Print Page | Close Window

Webley Mark 1

Printed From: Kiwi Airgunners
Category: General
Forum Name: collectors corner
Forum Description: Got anything collectible, old or just unique you want to show off? Post your toys here.
URL: www.kiwiairgunners.co.nz/forum_posts.asp?TID=1280
Printed Date: 18 Dec 2025 at 8:05pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 10.14 - http://www.webwizforums.com


Topic: Webley Mark 1
Posted By: -Ec
Subject: Webley Mark 1
Date Posted: 31 Oct 2025 at 5:17pm
I have just aquired an old Webley Mark 1.   Condition is a bit rough but should clean up OK.




I beleive this gun was manufactured between 1950-1958 This is based on it having an elevation adjustment on the rear sight and having Birmingham 4 engraved on the right hand side of the compresion tube.

Does anyone know if replacement breach and piston seals are availble in NZ?   The barrel has a lot of play at the breach and it has to be loosing air presure.   Currently it is only running at 37fps - I could just about throw a pellet faster!   It has resonable cocking presure but  feels a bit clunky so in need of a good clean and re-lube with Moly paste.  Not sure what the piston seal is like as I havn't taken it apart yet, but at the very least it will need oiling but at at least 67 years old I suspect it will also need to be replaced


-------------
Regards
-Ec



Replies:
Posted By: Myson
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2025 at 6:55am
Blimey!  Haven't seen one of those for many years!!! Smile

Had one in the 1960's - I used to try shooting ears of wheat with it as they nodded in the wind!

Nice one EC....


-------------
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq7jVyBfFqE" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq7jVyBfFqE
Air Arms S510 US .22
Air Arms S410 .22
Weihrauch HW97KT .177
Weihrauch HW95 .177


Posted By: -Ec
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2025 at 9:28am
I found it on TradeMe when looking for a "better" pistol for 6 the yard challenge.    After looking at various youtube videos  on this and other model Webleys I decided to see if I could buy it.

It is a bit rough but should clean up OK.   After looking at vidios on replacing the breach seal and having a closer look,  the seal is completely missing on my gun - no wonder it is only making 37fps on the crony!  I also can see that is also is missing at least one of the guide rings from the piston.    The  good news if that the barrell looks OK - not bent like many of them are but I beleive this may be more common with the 22.  Also almost all the parts are availble reasonably cheaply from the UK  

I may take it apart and check out the internals in the next day or so and see what else I will need to get this working properly.  Not in any hurry as  I want to do a decent restoration on it.   Not looking to make it look new as it is not new - as I was born in 1958 it is most likely older than me! 




-------------
Regards
-Ec


Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2025 at 10:46am
Be keen on pics as you take it apart,if your keen.
Sounds like a fun project!


Posted By: -Ec
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2025 at 11:34am
I intend documenting the rebuild of both this and the cheap 177 springer I bought a  while back.   From what I've seen on YouTube the Mark 1 Webley is very simple to disassemble - check out this for example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ydoymV8g3U&list=WL&index=3


-------------
Regards
-Ec


Posted By: J-S
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2025 at 7:47pm
They’re well made machines, no wonder they’re still going after nearly a century. Seals may be available from Youngs; they’re leather, so they will last decades, and will need a bit of oil..
being all steel they feel good in the hand and they smell good when you fire them to, that mild detonation smell from the oil..

-------------
https://www.instagram.com/js_airguns/" rel="nofollow - J S Airguns
Air Arms TX200('s)
Theoben Sirocco
HW77
FWB 300s
Webley Patriot
One or two others...

Current projects:
Too many..


Posted By: -Ec
Date Posted: 02 Nov 2025 at 7:47am
I have already contacted Youngs to see if they have any seals - awaiting a reply.  Not a big deal as they are availble from the UK.  I may see if I can pick up a .22 barrel as well as it's so simple and quick to swap the barrel it would be fun to compare.

I did take the gun apart yesterday - so simple to do!  the piston seal looks to be in resonable condition, but probably will replace it .   What I had thought was a missing guide seal from the piston was actuallly acumulated crud - the piston apears to be in very good condition. 

I will give everything a good clean and remove the worst of the rust with a bit f WD40 and a scouring pad.  Looks like the most of the bluing has gone from the barrel.  Will know more one it has been cleaned, but may need to look at cold blueing it.  Not trying to make it look new but bare metal will just rust again.

Looking forward to getting this working as it should again and seeing how well I can shoot it.  Several different YouTube videos suggest the Mark 1 is a reasonably acurate pistol.




-------------
Regards
-Ec


Posted By: Steven
Date Posted: 05 Nov 2025 at 2:45pm
Leather with a brass insert was the original,but a rubber one from a Ron Young will work and simple to install.


Posted By: -Ec
Date Posted: 05 Nov 2025 at 5:55pm
Already have a rubber breach seal  and a relacement leather piston seal on the way from  Ron.  Initially I will rebuild it with the existing psiton seal as it looks OK.  Once I have run it over my crony and fired a few shots through it I will deside if I will replace the pston seal or not.

Ultimately I will probably get a leather breach seal from the UK so as to keep the gun origonal, but for now it will be nice to be able to use it.

Below are a couple of pictures of the existing piston seal.






-------------
Regards
-Ec


Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 06 Nov 2025 at 6:02am
So if the rubber seals work well, are you going to keep the leather seal as a to turn it orginal if you sell it?
Ive got seals and orginal spring for hw97 but sure wont be going back to original spring set up. It sucks. How ever its there for the purests if i sell it. Or a temp if current set up breaks.
Orignal parts arnt always best.



