Webley Viscount questions.

[look no hands]

Hi all,

Just a few questions please regarding the Webley Viscount, found one today in excellent nick, unfortunately I'm not overly clued up on Webleys but have read they shared a few parts between models, now if I'm honest I really wanted a Tracker but they don't come up very often, the questions I'm asking are, can a Stingray/Xocet tuning kit be fitted (as I have a kit here) as I'm sure they are not much different inside from model to model, how does the barrel fit into the cylinder (Yes you've guessed it I'm thinking of shortening the barrel) and does it have a choke and lastly what is needed to fit the 2 stage trigger to it?

I have a Webley Xocet XS two stage trigger here that I tried fitting today, it physically fits and the gun can be cocked but it wouldn't release the sears unless the trigger was almost pulled so far back you felt it was going to snap the trigger, I realise the stock inletting will need opening out a bit to fit it in the stock, I even fitted the Xocet trigger spring that drops into the cylinder as it was slightly shorter and doesn't feel as strong as the Viscounts, it still wouldn't let go easily, does the Xocet sear need fitting? (I've not compared them to see if they are the same).

All in all a lovely rifle and fitted in the Walnut Tracker stock I aquired the other week, it just raises it up that level, now here comes the moral question, do I shorten the barrel and make the Tracker I really want or do I keep it as is and keep the purests happy?

The Webley part of my collection is now complete.

Your advice please gents.

[Mr Pusk]

I understand that the Tracker and Viscount are essentially the same rifle, except that the Viscount has a longer barrel and is rarer. So why chop it and turn it into a Tracker? By putting it into a walnut stock you have as good as got a Viscount Deluxe, and they're even rarer than the basic model!

A bit like the chap who made counterfeit old-style 10p pieces by filing down the 7 sided coins...

Keep as is, I say! And if you want a Tracker, one will turn up.

[look no hands]

I understand that the Tracker and Viscount are essentially the same rifle, except that the Viscount has a longer barrel and is rarer. So why chop it and turn it into a Tracker? By putting it into a walnut stock you have as good as got a Viscount Deluxe, and they're even rarer than the basic model!

A bit like the chap who made counterfeit old-style 10p pieces by filing down the 7 sided coins...

Keep as is, I say! And if you want a Tracker, one will turn up.

That's what I was thinking but my collection is about the rifles I want and not how rare they are.

[Geezer]

I understand that the Tracker and Viscount are essentially the same rifle, except that the Viscount has a longer barrel and is rarer. So why chop it and turn it into a Tracker? By putting it into a walnut stock you have as good as got a Viscount Deluxe, and they're even rarer than the basic model!

A bit like the chap who made counterfeit old-style 10p pieces by filing down the 7 sided coins...

Keep as is, I say! And if you want a Tracker, one will turn up.

My view too.

The walnut Viscount Deluxe is a particularly nice looking and handling rifle.

[Mach 1.5]

Plenty of trackers about but not many Viscounts. Funny enough a friend of mine is thinking of selling his factory tryolean tracker if interested? Mach 1.5

[look no hands]

Plenty of trackers about but not many Viscounts. Funny enough a friend of mine is thinking of selling his factory tryolean tracker if interested? Mach 1.5

That might be interesting, let me know details please Paul.

[Mr Pusk]

All in all a lovely rifle and fitted in the Walnut Tracker stock I aquired the other week, it just raises it up that level, now here comes the moral question, do I shorten the barrel and make the Tracker I really want or do I keep it as is and keep the purests happy?

Your advice please gents.

That's what I was thinking but my collection is about the rifles I want and not how rare they are.

Of course it is; so is mine, and probably most people's. You have every right to do what you want with them, I was just responding to the moral question you posed as I can't help with the others!

I have no problem with your putting the Viscount in a walnut stock. That's exactly what Webley did for their deluxe model. By so doing I'm sure you have improved its looks and added value even if it didn't leave the factory with that particular stock. I'm not a "purist", I just spent a couple of years looking for a nice Viscount and passing on Trackers, so that may explain my reaction to the thought of sacrificing a perfectly good Viscount to make a Tracker look-alike which would still have "Viscount" engraved across the top in big letters to proclaim that it wasn't a Tracker. Personally I think the Viscount is a very elegant rifle, particularly the walnut stock version; you don't see that many of them, and in my view it would be a shame to alter it to look like a Tracker when there are still real Trackers to be found more cheaply than Viscounts. But we all have different ideas as to what makes a good-looking rifle.

If you really want a Tracker, sell the Viscount as is and buy a Tracker! The right one will turn up. It's completely up to you. It's just my opinion. But if you buy that tyro stocked Tracker and sand down the stock to turn it into a sporter I don't want to hear!

[Josie & John]

Just to confuse matters, the last of the 'Viscounts' were engraved WEBLEY TRACKER and had long Viscount barrels!

