Webley MKVI chambered in .22 caliber

[Lionrobe]

Hello,, I come to ask you more information on this Webley 22LR apparently military and not civilian, for which I lack information and found only these few lines "
"For many years, from the end of the XIX to the beginning of XX centuries. The British company "Webley & Scott" until 1897 and then "Webley & Son" of Birmingham had a monopoly on the supply of weapons to the British government. The last and most famous being the army revolver, the Webley Mk VI in .455 caliber, introduced in the UK in 1915.
For training and target shooting, several modifications of these weapons were created under the patronymic 22LR. In 1918, for initial individual training, a small caliber revolver chambered in .22 caliber rimfire was approved, the Webley Mk VI.22. It was designed for shooting training and use in enclosed shooting galleries."

Can you give me some links, books, articles for the training Webley?

Thanks in advance

[green]

Looks like a civilian conversion of a service MkVI, note commercial proof marks on cylinder and barrel.

[4thGordons]

These are described on p237 of "Webley Revolvers" Gordon Bruce and Christian Reinhart. 1988. Verlag Stocker-Schmid AG - Zurich.

The MkVI produced in .22 appear to have had round section barrels rather than the flat sided ones that yours shows.

Is the barrel sleeved? (and if so is anything stamped on the muzzle -- like Parker-Rifled or Parker.....

I don't know if the commercial proofs necessarily indicate it is a civilian conversion (although it may be) - they may just indicate it has passed through the gun trade after its service life.

Nice example to have though.

Chris

[Lionrobe]

Hi all and THX for quick feedback.

I add all the proofs I found;

Seems the civilian models had a better finishing ?

Friendly

[Dave66]

Nice, and quite scarce to see unit markings,

I can make out a cancelled out 3,26 , a 15 but is that a badly stamped pre 1918 A.O.C.??

 

 

 

Edited 25 June , 2022 by Dave66

[4thGordons]

1 minute ago, Dave66 said:

Nice to see unit markings,

I can make out a cancelled out 3,26 , a 15 but is that a badly stamped pre 1918 A.O.C.??

 

 

 

Looks to me as though there is an R in front of it.

Can't decide if it is 15  or L5

Looks like the barrel is dated 1918 -- is the frame also dated? (under the webley mark)

Chris

 

[Dave66]

Just now, 4thGordons said:

Looks to me as though there is an R in front of it.

Can't decide if it is 15  or L5

Looks like the barrel is dated 1918 -- is the frame also dated? (under the webley mark)

Chris

 

Chris,

there’s certainly something before it but couldn’t  make out what it is, also an S under?…the frame is dated 1918, 

[MrEd]

You can make markings easier to read by rubbing white chalk over them, it wipes off easily afterwards as well so non-damaging.

[Lionrobe]

THX to you both, one friend of mine wrote "It carries the "broad arrow" (on the flange of carcass), therefore military origin, in my opinion"

 

????

[4thGordons]

2 hours ago, Lionrobe said:

THX to you both, one friend of mine wrote "It carries the "broad arrow" (on the flange of carcass), therefore military origin, in my opinion"

 

????

Yes the Broad Arrow indicates British military acceptance - however that does not mean it was in .22 calibre at the time. I could well have been issued as a normal .455 cal revolver and then converted later. I am not able to tell from what I can see. I don't see anything on here that indicates it was definitely an official military conversion - but also nothing that demonstrates clearly that it was not. According to the information in Bruce and Reinhart it was not produced as a .22 revolver but who converted it and when is, as far as I can see, difficult to ascertain.

The revolver certainly WAS military issue - the question is was it converted to .22 officially or after sale (this was done commercially by Parker Hale)

Chris