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Webley Revolver

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Webley Mk VI Revolver
TypeService Revolver
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In service1887–1947
Used byUnited Kingdom & Colonies, British Commonwealth,
WarsWorld War I, World War II, Korean War, British colonial conflicts, numerous others
Production history
DesignerWebley & Scott
Designed1887
ManufacturerWebley & Scott, RSAF Enfield
Produced1887–1923
No. builtapprox 125,000
Specifications
Mass2.4 lb (1.1 kg), unloaded
Length11.25 in. (286 mm)
Cartridge.455 Webley Mk II
Calibre.455 Webley
ActionDouble Action revolver
Rate of fire20–30 rounds/minute
Muzzle velocity620 ft/s (190 m/s)
Effective firing range50 yd
Maximum firing range300 yd
Feed system6-round cylinder
Sightsfixed front post and rear notch

The Webley Revolver (also known/referred to as the Webley Break-Top Revolver or Webley Self-Extracting Revolver) was, in various marks, the standard issue service pistol for the armed forces of the United Kingdom, the British Empire, and the Commonwealth from 1887 until 1963.

The Webley service revolver was most notably used in World War I (as the Webley Mk VI), although it had actually been adopted in 1887 (as the Webley Mk I) and risen to prominence during the Boer War of 1899–1902 (as the Webley Mk IV), and were of the "top-break" variety, with the advantage of also being self-extracting; breaking the revolver open for reloading also operates the extractor, removing the spent cartridges from the cylinder.

Firing the .455 Webley cartridge, the Webley service revolvers are among the most powerful top-break revolvers ever produced. Although the .455 calibre Webley is no longer in military service, the .38/200 Webley Mk IV variant is still sporadically in use as a police sidearm in a number of countries.[1]

History

Webley Mark VI .455 service revolver.
Close up of the cylinder—including thumb catch—on a Webley Mk VI service revolver.

The British company Webley and Scott (formerly P. Webley & Son) produced a range of revolvers from the late 19th to late 20th centuries. The best-known are the range of military revolvers in service use across two World Wars and numerous colonial conflicts, but Webley & Scott also produced a number of short-barrel solid-frame revolvers, including the Webley RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) model and the British Bulldog, designed to be carried in a coat pocket for self-defence. In 1887, the British Army was searching for a revolver to replace the largely unsatisfactory Enfield Mk I & Mk II Revolvers, and Webley & Scott, who were already very well known as makers of quality guns and had sold many pistols on a commercial basis to military officers and civilians alike, tendered the .455 calibre Webley Self-Extracting Revolver for trials.

The military was suitably impressed with the revolver (seen as a vast improvement over the Enfield revolvers then in service, which lacked a practical extraction system), and it was adopted on November 8th, 1887 as the "Pistol, Webley, Mk I".[2]The initial contract called for 10,000 Webley revolvers, at a price of £3/1/1- each, with at least 2,000 revolvers to be supplied within eight months.[3] The Webley revolver went through a number of changes, culminating in the Mk VI, which was in production between 1915 and 1923, finally being retired in 1947, although the Webley Mk IV .38/200 remained in service until 1963 alongside the Enfield No 2 Mk I revolver. Commercial versions of all Webley service revolvers were also sold on the civilian market, along with a number of similar designs (such as the Webley-Government and Webley-Wilkinson) that were not officially adopted for service, but were nonetheless purchased privately by military officers.

Webley revolvers in military service

.455in SAA Ball ammunition.

Boer War

The Webley Mk IV, chambered in .455 Webley, was introduced in 1899 and soon became known as the "Boer War Model",[4] on account of its purchase by large numbers of officers and NCOs on their way to take part in the conflict. The Webley Mk IV served alongside a large number of other handguns, including the Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" (as used by Winston Churchill during the War), earlier Beaumont-Adams cartridge revolvers, and other top-break revolvers manufactured by gunmakers such as William Tranter, and Kynoch.

World War I

The standard-issue Webley revolver at the outbreak of World War I was the Webley Mk V (adopted December 9 1913[5]), but there were considerably more Mk IV revolvers in service in 1914[6], as the initial order for 20,000 Mk V revolvers had not been completed when hostilities began [7]. On May 24th 1915, the Webley Mk VI was adopted as the standard sidearm for British and Commonwealth troops[8] and remained so for the duration of World War I, being issued to officers, airmen, naval crews, boarding parties, trench raiders, machine-gun teams, and tank crews. The Mk VI proved to be a very reliable and hardy weapon, well suited to the mud and adverse conditions of trench warfare, and several accessories were developed for the Mk VI, including a bayonet (made from a converted French Pritchard bayonet)[9], a speedloader device ("Prideaux Device")[10], and a stock allowing for the revolver to be converted into a carbine.[11]

