This has come up in a different thread and I thought I'd share the Webley #s of several double rifles I've owned or have handled over the years.


Maker Ser # Builder Builder# Yr Built

Evans 1214x Webley 13485 1924
Evans 611x Webley 10303 1903
Lang 1880x Webley 13735 1928
Manton 1378x Webley 13786 1925?
Evans 1435x Webley 13857 1926
ArmyNavy 4698x Webley 11419 1906
Rigby 1781x Webley 10599 1904?
Rigby 1801x Webley 13705 ?
Evans 1335x Webley 13740 1927

Apologize for the formatting.

About maybe twenty-five years ago I was able to closely look at the actual original Webley records. The day books, the registers, the lot.

There were many entries for Evans. Some, more tah enough that it's stayed in my mind rather unfortunately reading "7th quality...engrave and finish as 1st".

Others with block letter undernotes...the gunmaker G E Lewis "NO FURTHER CREDIT - ALL FUTURE TRANSACTIONS TO BE PAID IN CASH".

Webley also did a lot of work on the Farqhuar-Hill rifle and the Thorneycroft rifle.

Hi enfieldspares,
Where are the original Webley records today?
I own a Webley and Scott .450/.400 3 1/4" N.E. double rifle and it would be nice to know more about my rifle.

I have been told the Webley records available are for the shotguns.

I would love to learn otherwise.

IIRC, about 50% of all British doubles before WW2 were made on Webley actions. It might even have been more.

Many Birmingham trade gunsmiths worked for or contracted to Webley.

H&H Badminton grade were made on Webley actions.

470Evans...
Thanks that puts my Gibbs 450 with a Webley ser# 10483 around between 1903 and 1904...

The Webley records were at one time with armsresearch.co.uk but I don't know who has them now. The records that they did have were for the lot. Everything. I was able to see Kipling's son's revolver, my grandfather's pistol and the Webley .455 Automatics that were used by the 12th Lancers at Moy in 1914 and a lot of the shotgun stuff too. There are some gaps but, for instance, it can be seen that the last Webley Mk VI was sold in 1957 to a customer in Nigeria.

The Webley records are currently held by a Mr. Gallyon, living in Norfolk, England, if my memory in correct. He dated my 1946 Webley 600 Special shotgun for me, for a fee.
He served his apprenticeship at the Webley factory in the 1950's. Gallyons were a well-regarded regional gunmaker in East Anglia, with a shop in Cambridge, now closed, plus another in Norwich which I think is also closed. I have his letter on file somewhere, but you may be able to find him via the Internet. I had a chat with him on the 'phone and he was charming.

HB

Who owns the Webley brand name now? I know they were making shotguns even around mid 1970s.

I think Highland Outdoors in the UK. Poor old Webley & Scott (as they became after WWI) have had a pretty unhappy history since 1979. UK manufacture of shotguns ceased in the late 1970s. The current shot guns are badge engineered imported guns.

The number on the bottom rib of my Manton 500 BPE is 9608. It's a A&W-c action.

Dave

Anyone know if a Wilkinson 470 with Krupp barrels made around 1922 is a webley? I am having difficulty finding info on the gun. Thanks!