Webley revolver

Webley revolver
general information
Military designation:	Webley Mk. VI
Country of operation:	Great Britain , Commonwealth countries
Developer / Manufacturer:	Webley & Scott, Birmingham
Manufacturer country:	Great Britain
Production time:	1915 to 1921
Weapon Category:	revolver
Furnishing
Overall length:	286 mm
Weight: (unloaded)	1.1 kg
Barrel length :	152 mm
Technical specifications
Caliber :	.455 Webley (11.6 × 19mm R)
Possible magazine fillings :	6 cartridges
Ammunition supply :	Revolver drum
Cadence :	20 - 30 rounds / min
Number of trains :	7th
Twist :	right
Lists on the subject

The Webley revolvers were a series of handguns manufactured in the UK for military and police use. The most famous was the Webley Mk. VI , who in World War I as a service rifle of the armed forces of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth served.

Technology and commitment

The Webley Mk. VI revolvers had a tiltable barrel to which the drum was attached at the rear (English: top-break revolver ). The system was hinged to the bottom of the turret frame. It was locked to the frame above in front of the hammer. When tipped, the fired cases were pulled out of the chambers by an ejector and could easily be removed. All models had a clamping trigger . Even though the cartridges were loaded with cordite , the muzzle velocity VO did not exceed 200 m / s. With a bullet weight of more than 17 grams, the recoil was nevertheless considerable. Professional soldiers received the necessary training to be able to use this quite heavy weapon accurately. In the costly battles of the First World War, however, many inadequately trained people were sent to the front, who found it difficult to use revolvers. Due to the high processing standards of the Webley Mk. VI, these were almost indestructible and also proved themselves under the extreme conditions of trench warfare .

The Royal Army and Navy adopted the first Webleys in their equipment in 1887. They experienced their first major deployment in the Second Boer War . Although officially approved in 1932 by the Enfield No. 2 Mark I , many Webleys were also used in World War II . The predecessor of the Webley Mk. VI, the Webley Mk. V, which was manufactured from 1913, fired smokeless powder in contrast to the earlier black powder weapons. In the UK, the last specimens were not retired until around 1970. Until then, they served as service weapons of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Ulster Special Constabulary in Northern Ireland .

variants

model	Introductory year	caliber	Details
Mark I.	1887	.455	Original model, still set up for black powder cartridges, the handle is slightly pointed ( bird's head handle )
Mark II.	1894	.455	Slightly modified version compared to Mk I: reinforced lock and hammer
Mark III.	1897	.455	Improved frame lock, the drum could be removed for cleaning
Mark IV.	1899	.455	Boer war model, using a stronger type of steel
Mark V.	1913	.455	Conversion to smokeless ammunition, corresponding reinforcement of the entire construction
Mark VI.	1915	.455	World War II model, individual parts simplified for mass production, of the Mk. VI over 100,000 pieces were built. Handle with flat end. Was able to mount Pritchard bayonet
Mark III.	1923	.38	Police & Civilian : smaller and more manageable government model in .38 / 200 caliber
Mark IV.	1942	.38	Military & Police : Military model based on the Mk III

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  Webley Mk. VI caliber .455 Webley

• 

  Webley RIC 1868 caliber .450 CF

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  Webley WG (Government) revolver caliber .455 / 476 in engl. Oak box

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  Webley revolver, barrel folded down

Trivia

In the Sherlock Holmes stories, the Webley revolver is used by Dr. Watson mentions that he was apparently still allowed to carry with him as a retired field doctor after his deployment in the Afghan war and that he was often used.

In Dashiell Hammett's detective novel " The Maltese Falcon ", the partner of the detective Sam Spade is killed by a Webley revolver, which is identified as an "English make" and "no longer manufactured" at the time of the story (around 1930).

literature

• JB Wood: Firearms Assembly Disassembly, Part 2 Revolvers , DBI Books Inc., pages 459-467, Webly Mark VI (online at archive.org), ISBN 0-87349-103-3 .

Web links

Commons : Webley Mk IV  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Commons : Webley Mk VI  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Webley Mk. IV . In: SALW Guide (English, technical data, distribution, images)
• www.cruffler.com: Webley Mk.IV Revolver (English)
• American Rifleman: Webley Mark VI Revolver (English)