World War II

File:.380RevolverMkIIz Cartridges.JPG
A box of World War II dated .380" Revolver Mk IIz cartridges (and cartridges)

The official service pistol for the British military during World War II was the Enfield No. 2 Mk I .38/200 calibre revolver[12] but owing to a critical shortage of handguns, a number of other weapons were also adopted (first practically, then officially) to alleviate the shortage. As a result, both the Webley Mk IV in .38/200 and the .455 calibre Webley Mk VI were issued to personnel during the war.[13]

Post-War

The Webley Mk VI (.455) and Mk IV (.38/200) revolver were still issued to British and Commonwealth Forces after World War II, as there were now extensive stockpiles of the revolvers in military stores, although, as an armourer stationed in West Germany recalled (admittedly tongue-in-cheek) that by the time they were officially retired in 1963, the ammunition allowance was "two cartridges per man, per year", and that the lack of ammunition was what kept the Enfield and Webley revolvers in use so long—they were not wearing out, since they were not being used.[14] The Webley Mk IV .38 revolver was not completely phased out in favour of the Browning Hi-Power until 1963, and saw combat in the Korean war, the Suez Crisis, Malayan Emergency, and the Rhodesian Bush War. Many Enfield No 2 Mk I revolvers were still floating about in British Military service as late as 1970.[15].

Police use

The Royal Hong Kong Police and Royal Singaporean Police were issued Webley Mk III & Mk IV .38/200 revolvers from the 1930s (rather unusually, Singaporean police Webleys featured safety catches), and which were gradually retired in the 1970s as they came in for repair and replaced with Smith & Wesson Model 10 .38 revolvers. The London Metropolitan Police were also known to use Webley revolvers, as were most colonial police units until just after World War II, and there may still be some police units with Webley Mk IV revolvers that, whilst not issued, are still present in the armoury.

The Ordnance Factory Board of India still manufactures .380 Revolver Mk IIz cartridges,[16] as well as a .32 calibre revolver with 2" barrel that is clearly based on the Webley Mk IV .38 service pistol.[17]

Military service .455 Webley revolver marks and models

There were six different marks of .455 calibre Webley service revolver approved for British military service at various times between 1887 and the end of World War I:

  • Mk I The first Webley self-extracting revolver adopted for service, officially adopted November 8, 1887, with a 4 inch barrel and "bird's beak" style grips.
  • Mk II Similar to the Mk I, with modifications to the hammer and grip shape, as well as a hardened steel shield for the blast-shield. Officially adopted May 21, 1895, with a 4 inch barrel.[18]
  • Mk III Identical to Mk II, but with modifications to the cylinder cam and related parts. Officially adopted October 5, 1897, but never issued.[19]
  • Mk IV The "Boer War" Model. Manufactured using much higher quality steel and case hardened parts, with the cylinder axis being a fixed part of the barrel and modifications to various other parts, including a re-designed blast-shield. Officially adopted July 21, 1899, with a 4 inch barrel.[20]
  • Mk V Similar to the Mk IV, but with chambers 0.12" wider to allow for the use of nitrocellulose propellant-based cartridges. Officially adopted December 9, 1913, with a 4 inch barrel, although some models produced in 1915 had 5 inch and 6 inch barrels.[21]
  • Mk VI Similar to the Mk V, but with a squared-off "target" style grip (as opposed to the "bird's-beak" style found on earlier marks and models) and 6" barrel. Officially adopted May 24, 1915,[22] and also manufactured by RSAF Enfield under the designation Pistol, Revolver, Webley, No 1 Mk VI from 1921-1926.[23]

The Webley Mk IV .38/200 Service Revolver

Webley Mk IV .38/200 Service Revolver
TypeService Revolver
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In service1932–1963
Used byUnited Kingdom & Colonies, British Commonwealth,
WarsWorld War II, Korean War, British colonial conflicts, numerous others
Production history
DesignerWebley & Scott
Designed1932
ManufacturerWebley & Scott
Produced1932–1978
No. builtapprox 500,000
Specifications
Mass2.4 lb (1.1 kg), unloaded
Length10.25in. (266 mm)
Cartridge.380" Revolver Mk IIz
Calibre.38/200
ActionDouble Action revolver
Rate of fire20–30 rounds/minute
Muzzle velocity620 ft/s (190 m/s)
Effective firing range50 yd
Maximum firing range300 yd
Feed system6-round cylinder
Sightsfixed front post and rear notch

