#WEBLEY AIR GUN SERIAL NUMBERS CODE#
#WEBLEY AIR GUN SERIAL NUMBERS SERIES#

I have quite a few boxed Webley air pistols and always line the bottom of the box with a baize material to prevent the discoloration and pitting you describe if the pistol rests directly on the bottom of the cardboard box. Unfortunately, a lot of Webley pistols have had the grips damaged as the owners obviously didn't realise how vulnerable they were when being removed or replaced.

#WEBLEY AIR GUN SERIAL NUMBERS SERIES#

I keep hoping to find a junker Webley Senior with good grips at a reasonable price while attending gun shows.ДЄs you are probably aware the 'A' Series Premier is probably the most sought after 'Premier' and one of the rarest. I have been unsuccessful in finding a pair of the brown grips that the A series came with. The side resting on the cardboard developed a few pits otherwise, the finish is in very good shape. Unfortunately, both grips had small chips out of them and it had been stored for many years in the box. I purchased a boxed Webley 4 pin 'A' Premier at a Vancouver Island gun show a few months back. I collect pre-alloy Webley air pistols, but do have a few alloy examples. Gab wrote:Thank you Certus! Another interesting post. It would be great to see some pictures and hear about the air pistols owned by other members of the forum.

I have tried to share something of the development of вЂњMade in EnglandвЂќ spring air pistols in this and earlier posts from 1910 until 1975 using examples from my own collection. I donвЂ™t profess to be an expert on collectable air pistols so my apologies for any inaccuracies that may have crept in during the preparation of these posts which I hope have been of some interest. My personal interest in Webley air pistols lessened with demise of the all steel models but Webley continued producing new alloy framed models such as the вЂњTyphoonвЂќ, вЂњHurricaneвЂќ and вЂњTempestвЂќ from the mid-seventies until the company went into liquidation in 2006. вЂњPremierвЂќ values vary depending on series with the earlier (A-C) variants being the most expensive ranging from ВЈ130-ВЈ180 unboxed. The post-war вЂњSeniorsвЂќ are more sought after and nice examples fetch ВЈ150-ВЈ200 again unboxed. Post-war Slant Grip Mk1s are not especially rare and can usually be bought for under ВЈ100 unboxed. Great care is necessary when easing the grips from the frame to avoid this happening. Many Webley air pistols are found with a chip at the bottom rear corner of the grip where the little locating pin on the frame locates. RARE FOUR PIN 'A' SERIES WEBLEY 'PREMIER' The post-war вЂњJuniorвЂќ was the first model to utilise the more modern manufacturing methods when the Mk2 was introduced in 1973. The all steel 'Premiers' were made between 1964-1975 after which Webley had completely changed their manufacturing processes and materials replacing machined steel with mainly cast alloy and traditional blueing with a black epoxy enamel coating. It was still a high quality all steel pistol available in both calibres but underwent a number of minor changes during its development with each being identified by a letter A-F usually stamped below the trigger guard on the left hand side of the frame. The 'Premier' was basically a вЂњSeniorвЂќ which retained the trigger adjustment screw from the Mk1. In 1964 Webley consolidated the best features of the Mk1 and theвЂќ SeniorвЂќ into one pistol to be called theвЂќ PremierвЂќ rather than marketing two similarly performing pistols. Note fairly crude engraving applied by Webley apprentices to mask minor casting blemishes.

#WEBLEY AIR GUN SERIAL NUMBERS CODE#

One general dating aid is provided by the address stamped on the side of the pistols which included the вЂњB4вЂќ postal code before 1958 after which the factory relocated from their Weaman Street premises. Unfortunately, Webley abandoned the practice of serial numbering their products after the war and replaced it with a batch numbering system which made it difficult for collectors to readily identify manufacturing dates. All three pistols also now carried the Webley name moulded into the grips. These changes were mainly limited to the replacement of tin grips with plastic grips and the re-introduction of a vertically adjustable rear sight on the вЂњJuniorвЂќ and the addition of 'splines' or вЂњknurlingвЂќ to the barrels of the Mk1 and theвЂќ SeniorвЂќ respectively. The same three models, Mk1, вЂњSeniorвЂќ and вЂњJuniorвЂќ were produced with relatively minor changes up until 1964. Webley were fully engaged in supporting the war effort between 1939 -1945 but soon resumed commercial production of air pistols immediately after hostilities had ceased. This is the final post in a series to briefly outline the development of Webley air pistols from their beginning in 1924 to the changeover from all steel to alloy frames in the mid-1970s.

Webley air gun serial numbers