P. Webley & Son Mark II .45 ACP Altered 4″ SA/DA Top-Break Revolver Antique
SOLD FOR: $1,851.00
WOA # WY240730CX005
Make: Philip Webley & Son
Model: Webley Mark II
Serial#: 51603
Year of Manufacture: Ca. 1895-1897, Antique
Caliber: The gun was made to fire .455 caliber “Manstopper” cartridges. Despite this, the rear end of the cylinder has been shaved so that .45 ACP rounds could be used with a half moon clip. Please be aware, factory loaded .45 ACP rounds have a pressure that is too high for an Antique Webley and a qualified gunsmith should inspect the gun to determine what sort of load may be safe to use with the gun.
Action Type: Single/Double-Action Top-Break Service Revolver
Markings: The left side of the barrel assembly is marked “ENGLAND”. The left side of the frame is marked “WEBLEY / MARK II / PATENTS”. The forward lower portion of the barrel assembly is marked with the serial number, the forward bottom portion of the frame is serial matched. The cylinder’s serial number is obscured because the cylinder has been shaved. The revolver has scattered martial and commercial proof/inspection marks. There are several small broad arrow markings with a more prominent broad arrow in the topstrap.
Barrel Length: 4”, Octagonal
Sights/ Optics: The front sight is a fixed blade over the muzzle and the rear sight is a V-notch integral to the barrel latch.
Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The grip panels are two-piece checkered black hard rubber. The left panel has a loss at the bottom-front across the indexing pin. Otherwise, there are some light nicks and scratches. The checkering is well defined. The lanyard ring is present on the butt. Overall, the grips are in about Very Good condition as Antique.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Refinished
Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with sharp rifling. There is scattered light erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 7 out of 10.
Overall Condition: The revolver retains about 15% of its current metal finish. Remaining finish is scattered and mostly in protected areas. The majority of the exposed surfaces have gone to an even light patina. The grip areas are mostly worn to white. There are some light nicks, scuffs and scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with usable slots. The markings range from clear to worn and incomplete. Overall, the gun is in Very Good condition as refinished Antique.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The cylinder locks with barely perceptible play on each chamber. The barrel locks up with very minor play to the frame. 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: None.
Our Assessment: The line of .455 Caliber service revolvers that Webley is most famous for began with the Mark I which was adopted for service in 1890. It was an impressive revolver for its time and was superseded in 1894 by an upgraded variant designated the Mark II. The Mark II was very similar to its predecessor, but it featured strengthened hammer and trigger assemblies and the grip contour was made smoother. The basic grip profile of the Mark II would be retained by Webley until the introduction of the Mark VI during WWI. Older Webley Revolvers were not discarded when they were superseded, the British kept the superbly designed Webley Mark II Revolvers in service through WWI.
This particular specimen is a Webley Mark II. The gun was made in the late 19th century and retains some faded proof marks from the era, though its later broad-arrow and commercial proof marks are more distinct. The rear of the cylinder has been shaved down to facilitate the use of .45 ACP rounds with half-moon clips (please see the caliber section for more details, the gun is not designed to sustain the pressure of a modern .45 ACP round). Despite the aforementioned, the gun is still aesthetically pleasing and retains solid mechanics. This should make a wonderful addition to a historical firearms collection. Good luck on your bid!
Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud