Webley Revolver

Webley Mk VI Revolver
Type	Service Revolver
Place of origin	British Empire
Service history
In service	1887–1963
Used by	See Users
Wars	First World War, Second World War, Korean War, British colonial conflicts, numerous others
Production history
Designer	Webley & Scott
Designed	1887
Manufacturer	Webley & Scott, RSAF Enfield
Produced	1887–1923
Number built	approx 125,000
Specifications
Weight	2.4 lb (1.1 kg), unloaded
Length	11.25 in. (286 mm)
Cartridge	.455 Webley Mk II
Calibre	.455 Webley
Action	Double Action revolver
Rate of fire	20–30 rounds/minute
Muzzle velocity	620 ft/s (190 m/s)
Effective range	50 yd
Feed system	6-round cylinder
Sights	Fixed front blade and rear notch

The Webley Revolver (also known 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 is a top-break revolver with automatic extraction; breaking the revolver open for reloading also operates the extractor, removing the spent cartridges from the cylinder. The Webley Mk I service revolver was adopted in 1887, but it was a later version, the Mk IV, which rose to prominence during the Boer War of 1899–1902. The Mk VI, introduced in 1915 during the First World War, is perhaps the best-known model.

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

History

A Webley Mark I Revolver, circa 1887, from Canada, cal .455 (Mk I) Webley

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 (P. Webley & Son before merger with W & C Scott) produced a range of revolvers from the late 19th to late 20th centuries. Early models such as the Webley-Green army model 1879 and the Webley-Pryse model were first made during the 1870s. The best-known are the range of military revolvers, which were 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 revolver, designed to be carried in a coat pocket for self-defence.

Webley Royal Irish Constabulary Revolver Cal 450 CF

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 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 (it was seen as a vast improvement over the Enfield revolvers then in service, which lacked a practical extraction system), and it was adopted on 8 November 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]

Webley WG (a.k.a. Webley Green) Revolver cal 455/476 (.476 Enfield)

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 to 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 the large numbers of officers and Non-commissioned officers who purchased it 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.

First World War

The standard-issue Webley revolver at the outbreak of the First World War was the Webley Mk V (adopted 9 December 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 24 May 1915, the Webley Mk VI was adopted as the standard sidearm for British and Commonwealth troops^[7] and remained so for the duration of the First World War, 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 Gras bayonet),^[8] a speedloader device ("Prideaux Device"),^[9] and a stock allowing for the revolver to be converted into a carbine.^[10]

Second World War

A box of Second World War dated .380" Revolver Mk IIz cartridges

The official service pistol for the British military during the Second World War was the Enfield No. 2 Mk I .38/200 calibre revolver,^[11] 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.^[12]

Post-war

The Webley Mk VI (.455) and Mk IV (.38/200) revolvers were still issued to British and Commonwealth Forces after the Second World War; there were now extensive stockpiles of the revolvers in military stores. 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." This lack of ammunition was instrumental in keeping the Enfield and Webley revolvers in use so long: they were not wearing out because they were not being used.^[13]

The Webley Mk IV .38 revolver was not completely replaced by 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.^[14]

Police use

IOF .32 Revolver.

The (Royal) Hong Kong Police and Royal Singaporean Police were issued Webley Mk III & Mk IV .38/200 revolvers from the 1930s. Singaporean police Webleys were equipped with safety catches, a rather unusual feature in a revolver. These were gradually retired in the 1970s as they came in for repair, and were 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 the Second World War. 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,^[15] as well as a .32 caliber revolver (also known as IOF Mk1) with 2-inch (51 mm) barrel that is clearly based on the Webley Mk IV .38 service pistol.^[16]

