drickett99 Posted 23 January , 2021 Share Posted 23 January , 2021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drickett99 Posted 23 January , 2021 Author Share Posted 23 January , 2021 I aquired this fine example of a 455 Webley mark VI with Royal Navy markings many years ago. I thought maybe one of the experts could comment on the rarity and value. dated 1916 in unaltered condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drickett99 Posted 23 January , 2021 Author Share Posted 23 January , 2021 a couple more pics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drickett99 Posted 23 January , 2021 Author Share Posted 23 January , 2021 Hi, I am new to these types of sites and I have never posted to these before. When I was doing some research I came across this site about Navy marked Webleys. The only way I know how to add to this post is to reply. I am very sorry to hear that one of the experts Tony has passed away and I am truely sorry about that, all of that knowledge lost except for the posts that he had. This pistol that I have is NOT for sale, I just thought the people here would appreciate some more pics and info on these pistols. I know that the British Navy did not have many revolvers, as they were getting mostly auto loaders. I was hoping to get some more info as to the history of this weapon. It is a fine pistol and I have shot this many times mostly with Fiochii ammo. It is accurate and I wont have a gun in my collection I cant shoot. I can maybe post some more pictures if there is an interest. I was also interested in the stock that was made by Webley for their flare pistols that fit these weapons, I could not find an example so I made a crude one from pictures that fits well and works, you can hold it very steady with a stock attached, I can show some pictures of this if anyone is interested. Anyway I hope this post reaches whoever is interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMB1943 Posted 23 January , 2021 Share Posted 23 January , 2021 I for one am interested in your revolver. It looks like it has had only light wear, with the blueing pretty much intact. I am very ignorant regarding firearms, but do know that one of the german pistols (Luger/Mauser?) could be fitted with a stock; would very much like to see the one that you made for the Webley. Regards, JMB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMB1943 Posted 23 January , 2021 Share Posted 23 January , 2021 Mr. Rickett, Thanks for these photos. Not only the attachable stock, but also the (Pryse??) bayonet fixed! Have you ever taken the 3-piece combination to the range? How is the stock extension actually attached to the Webley’s frame? Regards, JMB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drickett99 Posted 23 January , 2021 Author Share Posted 23 January , 2021 No I have not taken the 3 piece set to shoot, I just made up the stock because I was interested in it. The stock attaches to one side of the grip with the original grip screw and a couple of fender washers to tighten it up. (LOL) it was made from an old dining room table leaf it was sort of thick and made of oak. I found a picture on the internet of an original stock with a dimension or 2 and I used my calipers to figure out the rest. Not a great job, but it does tighten up nicely and I can hold the pistol much more steady than without it. These guns do weigh between 2 and 3 pounds I think. The gun is in good shape with a lot of the bluing intact, I am afraid it was in much better shape when I got it, but through use it has a couple of nicks and scratches, I think these Navy Webleys Mark VI are sort of rare birds, I have not seen another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reese williams Posted 23 January , 2021 Share Posted 23 January , 2021 The wooden stocks were only made for the flare pistols, which had a notch in the frame to accommodate a lug on the stock frame. If you are in the US your creation will run afoul of the BATF because you have just built a Short Barreled Rifle which is illegal without a tax stamp and being registered. Only pistols originally designed with a shoulder stock such as certain models of Browning Hi-Powers, certain Lugers, the Webley semi-autos are legal with a shoulder stock as pistols. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drickett99 Posted 24 January , 2021 Author Share Posted 24 January , 2021 Well I guess there is no information for me on this pistol. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 24 January , 2021 Share Posted 24 January , 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, drickett99 said: Well I guess there is no information for me on this pistol. Thanks I'm not really clear what it was that you wanted to know. You mention rarity and value only -- this is an international site with people posting from all over the place, so the price at which they exchange is going to vary considerably based on where you are. This is true even within the US. The best way to try and figure out what your revolver would sell for is to look on an auction site like Gunbroker and search SOLD Webleys this will give you an idea of what they go for currently. As for rarity, the standard Webley reference (Bruce and Reinhart 1988) says wartime production was in the region of 280,000 and for 1915 the lowest observed serial number (at time of publication was 153000 and the highest was 228393 - so that gives you a ballpark production figure. How many survive is anyone's guess. In the US a large number were modified for sale on the civilian market by shaving off the back of the cylinder to allow the use of the much more easily available .45acp with half moon clips so having an example that is unaltered is a plus but not uncommon. Chris Edited 24 January , 2021 by 4thGordons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drickett99 Posted 24 January , 2021 Author Share Posted 24 January , 2021 Yes this is the type of info that I wanted. So you think this might have been made in 1915, even though it is dated 1916. The serial numbers do fall in that range. I am sure they made quite a few Webleys in that time, however there must not have been that many that have Navy markings. As I read on your site the Marks 1&2 are found with Navy markings, but I have never heard of a true Webley Mark VI with these markings. I did see one Enfield Mark VI with Navy markings. I was under the impression that the Navy were using Webley autoloaders mostly and I am sure they did receive some Revolvers, but how many? Surely not 280,000. Maybe nobody really knows. And as far as value I have looked on different sites and the prices there seem very high even the ones that have sold. I am not interested in selling this weapon just wanted to know for insurance purposes. Looks like the value of these continue to climb, good investment I suppose. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 24 January , 2021 Share Posted 24 January , 2021 No, apologies I misread the stamp as 1916. The figures for 1916 are Lowest serial 185436- -- Highest serial 411854 (as you can see the numbers overlap with those for 1915 - this is noted by Bruce and Renihart ) 280,000 was total production, certainly not just for the Navy whose stocks were undoubtedly smaller, The trouble is we don't know if this was made on a contract for the Navy or came into Navy Service at some later date (as late as WWII or even possibly after) The figures for WWI Naval contracts (or transfers from the army) are probably available in the Ministry of Munitions or Admiralty files in the National Archives at Kew. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drickett99 Posted 24 January , 2021 Author Share Posted 24 January , 2021 I see so this pistol could have been in the army, even though the date on the barrel is 16, and then later been marked for the Navy? It seems to be in too good of condition for all of that. I suspect it was earmarked for the Navy and just used very little. The army models I have seen are pretty well used. I imagine they were in the trenches in WWI. I do know the values differ for region, so in the USA they are priced pretty high, But I have heard in Canada they are much cheaper, but the ones that went to Canada I thought had different markings on them. I guess I should get a good book on these for more info. I still have not seen another MarkVI with Navy markings, have any of you? Thanks for taking the time with me. I thought some people here would be interested in the pictures that I posted. I really am not into British WWI arms but I do have some. My real interest is in Spanish firearms. Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 24 January , 2021 Share Posted 24 January , 2021 If you are interested in Spanish arms there are some very interesting Spanish produced weapons that saw UK service in WWI and are related to shortfalls in Webley production - for example the Pistol, Old Pattern (OP) .455" (which was a version of the Spanish Service Pistol (itself a copy of the S&W double action revolver) introduced in the British LoC in Nov 1915 (para 17555). The 4 Spanish companies with whom the UK contracted to supply these revolvers were: Garate Anitua y Compania (Eibar) Trocaola Aranzabal y Compania (Eibar) Orbea & Co (who had a London Office) -30,000 ordered 29,558 delivered Rexach & Urgoiti (who also had a London Office) 500 ordered There are also of course some interesting Spanish produced weapons supplied to the French (Ruby Automatics in7.65mm for example) and some S&W revolver copies chambered for the French service round. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian Sinclair Posted 16 October , 2021 Share Posted 16 October , 2021 I have a mk6 dated 1917 sn 311139 Has a small ‘N’ as shown All serial numbers intact, nothing crossed out. Looks like it’s been involved with the Navy at some time, but location of the ‘N’ doesn’t look like any Naval Mark 6 revolvers I have seen commented on before. Apologies for non standard lanyard and ring. Any ideas what this history might have been Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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