At the end of World War I, the British military decided that the .455 calibre was too large a calibre for modern military use, and decided after numerous tests and extensive trials that a pistol in .38 calibre , firing a 200-grain (13g) bullet, would be just as effective as the .455 at stopping an enemy.[24]

Webley & Scott immediately tendered the .38/200 calibre Webley Mk IV revolver, which was both nearly identical in appearance to the .455 calibre Mk VI revolver (albeit scaled down for the smaller cartridge) and based on their .38 calibre Webley Mk III pistol, designed for the police and civilian markets.[25] Much to their surprise, the British Government took the design to the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock, which used the design, and came up with a revolver that was externally very similar looking to the .38/200 calibre Webley Mk IV , but was internally different enough that no parts from the Webley could be used in the Enfield and vice-versa. The Enfield-designed pistol was quickly accepted under the designation Revolver, No 2 Mk I, and was adopted in 1932,[26] followed in 1938 by the Mk I* (spurless hammer, double action only),[27] and finally the Mk I** (simplified for wartime production) in 1942.[28].

Webley & Scott sued the British Government over the incident, claiming £2250 as "costs involved in the research and design" of the revolver. This was contested by RSAF Enfield, which quite firmly stated that the Enfield No. 2 Mk I was designed by Captain Boys (the Assistant Superintendent of Design, later of Boys Anti-Tank Rifle fame) with assistance from Webley & Scott, and not the other way around. Accordingly, their claim was denied. By way of compensation, the Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors eventually awarded Webley & Scott £1250 for their work.[29]

File:Webley Military Mark IV 1793.jpg
Webley Mk IV .38/200 revolver.
File:Revolver Enfield No2 Mk I.jpg
An Enfield No 2 Mk I revolver—clearly based on the Webley revolver, if not an outright copy.

Other well-known Webley Revolvers

Whilst the top-break, self-extracting revolvers used by the British and Commonwealth militaries are the best-known examples of Webley Revolvers, the company produced a number of other highly popular revolvers largely intended for the police and civilian markets.

Webley RIC

The Webley RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) model was Webley's first double-action revolver, and adopted by the Royal Irish Constabulary in 1868,[30] hence the name. It was a solid frame, gate-loaded revolver, chambered in .442 Webley, and General George Armstrong Custer was known to have owned a pair, which he used at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876.[31][32]

British Bulldog

A non-firing replica of a Webley "British Bulldog" revolver.

The British Bulldog series of revolvers were an enormously successful solid frame design featuring a 2.5" barrel and chambered in a variety of heavy-duty calibres, including .442 Webley and .450 Adams. They were designed to be carried in a coat pocket or kept in a night-stand, and great numbers have survived to the present day in surprisingly good condition, as they saw little actual use.[33] Numerous copies of this design were made in France and Belgium (primarily the latter) during the late 19th and early 20th centuries,[34] and they remained reasonably popular until World War II. They are now generally sought after as collector's pieces, especially as ammunition for them is (for the most part) no longer commercially available.

Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver

Further information: Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver

A highly unusual example of an "automatic revolver", the Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver was produced between 1900 and 1915, and available in both a six-shot .455 Webley version, and an eight-shot .38 ACP (not to be confused with .380 ACP) version.[35] Unusually for a revolver, the Webley-Fosbery had a safety catch, and the light trigger pull, solid design, and reputation for accuracy ensured that the Webley-Fosbery remained popular with target shooters long after production had finished.[36]

Cultural influence

File:ZuluWebley.JPG
Lt. Gonville Bromhead (Michael Caine) takes aim with a Webley Mk VI in the 1964 film Zulu. The Webley Mk VI was not yet developed when the film was set, but is typical of revolvers of the period and can be seen as an example of artistic licence.

Webley Revolvers often serve as a stereotypical British revolver in film and television—their appearance in the film Zulu, for example, is an anachronism, as the film is set in 1879 and the Webley Mk VI revolvers shown in use by the British officers were not introduced until 1915, but the Mk VI is based on designs from around the period in which the film is set, and can thus be seen as a stand-in for the historically correct (but more difficult to obtain) Beaumont-Adams Revolver.

