Webley Fosbery .455 Caliber Single-Action Blowback Automatic Revolver C&R
SOLD FOR: $5272
LSB#: 221006RH001
Make: Webley & Scott
Model: Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver, Model 1901 Special Model
Serial#: 747
Year of Manufacture: Circa 1901-1904, C&R
Caliber: .455 Manstopper
Action Type: Single-Action Blowback operated Automatic Revolver
Markings: The left side of the top-strap is marked “WEBLEY-FOSBERY AUTOMATIC”. The rib is marked “P. WEBLEY & SON LONDON & BIRMINGHAM” and has two pre-1904 Birmingham proofs. The left side of the frame is marked with the P. Webley & Son winged bullet logo and “.455 CORDITE ONLY.” The right side of the frame is marked “747”. The chambers on the cylinder are each marked with a commercial pre-1904 Birmingham proof mark. The front of the cylinder is marked “47”. The bottom of the cylinder retaining cam is marked “747” on the right side. The left side of the recoil mechanism is marked “747” and the recoil lever is marked “747” on the right side, both visible when the grips are detached.
Barrel Length: 4”, Octagonal
Sights/ Optics: The front sight is a pinned blade fixed to a provision by the muzzle. The rear sight is a square-notch integral to the barrel latch.
Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The grip panels are two-piece checkered wood. The grips have some light-moderate handling marks, nicks and scuffs. The wood on the grip is shy to the metal. Notably, there is a crack on the top forward portion of the left panel under the safety lever, moderate wear along the wood-line and two chips at the bottom (one on the forward end and the other on the rear). The top rear portion of the right panel has a moderate chip and there is a chip at the bottom rear end. The checkering has largely gone flat. Overall, the grips are in Fair-Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with mostly sharp rifling. There is light-moderate erosion concentrated in the grooves. On a scale of 1-10, the bore rates about 7/10 as a C&R. Many military and C&R eligible weapons have bores that will show erosion. This is not only due to age but to the fact that corrosive primers were commonly used in ammunition worldwide until the 1960s.
Overall Condition: The revolver has no surviving metal finish. The gun is coated in moderate surface oxidation and has taken a deep patina color. The gun also has some scattered light pitting. The gun has some light-moderate handling marks, nicks and scuffs. Notably, there is light wear along the leading edges and light-moderate handling marks from the unique blowback action where the frame and barrel assembly meet. The markings are obscured but discernible. The screwheads are lightly tooled and remain serviceable. Overall, the gun is in Poor condition due to mechanical defects.
Mechanics: The sear engagement is very light. The hammer can be cocked manually but tends to follow forward when the action is cycled. Otherwise, the action functions correctly. We have not fired this revolver. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box Paperwork and Accessories: The gun comes with an aftermarket black carrying case with foam padding, a paper with some information on the Webley-Fosbery and a copy of a British soldier’s discharge paperwork from WWI (the discharge paperwork does not have any clear relationship with this gun).
Our Assessment: The Webley-Fosbery was an interesting firearm developed by Lieutenant Colonel George Vincent Fosbery VC (Victoria Cross). Fosbery (ca. 1833-1907) was a highly decorated British soldier who earned his Victoria Cross (the highest honor for a British serviceman) during the Ambela (also spelled Umbeyla) campaign fought on the border on the British Raj and Afghanistan between British forces and Pashtun tribesmen in 1863. Fosbery would later develop a self-cocking revolver which he patented in 1895. The unique design was taken up by Webley which began producing revolvers based on Fosbery’s design, it is believed the first specimens were made in 1901 and the gun was produced in limited numbers until 1924 (unfortunately there is a lack of surviving records on these guns). Two variants of the gun were produced, one was chambered for .455 manstopper rounds (the standard issue British cartridge for service revolvers at the time) and .38 ACP, and it was the fastest firing revolver ever created. The gun had a unique recoil operated semi-automatic design but proved wanting compared to the more conventional semi-automatic handguns being developed at the time. Unfortunately the gun had issues, per British firearms expert Jonathan Ferguson “if the Fosbery were not firmly grasped with arm extended, there would be insufficient resistance to allow the upper frame to recoil far enough to recock the hammer. If this occurred, or if a cartridge failed to fire, the lack of a double-action trigger meant that the weapon would have to be manually cocked to fire the next shot.” This led to a situation where the user was stuck with a clunky single-action revolver, inferior to the standard issue Webley service revolvers. After WWI, Webley continued to make the unique Fosbery revolvers until 1924 with approximately 5,000 made in total, but it never managed to sell them off.
This particular specimen is an early production Webley-Fosbery Model 1901 that is chambered for .455 “manstopper” rounds. The gun was made prior to 1904 when the Brimingham Proof House changed its inspection stamps and has the Special Model 4″ barrel (other then the barrel length the special model is the same as other variants of the Model 1901). The gun has wear typical of an arm that was made over 100 years ago and some mechanical issues, but it still retains its aesthetic charm. These guns had a very limited production run and today have become popular items on the collectors market. This will surely make a wonderful addition to any historical firearms collection. Good luck on your bid!
Wojtek