Military service .455 Webley revolver marks and models

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

• Mk I: The first Webley self-extracting revolver adopted for service, officially adopted 8 November 1887, with a 4-inch (100 mm) barrel and "bird's beak" style grips. Mk I* was a factory upgrade of Mk I revolvers to match the Mk II.
• 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 21 May 1895, with a 4-inch (100 mm) barrel.^[17]
• Mk III: Identical to Mk II, but with modifications to the cylinder cam and related parts. Officially adopted 5 October 1897, but never issued.^[18]
• 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 21 July 1899, with a 4-inch (100 mm) barrel.^[19]
• Mk V: Similar to the Mk IV, but with cylinders 0.12-inch (3.0 mm) wider to allow for the use of nitrocellulose propellant-based cartridges. Officially adopted 9 December 1913, with a 4-inch (100 mm) barrel, although some models produced in 1915 had 5-inch (130 mm) and 6-inch (150 mm) barrels.^[20]
• 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 a 6-inch (150 mm) barrel. Officially adopted 24 May 1915,^[21] and also manufactured by RSAF Enfield under the designation Pistol, Revolver, Webley, No. 1 Mk VI from 1921–1926.^[22]

The Webley Mk IV .38/200 Service Revolver

Webley Mk IV .38/200 Service Revolver
Type	Service Revolver
Place of origin	British Empire
Service history
In service	1932–1963
Used by	United Kingdom & Colonies, British Commonwealth,
Wars	Second World War, Korean War, British colonial conflicts, numerous others
Production history
Designer	Webley & Scott
Designed	1932
Manufacturer	Webley & Scott
Produced	1932–1978
Number built	approx 500,000
Specifications
Weight	2.4 lb (1.1 kg), unloaded
Length	10.25in. (266 mm)
Cartridge	.380" Revolver Mk IIz
Calibre	.38/200
Action	Double Action revolver
Rate of fire	20–30 rounds/minute
Muzzle velocity	620 ft/s (190 m/s)
Effective range	50 yd
Maximum range	300 yd
Feed system	6-round cylinder
Sights	fixed front post and rear notch

At the end of the First World War, the British military decided that the .455 calibre gun and cartridge was too large for modern military use, and decided (after numerous tests and extensive trials) that a pistol in .38 calibre , firing a 200-grain (13 g) bullet, would be just as effective as the .455 for stopping an enemy.^[23]

An Enfield No. 2 Mk I revolver—clearly based on the Webley revolver, if not an outright copy.

Webley & Scott immediately tendered the .38/200 calibre Webley Mk IV revolver, which as well as being nearly identical in appearance to the .455 calibre Mk VI revolver (albeit scaled down for the smaller cartridge), was based on their .38 calibre Webley Mk III pistol, designed for the police and civilian markets.^[24] Much to their surprise, the British Government took the design to the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock, which 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,^[25] followed in 1938 by the Mk I* (spurless hammer, double action only),^[26] and finally the Mk I** (simplified for wartime production) in 1942.^[27]

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.^[28]

RSAF Enfield proved unable to manufacture enough No. 2 revolvers to meet the military's wartime demands, and as a result Webley's Mk IV was also adopted as a standard sidearm for the British Army.

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 RIC in 1868,^[29] hence the name. It was a solid frame, gate-loaded revolver, chambered in .442 Webley. General George Armstrong Custer was known to have owned a pair, which he used at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876.^[30][31]

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-inch (64 mm) 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 on a night-stand, and great numbers have survived to the present day in good condition, having seen little actual use.^[32] Numerous copies of this design were made in France and Belgium (primarily the latter) during the late 19th and early 20th centuries,^[33] and they remained reasonably popular until the Second World War. 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

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.^[34] 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.^[35][36]

Cultural impact

Copy of Webley Pocket Pistol in .38 S&W, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan

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.

Users

• Commonwealth of Nations^[37]
• United Kingdom^[37]

Notes

References

• Dowell, William Chipchase, The Webley Story, Commonwealth Heritage Foundation, Kirkland, 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: A Century of Breechloading Service Pistols (1867–1967), Excalibur Publications, Tucson, AZ (USA), 2002. ISBN 1-880677-17-2.
• Skennerton, Ian D., 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 D., .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.
• Gerard Henrotin, Webley Service Revolvers, H&L Publishing (Belgium), 2007

External links

• The Weapons Collection: Pistols Revolver, REME Museum of Technology.
• Historical Overview of the Webley Mk 4 Revolver from American Rifleman