Notes

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Webley-Mk-VI.
  1. ^ Historic firearm of the month, 1999, Cruffler.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-02
  2. ^ § 6075, List of Changes in British War Material (hereafter referred to as "LoC"), H.M. Stationer's Office, periodical
  3. ^ Skennerton, Ian: "Small Arms Identification Series No. 9: .455 Pistol, Revolver No 1 Mk VI", page 6. Arms & Militaria Press, 1997
  4. ^ Maze, Robert J: "Howdah to High Power", page 44. Excalibur Publications, 2002
  5. ^ Dowell, William Chipchase: "The Webley Story", page 115. Commonwealth Heritage Foundation, 1987
  6. ^ Dowell, William Chipchase: "The Webley Story", page 114. Commonwealth Heritage Foundation, 1987
  7. ^ Dowell, William Chipchase: "The Webley Story", page 115. Commonwealth Heritage Foundation, 1987
  8. ^ Dowell, William Chipchase: "The Webley Story", page 115. Commonwealth Heritage Foundation, 1987
  9. ^ Dowell, William Chipchase: "The Webley Story", page 116. Commonwealth Heritage Foundation, 1987
  10. ^ Dowell, William Chipchase: "The Webley Story", page 178. Commonwealth Heritage Foundation, 1987
  11. ^ Maze, Robert J: "Howdah to High Power", page 49. Excalibur Publications, 2002
  12. ^ Smith, W.H.B: "1943 Basic Manual of Military Small Arms" (Facsimile), page 11. Stackpole Books, 1979.
  13. ^ Stamps, Mark & Skennerton, Ian: ".380 Enfield Revolver No. 2", page 87. Greenhill Books, 1993.
  14. ^ Stamps, Mark & Skennerton, Ian: .380 Enfield Revolver No. 2, page 117. Greenhill Books, 1993.
  15. ^ Stamps, Mark & Skennerton, Ian: ".380 Enfield Revolver No. 2", page 119. Greenhill Books, 1993
  16. ^ "CARTRIDGE SA .380" BALL REVOLVER". Indian Ordinance Factories. Retrieved 2006-08-03.
  17. ^ "Revolver 32 (7.65 mm x 23)". Indian Ordinance Factories. Retrieved 2006-08-03. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  18. ^ § 7816, LoC
  19. ^ § 9039, LoC
  20. ^ § 9787, LoC
  21. ^ § 16783, LoC
  22. ^ § 17319, LoC
  23. ^ Skennerton, Ian: "Small Arms Identification Series No. 9: .455 Pistol, Revolver No 1 Mk VI", page 10. Arms & Militaria Press, 1997
  24. ^ Stamps, Mark & Skennerton, Ian: ".380 Enfield Revolver No. 2", page 9. Greenhill Books, 1993; Smith, W.H.B: "1943 Basic Manual of Military Small Arms" (Facsimile), page 11. Stackpole Books, 1979.
  25. ^ Maze, Robert J: "Howdah to High Power", page 103. Excalibur Publications, 2002
  26. ^ § A6862, LoC
  27. ^ § B2289, LoC
  28. ^ § B6712, LoC
  29. ^ Stamps Mark & Skennerton, Ian: ".380 Enfield Revolver No. 2", page 12. Greenhill Books, 1993.
  30. ^ Maze, Robert J: "Howdah to High Power", page 30. Excalibur Publications, 2002
  31. ^ Doerner, John A. "Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn". Retrieved 2006-08-03.
  32. ^ Gallear, Mark (2001). "GUNS AT THE LITTLE BIGHORN". ENGLISH WESTERNERS' SOCIETY. Retrieved 2006-08-03.
  33. ^ Ficken, H.R. "Webley's The British Bull Dog Revolver, Serial Numbering and Variations". Retrieved 2006-08-03.
  34. ^ Kekkonen, P.T. "British Bulldog revolver". Gunwriters. Retrieved 2006-08-03.
  35. ^ Dowell, William Chipchase: "The Webley Story", page 128. Commonwealth Heritage Foundation, 1987
  36. ^ Maze, Robert J: "Howdah to High Power", page 78. Excalibur Publications, 2002

References

  • Dowell, William Chipchase: The Webley Story. Commonwealth Heritage Foundation, WA (USA), 1987. ISBN 0-939683-04-0
  • H.M. Stationer's Office: List of Changes in British War Material, H.M.S.O, London (UK), Periodical
  • Maze, Robert J: Howdah to High Power. Excalibur Publications, Tucson AZ (USA), 2002. ISBN 1-880677-17-2
  • Skennerton, Ian: Small Arms Identification Series No. 9: .455 Pistol, Revolver No 1 Mk VI Arms & Militaria Press, Gold Coast QLD (Australia), 1997. ISBN 0-949749-30-3
  • Smith, W.H.B: 1943 Basic Manual of Military Small Arms (Facsimile). Stackpole Books, Harrisburg PA (USA), 1979. ISBN 0-8117-1699-6
  • Stamps, Mark & Skennerton, Ian: .380 Enfield Revolver No. 2. Greenhill Books, London (UK), 1993. ISBN 1-85367-139-8
  • Wilson, Royce: "A Tale of Two Collectables". Australian Shooter Magazine, March 2006

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