Webley Mk IV, 38/300

[walnut red]

Last month a friend brought me a box of pistols to look at. His late father had made a good side living buying storage units at auction and some items he didn't want to fool with, firearms and jewelry being two. So the firearms got placed in a closet and the jewelry in 5 gallon plastic buckets. Of the 7 pistols he brought me to look at there was one Beretta 92FS, a Webley Mk IV, a broken Italian Colt replica a Bersa 380 and a few other low end revolvers. I showed him how to unload the ones still loaded, told him I probably have a replacement magazine for the Beretta, which was missing, as he wisely wanted to keep that and gave him a rough guess on the value of the others.

The Webley was missing a cylinder bracket screw and so rusty I couldn't tell if there was any rifling. I told him the Webley was the only one that appealed to me, gave him a range I thought they were bringing in good condition and told him that in the rough condition it was in it was only worth half that to me. A week latter he called an said he had checked closed auctions online and I was within 10% +/- on my estimates and he would sell the Webley for the offer I made.

After 3 hours of careful soaking, cleaning and gentle brushing it is at least functional again. Still can't get the grip screw off or find a replacement so the action is a little rough. This is 1945 production, 5" barrel, hammer spur still intact. No import marks and no rebuild marks so may be a bring back. The bore cleaned up surprisingly well. Exterior has about 20% original black paint. As there is probably no collectors value given the condition should I duplicate the original finish or just try and preserve what is left. I know this group leans heavily towards not changing anything but with so much exterior finish gone and light pitting I'm looking at the best thing to preventing additional deterioration.

Anyone know where I can get a grip screw and cylinder bracket screw?

[Junk Yard Dog]

I would start with Numrich ( Gun Parts Corp) they have millions of parts and a huge website.

[walnut red]

Thanks, I checked Numrich and Apex with no luck.

[bunkysdad]

Do you have some pictures? I can see wanting to replace any broken parts or non- functioning parts, but beyond that you'll fare better by just cleaning and oiling or cleaning/waxing all the metal surfaces. If all the original blue is gone it probably looks like most other Webleys you see and a real prize.

[walnut red]

I'll take some pictures and post them. I found a pair of cylinder bracket screws but still looking for a grip screw. Patiently putting a drop of Kroil on the threads every few days hoping I can get the grips off without damaging the screw. I was able to coax the other screws out and give it a gentle cleaning and the extractor is working properly now. I still have some 38/200 left from when SARCO was importing it by the pallet from South Africa and will probably take it to the range this weekend. According to the Webley site this is one of the last 200 made in the 1945 production run . The lack of broadhead marks makes me wonder if this was police issue rather than military.

[walnut red]

Mk VI.jpg

Mk IV.jpg

OK, here is the Mk IV I am working on and a Mk VI that you see just as I received it from him. What you don't see is that there is a 45 ACP round corroded into tone of the chambers. The sad thing is that in the case containing the Mk VI were two 1911s in even worse shape. One still had the two tone magazine.

[SA1911a1]

I'll take some pictures and post them. I found a pair of cylinder bracket screws but still looking for a grip screw. Patiently putting a drop of Kroil on the threads every few days hoping I can get the grips off without damaging the screw. I was able to coax the other screws out and give it a gentle cleaning and the extractor is working properly now. I still have some 38/200 left from when SARCO was importing it by the pallet from South Africa and will probably take it to the range this weekend. According to the Webley site this is one of the last 200 made in the 1945 production run . The lack of broadhead marks makes me wonder if this was police issue rather than military.

Isn't .38/200 the same as .38 S&W?

[SA1911a1]

I'll take some pictures and post them. I found a pair of cylinder bracket screws but still looking for a grip screw. Patiently putting a drop of Kroil on the threads every few days hoping I can get the grips off without damaging the screw. I was able to coax the other screws out and give it a gentle cleaning and the extractor is working properly now. I still have some 38/200 left from when SARCO was importing it by the pallet from South Africa and will probably take it to the range this weekend. According to the Webley site this is one of the last 200 made in the 1945 production run . The lack of broadhead marks makes me wonder if this was police issue rather than military.

Isn't .38/200 the same as .38 S&W?

I would like to have one of those clunky looking tools. I thought I had one bought a few years back and I think a buddy beat me to it. I guess that is why we used to say, "buddies **** one another" back when I was in the Navy. (I thought they were talking about sex...)

[steelbuttplate]

Try getting the rust out of the threaded side of the grip screw. Then maybe a light tap with a blunt punch the size of the screw end.

[walnut red]

Casing is the same with 38 S&W and 38/200, difference is the projectile. Most 38 S&W are loaded with 146gn +/- bullets. The original 38/200 was similar to a 38 Super Police load Winchester offered back before WW2. Though the surplus stuff I have is actually the later 176 gn loading. I've always liked the design of the Webleys and feel that if the Brits had the fore site to specify a 38 Special caliber revolver rather than a 38 S&W based revolver the Webleys and Enfields would have been considered a great design. Most of my reloading of this caliber is with a 126 gn SWC bullet.

[walnut red]

Try getting the rust out of the threaded side of the grip screw. Then maybe a light tap with a blunt punch the size of the screw end.

I've been letting a little Kroil soak in. Sometimes I've had success by toughing the tip of a soldering iron to the threads to help work the oil in.

[steelbuttplate]

I think it's 38/200, .38 cal. 200 gr. bullet was the Brit's designation. They preferred S&W's loan/leased to them in this caliber I guess not to deal with two different kinds of pistol ammo, since they had the Webley already.

[steelbuttplate]

I'll take some pictures and post them. I found a pair of cylinder bracket screws but still looking for a grip screw. Patiently putting a drop of Kroil on the threads every few days hoping I can get the grips off without damaging the screw. I was able to coax the other screws out and give it a gentle cleaning and the extractor is working properly now. I still have some 38/200 left from when SARCO was importing it by the pallet from South Africa and will probably take it to the range this weekend. According to the Webley site this is one of the last 200 made in the 1945 production run . The lack of broadhead marks makes me wonder if this was police issue rather than military.

A broadhead or arrow would be only on Australian weapons I think. It should have 3 1/2 tons stamped on it if military.

[walnut red]

For those still interested the Mk IV is mechanically cleaned and went to the range today. Function was fine though point of impact was 3" low at the modest 25' I was shooting. I was shooting 38 S&W not the military spec 38/200 and I expect the lighter bullet resulted in low impact. Exterior is about what the picture shows as I've done nothing additional there and may not ever.

After a couple weeks of soaking I was able to remove the corroded case out of the Mk VI. All but one screw has been coaxed out and the cleaning of internals has begun. The ejector star was badly bent and I had to spend time carefully straightening that. I'm not sure this pistol will ever shoot again as the side that was laying down is heavily corroded. Who knows, I may run across a spare cylinder some day.

I'll return a could less interesting revolvers to the owner tomorrow and see he has though any more about the Colts. If he asks me to do the initial preservation I'll post pictures.

Steelbuttplate, broadheads were also used on Canadian handguns. Many Webley and Enfield revolvers used in Israel were proofed to 4 tones, no idea why.