Posted By: -Ec
Date Posted: 06 Nov 2025 at 6:52am
My gun did not have any breach seal when I got it. The Mark 1 was manufactured from 1924 through to the mid 60s.  Not sure if it ever had a rubber breach seal but from what I can gather all the  Webley pistols used the same size breach seal.  Not sure when the ruber seal was first used but from what I can gather it does work at least as well as the origonall leather one - possibly better.

Leather breach seals are availble from the UK so I will get 1 so I can  keep the gun origonal as I don't beleive this will impact the usability of the gun in any way.   However the rubbber seal was only $13 from Youngs and as it shoulld be here in the next day or two, I will be able to use the gun soon.  At this stage I intend leaving the origional leather piston seal in the gun as it looks OK.   Once  I have run it over the crony I will have a better idea.

I have stripped the gun down and given it a clean and it looks like it will come up well.  Looks like most of the finish from the outside of the barrel is gone so I may look at cold bluing it.  I was happy to tind that the screw  that holds the piston seal in place can be loosened - in both the seal replacement videos I found they had real prblems getting this screw out.  Happy that is one issue I won't have to deal with.

Overall impressed with the build quality of this gun. So much beter than anything else I have.



-------------
Regards
-Ec


Posted By: Steven
Date Posted: 06 Nov 2025 at 4:30pm
Hi again by the looks of your piston seal consider yourself lucky! One tip soak your seal in neatsfoot oil over night, that will give it a birthday.Reinstall it and and it should extend its life.I used a leather pump washer for a coleman burner plus a homemade inner washer works well looks good too.
Lapco Auckland has neatsfoot oil.


Posted By: -Ec
Date Posted: 06 Nov 2025 at 6:57pm
Hi,
I can get neatsfoot oil locally at Farmlands, however as I suspect the seal has had regular doses of light machine oil so  I'm probably going to use that on the existing the seal.   I do have new seal on the way with the breach seal and will probably use neetsfoot on that if the crony shows  the power is way down. From what I can gather, in good condition it should  be running at around 2.5 foot pounds.

I think if it is running at 2 foot pound or more I will leave it for now.  The Webley pistols were never powerfull but are said to shoot very well.  Mine certainly feels good to hold.
 
Looking forward to trying is on the 6 yard challenge target sometime next week.


-------------
Regards
-Ec


Posted By: Steven
Date Posted: 06 Nov 2025 at 7:40pm
Good on yah mate thats the way.Ron has new springs in for webley pistols just in ,as an idea grab one while you can.Smile 





Posted By: -Ec
Date Posted: 06 Nov 2025 at 8:21pm
Thanks, I'll keep that in mind - but at this stage I will get the gun usable and see how well it shoots before much else.  Hopefully it will like one of the two 177 pellets I curenty have.

My son-in-law has a tin of differnt pellets and a H&N sampler pack with about 8 different "hunting" pellets so hopefully I can find something that works well in it.



-------------
Regards
-Ec


Posted By: -Ec
Date Posted: 07 Nov 2025 at 12:51pm
The piston seal arrived today and the gun is back together.  Haven't done a full test yet but is running at between 2.2 - 2.8 foot pounds with  the 7.1 grain Apolo pellets.

Need to put a few shots through it and then I will do a full test over the crono with both these and the 8.44 JSB exacts.

Very happy with how it's turned out.   Will put a couple of pictures of how the gun looks now tonight.


-------------
Regards
-Ec


Posted By: -Ec
Date Posted: 07 Nov 2025 at 10:08pm
Picture of th gun  ready for reassembly


Picture of the finished gun




-------------
Regards
-Ec


Posted By: kruzaroad
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2025 at 12:03am
Nice. Looks great. That grease petroleum free?.
Reminds me of a war pistol and just looks so english.
Looking forward to the testing.
The pistol looks great in my opinion, original and aged with a hidden life its pattena hints at but cant tell👍


Posted By: -Ec
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2025 at 6:37am
I'm really happy with how it has turned out and I'm going to leave it as is.  It is an old gun and should reflect that.  The grease is lithium based.  Used it as Nick on the TbT channel mentioned that CV joint grease was suitable for greasing the spring when rebuilding springers.   The gun is dieseling a little at present but that will probably be from the oil on the piston seal.

Hopefully will get time later today to test more.

I am keen to try cold blueing but will leave that for the $15 air rifle I picked up.  The Webley is better left as is.  Will be a while before I get to stripping down the air rifle as I need to build myself a "man cave" first.  Inside my tiny home isn't really suitible and the the son-in-laws garage just doesn't have any room.


-------------
Regards
-Ec


Posted By: Pauly5
Date Posted: 08 Nov 2025 at 8:05am
Good job Ec. It does make it enjoyable knowing your gun is cared for inside.

With the Moly, I have founf it good to apply a little, rub it into all surfaces required, then temtatively wipe it off. It should in the "pores" and perform well like that. It seems to go a long way.

Also a pro tip, make sure you get it off your hands before handling cushions your wife has just recovered.


Posted By: Steven
Date Posted: 09 Nov 2025 at 1:04pm
Well done on your project! Its a keeper for sure Steven.



Print Page | Close Window

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 10.14 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Copyright ©2001-2012 Web Wiz Ltd. - http://www.webwiz.co.uk