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Webley Scott .455 Model 1913 MK1 N Navy pistol

8K views 21 replies 9 participants last post by  bayoned 
#1 ·
Here for your viewing pleasure is my Webley-Scott .455 Model 1913 MK1 N Navy pistol serial number 3800 which was accepted into service in 1914. Also shown is a 7-pack of .455 Webley Self-loading ammo dated January 30, 1919.
 

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#5 ·
Hi Armychild, it uses a short recoil-operated action. I've got 50 rounds of reloaded .455 Webley Auto made from 45 Colt brass and the Buffalo Arms bullets, brass and dies and will load these mainly for my .455 Webley British WWI contract Colt Government Model pistols but may shoot a few with the Webley-Scott.
 
#4 ·
A very historic handgun. I had one by the lanyard ring once but had to decline as seller thought it original (it was refinished). :-( I'd still like to add one to the collection someday. I do have one of the ammo packets. Those are uncommon. Thanks for sharing.

G2
 
#7 ·
Hi Armychild: Since I'm not much of a technical guy I found this explantion of how the pistol operates


The Webley-Scott instead used a simple v-shape leaf spring and operating arm. The arm was pushed rearward by the short recoiling slide (pushed back by the backwards forces of expending propellent) and acted against a v-shaped spring nestled in the right panel of the pistol grip. A risky venture, a thin recoil spring packed into the grip alongside the seven round pistol magazine.

As to the magazine, where most modern and successful auto-loading handguns have a follower hold open (a part of hte magazine which rounds are seated on and push upwards until empty) the W&S did not. That means when the pistol fired the last round, the slide simply cycled and returned to battery. No hold open to lock the slide back, alerting the firer to a dry guy.
 
#8 ·
I found on-line an interesting article "The .455 Webley & Scott Pistol" (American Rifleman 1964) which has a chart which details both Government Contracts and Private sales deliveries by month/year/serial number. This pistol (serial number 3800) was 1 of 1919 (serial numbers 3691-5609) delivered to the Royal Navy in December 1914. It served through most of WWI.
 
#9 ·
A few more photos to show a 7-pack of Royal Navy issue .455 Eley semi-rimmed self-loading Mark I ammo dated January 30, 1919 and loose rounds with 1917 and 1918 head stamps. This 224 grain cupro-nickel jacketed bullet was produced from 1913 thru the early 1940s and was used with these pistols and the WWI British Contract .455 Colt Government Model pistols. Notice the "Not for Revolvers" warning to prevent this ammo from being used with the .455 Webley & Scott WWI-issue revolvers which used the rimmed 220 grain flat nose .455 cartridge 455 Webley Mk IV introduced in 1912 and the .455 Webley Mk V introduced in 1914. Also shown is the open recoil operated action of this pistol. The last photo shows Commander C R Samson, standing beside a single seat Nieuport 10 aircraft with this type pistol in his hand about to start on a mission over the Turkish lines in 1915. Commander Samson commanded No. 3 Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) Wing, based on Tenedos Island, which took part in the operations at the Dardanelles. The pistol in the photo is a .455 Webley-Scott Mark 1-N Navy automatic which is quite distinguishable by the boxy breech-block and exposed barrel.
 

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#10 ·
armychild asks: "--- so are the barrel and the slide locked togehther?"
GONRA sez: Barrel and slide lockup on top just like today's short recoil pistols that have rectangular slide crossections.
BUT barrel doesn't TILT! Barrel TRANSLATES downward to unlock whilst the slide moves back.
Barrel centerline moves PARALLEL, doesn't TILT.

Note the difficult machining (blind shaping, worst of the worst) in the slide to accomlish this.
Only other place you see this crazy expensive machining (except for some Really Rare Experimental Arms)
is the 1928 Thompson original Tommy Gun.

Lyman made a PERFECT bullet mould nr. 457127 for this. Bet they don't any more. Put it on yer "gun show watch list".

Lottsa fun to shoot (make perfect brass from .45 Long Colt brass, lathe verk, as stated earier)
but be sure to make a new "square notch" rear sight.
Even 50 years ago (when I last shot mine) my young eyes couldn't get a decent sight picture with the crazy W&S sight blade.
Those Brits (Mother Country) are really Funny sometimes.
Dam good machinists though! Right up there with the Frommer STOP folks....


 
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