John

[look no hands]

Of course it is; so is mine, and probably most people's. You have every right to do what you want with them, I was just responding to the moral question you posed as I can't help with the others!

I have no problem with your putting the Viscount in a walnut stock. That's exactly what Webley did for their deluxe model. By so doing I'm sure you have improved its looks and added value even if it didn't leave the factory with that particular stock. I'm not a "purist", I just spent a couple of years looking for a nice Viscount and passing on Trackers, so that may explain my reaction to the thought of sacrificing a perfectly good Viscount to make a Tracker look-alike which would still have "Viscount" engraved across the top in big letters to proclaim that it wasn't a Tracker. Personally I think the Viscount is a very elegant rifle, particularly the walnut stock version; you don't see that many of them, and in my view it would be a shame to alter it to look like a Tracker when there are still real Trackers to be found more cheaply than Viscounts. But we all have different ideas as to what makes a good-looking rifle.

If you really want a Tracker, sell the Viscount as is and buy a Tracker! The right one will turn up. It's completely up to you. It's just my opinion. But if you buy that tyro stocked Tracker and sand down the stock to turn it into a sporter I don't want to hear!

I get where you're coming from and I don't think I have the heart to chop the barrel on the Viscount, I apologise if I sounded a bit abrupt when I said about my collection, to be honest the longer barrel is growing on me, I just have to get into my head that these rifles are now getting hard to get and in theory I should count myself lucky I found one in the first place (not that I was looking for a Viscount).

[Mr Pusk]

No worries, I'm glad you're coming round to it. It may not have been what you were looking for, but it may have been a stroke of luck.

[ashf9999]

Just to confuse matters, the last of the 'Viscounts' were engraved WEBLEY TRACKER and had long Viscount barrels!

John

Ahhhhhhhh. That's interesting. But Viscount safety?

[MDriskill]

I have to jump on the bandwagon here: YES to the deluxe stock, NO to barrel surgery. The Viscount is not just rare-ish, but uniquely elegant in styling to my eye. Also, the muzzle of both rifles is turned down to a smaller diameter to accept the standard Webley front sight of the day, with another wrinkle on the Tracker being the O-ring groove to hold the muzzle weight on. So truly turning a Viscount into a Tracker is more than a simple barrel chop.

I had a chance to examine one of the oddball long-barreled Trackers, and found its barrel was actually an inch or so shorter than a true Viscount. It would be interesting to know the real story behind those! A batch made for a particular distributor, or maybe Webley was just clearing out the parts bins?

Re: the Xocet tuning kit - I don't really know, but note the Viscount/Tracker receiver tube is smaller in diameter than the Vulcan/Victor/C1 etc. barrel-cockers of the day, so I would guess the internals are also different.

[Thegreg]

I had a chance to examine one of the oddball long-barreled Trackers, and found its barrel was actually an inch or so shorter than a true Viscount. It would be interesting to know the real story behind those! A batch made for a particular distributor, or maybe Webley was just clearing out the parts bins?

Absolutely spot on! The “standard” Tracker was 17.5”, the Viscount 18.5”. Notice the word standard there does actually describe what people know as the “long barreled” Tracker, when actually the Tracker we are all familiar with is the Tracker Carbine. From what I gather, the standard (17.5”) Tracker was dropped very early on, presumably because the carbine significantly outsold it. The carbine then became the new standard Tracker. I believe the long barreled variant was brought back in very late production, as has been suggested maybe using up surplus parts.

It’s always puzzled me why the Viscount was even made. They obviously didn’t sell well as a Viscount or long barreled Tracker. I have an advert from the 80’s showing the standard Tracker, carbine Tracker and Viscount all together on one page, with the barrel lengths listed.

Cheers
Greg

[MDriskill]

Thanks! That's extremely interesting, and clears up one of those small but lingering airgun mysteries inhabiting my tiny brain, LOL.

I'd really like to see that catalog page if possible.

[PCPShooter]

Absolutely spot on! The “standard” Tracker was 17.5”, the Viscount 18.5”. Notice the word standard there does actually describe what people know as the “long barreled” Tracker, when actually the Tracker we are all familiar with is the Tracker Carbine. From what I gather, the standard (17.5”) Tracker was dropped very early on, presumably because the carbine significantly outsold it. The carbine then became the new standard Tracker. I believe the long barreled variant was brought back in very late production, as has been suggested maybe using up surplus parts.

It’s always puzzled me why the Viscount was even made. They obviously didn’t sell well as a Viscount or long barreled Tracker. I have an advert from the 80’s showing the standard Tracker, carbine Tracker and Viscount all together on one page, with the barrel lengths listed.

Cheers
Greg

From the days when barrel length and power were 'confused' (HW35E) .....