Webley r.i.c.

[lovestoshoot]

Wonderign if anyone out there may be able to help me with some questions about a webley R.I.C. the gun is a short barreled revolver. On the top of the gun the words ARMY & NAVY is engraved and on the other side of the top the letters C.S.L. is engraved. The gun still shoots the original .455 caliber round. It also has several sysmbols stamped on the barrel, I'm not sure what the markings stand for but they are stamped on the barrel and cylinder. The serial numbers match on the gun frame and cylinder. On the side of the frame there is some sort of winged sysmbol and underneath the word webley R.I.C. model 83 5 shot. I did some research and found that serial numbers had exceeded 96,000 by the year 1919 and the serial number on this gun is in the 80,000 range. So I'm trying to find out the year in which the gun was made and possibly an estimated value of the gun.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Army & Navy marked guns were sold to soldiers and sailors at a discount (kind of the British version of the PX) and are often less fancy grades of arms sold by top line makers. It was once possible to find A&N marked double rifles and shotguns at a relative 'bargain' price. The A&N mark proves it's 'private property' rather than an issued weapon.

The winged bullet was Webly's logo. You should have a number of British proof marks in addition. RIC stands for Royal Irish Constabulary, which were often copied by Belgian and Spanish makers as a "Bulldog" style revolver.

Some Khyber pass made weapons duplicate ALL markings but the winged bullet suggest it's the real deal.

 

[lovestoshoot]

Thanks for the information it's certainly helpful, not sure what you mean by A&N mark but I can find no such mark on this gun. I have found some pictures of the duplicated bulldogs, but the gun I have has slight differences here and there. Such as a slightly more curved trigger. But I can't find an exact picture any where to compare it to. Have any idea what the C.S.L. engraved on the top of the barrel means?

 

[Jim K]

That is really all one marking, "Army & Navy Co-operative Society, Limited." As Dr.Rob says, it was a sort of outiftters for British officers. Unlike the American Post Exchanges, which are run by the military departments, the A&N CSL was a private enterprise, as the "Limited" indicates. It was common for British gun makers to sell their guns with no maker's marking so the retailer could have his name engraved on the gun.

RIC does mean Royal Irish Constabulary, but the designation was used by Webley's for a line of revolvers of a general type, not just for those purchased for use for the RIC. In general RIC revolvers will be solid frame and of large caliber, with short barrels.

Jim