Further pre-war Webley Junior pistol details
Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 1:42 pm
Originally posted with additions and slight differences as a reply in another place at about 2200 BST yesterday
Hi
It would appear that there are a number of variations in the inscriptions on the Junior pistol. Although at first glance they may appear the same they are in fact not. Gordon Bruce gives a date for the change from the 'standard' pre-war inscription with the patent number etc to the later style between ser nos J24500 and J25000 (page 51). I do not have any records between these numbers to narrow down the changeover more precisely.
The new inscription says:
WEBLEY JUNIOR .177
WEBLEY & SCOTT LTD. BIRMINGHAM
MADE IN ENGLAND
However this change is not the final one. A further change was made much later, at about ser no J30100, to the inscription as used immediately post-war. This is:
THE WEBLEY "JUNIOR" .177
WEBLEY & SCOTT LTD. BIRMINGHAM 4
MADE IN ENGLAND
The highest number in my database is also in the J30200s and is I suspect the same pistol mentioned by John. I am rather suspicious of the 1942 dating since I do not believe the C40 and C42 codes with which this pistol's box is marked are in fact date codes. There are many of these codes applied to box labels, instruction sheets, brochures, etc, and they cannot all be date codes. For instance a pre-war 1939 Webley air pistol brochure is actually dated July 1939, but is also marked with the code C67, and there are many other similar examples.
From my database as it presently stands the shortening of the barrel from 6.5 to 6.0 inches took place within about 200 units either side of J29600.
I have in my collection one of the very late B4 pre-war pistols, ser no in the upper 30100s which appears to be identical to the above mentioned pistol. My pistol also has a rather unusual feature in that the barrel is ser no'd to the pistol - I have not seen this on any other Webley pistol, but it is in a position normally hidden from view and consists of the last 3 figures of the ser no, as on the front face of the spring guide, but is stamped on the rear face of the barrel pivot.
ATB Chris S.
Hi
It would appear that there are a number of variations in the inscriptions on the Junior pistol. Although at first glance they may appear the same they are in fact not. Gordon Bruce gives a date for the change from the 'standard' pre-war inscription with the patent number etc to the later style between ser nos J24500 and J25000 (page 51). I do not have any records between these numbers to narrow down the changeover more precisely.
The new inscription says:
WEBLEY JUNIOR .177
WEBLEY & SCOTT LTD. BIRMINGHAM
MADE IN ENGLAND
However this change is not the final one. A further change was made much later, at about ser no J30100, to the inscription as used immediately post-war. This is:
THE WEBLEY "JUNIOR" .177
WEBLEY & SCOTT LTD. BIRMINGHAM 4
MADE IN ENGLAND
The highest number in my database is also in the J30200s and is I suspect the same pistol mentioned by John. I am rather suspicious of the 1942 dating since I do not believe the C40 and C42 codes with which this pistol's box is marked are in fact date codes. There are many of these codes applied to box labels, instruction sheets, brochures, etc, and they cannot all be date codes. For instance a pre-war 1939 Webley air pistol brochure is actually dated July 1939, but is also marked with the code C67, and there are many other similar examples.
From my database as it presently stands the shortening of the barrel from 6.5 to 6.0 inches took place within about 200 units either side of J29600.
I have in my collection one of the very late B4 pre-war pistols, ser no in the upper 30100s which appears to be identical to the above mentioned pistol. My pistol also has a rather unusual feature in that the barrel is ser no'd to the pistol - I have not seen this on any other Webley pistol, but it is in a position normally hidden from view and consists of the last 3 figures of the ser no, as on the front face of the spring guide, but is stamped on the rear face of the barrel pivot.
ATB Chris S.