*British, 1970-1982, .38 cal Webley Mark IV Six Shot Revolver, Deactivated*
Serial number: B 71597, 5″ Barrel
Marked on top of the barrel: “Webley & Scott Ltd, Birmingham”
Marked on LHS of the barrel: Mark 1V .38
Marked on the RHS of the barrel: Made in England
Marked on the LHS receiver .38, .767, 3 1/2 Tons, Crown over BNP
Marked on RHS receiver: B 71597, EU/GB and Webley winged logo
Chamber marked Crown over BNP
A deactivated Webley mark IV .38 six shot service revolver with 5″ barrel, mounted with checkered bakelite grips with lanyard ring. Marked on the barrel: Webley & Scott Ltd, Birmingham. Marked on either side of the barrel: Made in England, Mark IV .38. The serial no: “B 71597” is marked on receiver, Crown over BNP (Birmingham Nitro Proof since 1954) on the chamber and on the receiver along with .38″ .767”, 3 1/2 tons. Webley logo on the frame and Webley cursive name on the grip. The Webley and Scott archive suggests that Mark IV revolvers of .32 & .38 caliber, serial numbers numbers B68700- B88168 were manufactured between 1970- 1982.
The Webley is a top-break revolver, where breaking the revolver activates the extractor to remove cartridges from the cylinder. The Webley Mk I service revolver was adopted in 1887, and the Mk IV became prominent during the Boer War of 1899–1902.
At the end of World War I, the British military deemed the .455 calibre gun too large and found that a .38 calibre pistol with a 200-grain bullet would be equally effective. Webley & Scott offered their .38/200 calibre Webley Mk IV revolver. Unexpectedly, the military developed a similar but internally different revolver at the Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) in Enfield, which was accepted as the Pistol, Revolver, No. 2 Mk I in 1932. Webley & Scott sued for £2250 in design costs, but their claim was denied, and they received £1250 in compensation. Due to RSAF Enfield’s production issues, Webley’s Mk IV was also widely used by the British Army during World War II.
Webley produced two series of modern top-break action revolvers: a large-frame and a small-frame series. The large-frame Webley Mark IV was designed for military use, firing the .455 British military cartridge. In contrast, the small-frame “Pocket” Webley Mark IV was intended for civilian and police use, chambered for .32 Smith & Wesson Long or .38 Smith & Wesson cartridges. Webley & Scott is an arms manufacturer founded in Birmingham, England. Webley produced handguns and long guns from 1834 to 1979, when the company ceased to manufacture firearms and instead turned its attention to producing air pistols and air rifles. In 2010 Webley & Scott restarted the production of shotguns for commercial sale.
*Condition*
Fully deactivated, trigger moves freely and barrel rotates but top break does not work. Hammer moves but does not engage. Covered in clear original markings and retaining a nice finish, this gun would make a perfect addition to any collection. Please see pictures for more detail.
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