The Un-Ugly Webleys

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Vern Humphrey said:
Shaving is a bad idea. Why not simply get a supply of proper brass and handload?
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I'm guessing a shaved one would be a bit cheaper than unshaved. The way milsurp prices are going I don't think I could bring myself to put too many rounds through an unmolested one.
 
Vern Humphrey said:
If I found a shaved Webley, I'd check it out VERY carefully -- who knows what kind of .45 ammo has been shot in that gun?
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Agreed. I found one last year and it had clearly been shot alot with full power 45 ACP, The hing and latch were shot lose. That condition coupled with a $750 price tag and I did not even bother to counter offer the pawn shop. I just said not interested and walked away. One of these days a relatively low mileage Mark VI (shaved or not) will turn up and when it does I will scoop it up.
 
I have a pristine 1915 stamped Mark V , I like the 4" barrel and birds head grip. I fired it a few hundred times in last 25 years. I would not be afraid to take it to see the elephant . I matched it with a 1915 DMW 9mm Luger. The latter mark Vi have is it. Has not loosened much with quite a few Auto Rims thru it although it served under mattress duty with full moon Black Talons back in the 80s+
 
somethingbenign said:
I'm guessing a shaved one would be a bit cheaper than unshaved. The way milsurp prices are going I don't think I could bring myself to put too many rounds through an unmolested one.
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IIRC, a few years ago, some outfit was offering to UNshave Webleys, by adding properly shaped plates, pinned into place, to the back of the cylinder and extractor star. I have no idea if they made a go of it, or how good their work was.

It has always been surprising to me, given how much of an overload the 45 ACP is in a 455 Webley, that we do not hear more stories about them bursting. I can't think of any, first or second hand. Quite a tribute to Webley's quality of manufacture.
 
It's very rare for a Webley to burst when used with .45 ACP. It's very common for them to become loose as the metal stretches under the pounding and go out of time. When that progresses far enough, the gun is toast, unrepairable.
 
I didn't realized the pressure difference in the two cartridges until today. With that knowledge then I'd probably just handload the 455. Would the 455 be able to run with moons in a shaved webley? No reason in dreaming too much since the odds of a nice Webly falling in my lap are few and far but that won't stop me.
 
somethingbenign said:
I didn't realized the pressure difference in the two cartridges until today. With that knowledge then I'd probably just handload the 455. Would the 455 be able to run with moons in a shaved webley? No reason in dreaming too much since the odds of a nice Webly falling in my lap are few and far but that won't stop me.
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A shaved Webley runs with 45 ACP on 625 moonclips. Just down load it to 455 Webley pressure levels. You can also run 45 Auto Rim without moonclips, again downloaded to 455 Webley pressure levels.

A good gunsmith can make a washer with the profile of the cylinder that he can silver solder to the cylinder. It will the properly head-space 455 Webley again. The ejector will be short by the shaved thickness but it will still work. You might be able to find a spare ejector later that was never shaved to replace it with.
 
Jim NE said:
They all look pretty cool to me because of their historical significance, but yes, some Webleys have lines and contours that don't flow very well. I actually like the looks of the less expensive .38's, though, (mark III??) and might like to own one, if I could shoot it. Are people actually shooting their ultra expensive 100 year old Webleys?
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My very near daily carry is a Colt Army Special that was made in 1919 and on special occasions like a BBQ a New Service also made in 1919. Another is a Colt Police positive from 1926. And on around home days when 4 rounds is enough and the most likely threat is a rattle snake a Smith & Wesson DA Model 4 made in 1903 or so gets carried. Pretty often one of the Smith & Wesson Brazilian Contract 1917s that were made in 1937 gets to see sunlight and fresh air.

Experience counts and my Webley would be the least experienced of the batch. Just cause we are all old does not mean we shouldn't get to go walkabout. Not only that, they remind me that I'm still younger than they are and so should work as well.

I don't.
 
While mine isn't a true Webley ( It's an Enfield Mk VI in .455. And it has been shaved,) It's still a beautiful gun.

Le5Ps7N.jpg


I do have a spacer that a guy on Flea Bay was selling for $20.00 to allow it to use .455 Mk II ammo again. I load my own ammo using 4 grains of Bullseye under a .454 dia projectile that weighs in at 255 grains that I get from Buffalo Arms

hor12458.jpg
 
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Not ugly, just interesting, unusual, etc. looking to me. I enjoyed shooting an old friend's MK VI years ago. After he passed away, I purchased the old gun from his estate. The fact that it is "shaved" and brass is easily available, offends me not at all. I shoot it occasionally with light loads in ACP or Auto Rim brass. The hundred year old gun has nice chambers and bore, and functions as it should. I wondered if it would even stay on the paper at 15 yards, but did much better than I expected.
Webley Svc. Rev. (800x600).jpg
Webley MKVI at 15yds..JPG

BTW, That is some Webley collection lewwallace!
 
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You guys realize the Mark V was proofed to same load as Mk VI right ? In my eyes and handling they are the supreme military Webley . The VI generally not as "high" a finish and the longer barrel needed the square grip where the 4" is wonderful with the Birds head :) of course the finish of a military Webley is not anywhere the watch work of various commercial renditions .
 
Gordon said:
You guys realize the Mark V was proofed to same load as Mk VI right ? In my eyes and handling they are the supreme military Webley . The VI generally not as "high" a finish and the longer barrel needed the square grip where the 4" is wonderful with the Birds head :) of course the finish of a military Webley is not anywhere the watch work of various commercial renditions .
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From a shoot-ability I think I would prefer the birds-head grip of a V over the sqaure grip of a VI but I am less concerned about finish. I would almost prefer the war finish only because then I would not worry about damaging the finish. I am not a big collector of safe-queen and more a collector of shooters.
 
mcb, the only guns w/the designated 'war finish' were the Mk IVs. The VIs were the standard Webley factory blue.
 
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