistol. Learning to shoot it however took rather longer and it took several hundred pellets to be able to shoot it accurately off-hand ie single one handed grip and no support. A couple of years later I also bought a Senior. All this proved invaluable training for when I later joined a local gun club and took up .22 RF competitive shooting.

After the 1997 handgun ban I started collecting air guns and among many others I added to my collection of Webley pistols and I now own 21 and it all started from that conversation at school all those years ago. I still have that original mk1 and Senior and find all Webleys a joy to shoot but rather challenging now.

[Jerry Cornelius]

So far as early adoption is concerned, an air pistol being made by (at the time and in the UK) the most famous makers of real pistols can’t have hurt adoption. On the same theme, in as much as any air pistol “feels” like a real pistol, I think webleys do, with the weight, balance and rearward recoil. Ironically given their unmistakable airgun appearance they may do a lot better in that regard than, say, Steve’s Haenel 28r, even though the latter has the webley beat on looks

Personally for me once you move away from blued steel to enamel and plastic they largely lose their charm, although can there be a British man alive today under over about 40 who didn’t shoot one as a boy?

[laverdabru]

Interesting points made by all. It does feel such a right, compact design. Some think that that lost its way with the Hurricane, but I find my early ,22 the most accurate of my Webleys. And the Tempest restored some of the 'handling'.
Over the years, owned most models from a tin grip Junior to late Hurri's/Tempest.

[guitardan]

I love my webley pistols, @ggggr s fault lol.
I must admit the "love" doesnt stretch to the new fangled plasticated contraption now called a typhoon... Im determined to master it, but ive no doubt it wont stay too long in my collection... Now, if anyone would like to trade this "fine" piece of new webley engineering for a battered old premier or mk1...go on, you know you need to experience all things webley pistol... Lol
ATB
Dan

[Garvin]

It would be interesting to know exactly how much Frank Clarke contributed to the design of the Webley Mark 1. His reimbursement contract letter from Webley for his consultancy work says: "...in consideration of the assistance you have rendered us in working our the air pistol having a tip-up barrel, jointed at the muzzle, we hereby agree that during the life of the British patent ......we will pay you the sum of threepence per pistol........

It doesn't sound much, but that is equivalent to about £1.50 per pistol in today's money, so quite a nice earner for him.

Webley didn't know at the time just how successful the pistols would become. If they had, they may have paid Clarke rather less.