Pre War Webley & Scott

[wjones74]

Hi , Thanks for allowing me to join . I am primarily a military gun collector so I was very surprised to find this gun included with a purchase of a SMLE. and Enfield .38 Pistol (I had no knowledge and it was never mentioned in the sale neg.) So a Nice treat. I have done minor research into this an I believe it is prewar I seem to remember the serial number dates it to 37 and is reasonably rare , any info I can digest from you guys would be extremely grateful . oh it is in working order and is.177 .
Kind regards
Will.

[wjones74]

Sorry , the serial number is 56409
thanks.

[Certus]

Sorry , the serial number is 56409
thanks.

Hello Will,

Webley introduced the so called 'Slant Grip' Mk1 in 1935 at around Ser No 50,000 and continued its manufacture up until the outbreak of war in 1939. A total of around 65,000 'Straight Grip' and 'Slant Grip' Mk1s were produced with 15,000 or so of these being 'Slant Grip' models. From the Ser No of your pistol it would be safe to conclude it would have been made in in late 1936 or early 1937 as you suggest. These pre-war Webley pistols are more sought after by collectors than their post-war variants, but are still quite easy to acquire from Arms Fairs , Auctions etc. Webley replaced Ser Nos with Batch Nos after the war making accurate dating a lot more difficult. As a rough guide, I would estimate the value of a pre-war 'Slant Grip' Mk1 in the condition yours appears to be from the pictures at £60-£80 for a private sale.

Here is a link to a previous post which includes some background to the pre-war 'Slant Grip' Webley pistols.

viewtopic.php?f=40&t=596

Regards

Brian

[wjones74]

Hi Brian , thanks for the link , very informative and wonderful examples, and thank you for your comments . Yes the condition is a little unsightly , if it was a military grade weapon I wouldn't dream of any restoration just conservation , how does it sit with the collector community doing some very sympathetic restoration ? I work for the national trust in penrhyn castle railway museum I am their cosmetic conservator so I would approach it with the caution it deserves, but I believe someone has already had I bit of a go at it and , well , has just been a bit unfortunate . he/she has seen the rust and chosen a rust remover (such as the luminous green hammerite) which is notorious for turning certain metals gold/brown most rust removers on the market are widely used and more than acceptable (the national trust uses what you would think as being aggressive motor industry grade chemicals on practically everything to no adverse affects and in fact widely praised an relied upon ) I was thinking of a light bluing to remove the brown hue then an application of renaissance wax should be just about right , but as this gun is going to go on the market I would love an opinion. if it is absolutely a no no it stays as it is . I would like it to be just right for the new owner !
Kindest ,
Will

p.s. ( I cant resist as I love her so . if you fancy popping "CHARLES" loco at penrhyn casle into google you can see what I have been working on , its a constant battle against the elements)

[Certus]

Hello Will,

Just had a look at the Penrhyn Castle link and the lovely locomotives you are lucky enough to be involved in preserving. As I get older, I find older things such as cars, aircraft and guns etc more attractive and interesting than their modern counterparts.

As far as restoration goes in the air gun world, it's usually frowned upon unless the item in question is in very poor condition. I don't believe it would be cost effective to carry out a full restoration on your Mk1 as it would not significantly increase its value. If you definitely wish to sell it, I would either leave it in its current condition and sell it as a 'shooter' or possibly clean off the present finish back to the 'white' and apply a coat of cold blue. This would result in a finish which looks more like a worn blue rather than a bright blue which would be more in keeping with the pistols age and condition. If you were to consider keeping the pistol, then with your skills you could carry out a full restoration, but as already stated, this would not significantly increase its value to a potential collector or buyer.

As a matter of interest, I used to shoot breech loading pistols before they were banned in 1995 and still shoot reproduction, muzzle loading revolvers as well as airguns today. I have one original Colt 1849 Pocket revolver in my collection which given the prices the larger pistols command these days, is all I can realistically justify or afford.

Regards

Brian

[Davidm61]

I think Brian has covered everything, so just to say a decent MK1. I like it.

[wjones74]

Hi ,Please delete if not allowed this particular gun is now up for sale , I have looked at forum rules and it states not to the join the forum JUST to sell guns/equipment , I believe I have not done this . I just would like this to go to the correct home in an enthusiasts hand. this would be a private sale I can legally post this to you ! (UK Mainland only) £125 inc postage 1st class royal mail . cheque ,paypal accepted . m:07340043874

once again my apologies if I have broken any rules . my intention is to put a nice collectable gun to people who will appreciate it more than I can
Kindest
Regards
Will.

[zunmik]

If you wish to sell it I suggest you do an Add in the sales section with a current picture, Mike.

[wjones74]

Sorry I missed the for sale section , I will post it up there , thanks Mike
Will.