Webley-Scott 1913 MKI Navy .455 Pistol

[varifleman]

Here for your viewing pleasure is my Webley-Scott .455 Model 1913 Mk 1 Navy automatic pistol serial number 1913. The numerous military acceptance, proof and property marks indicate it was placed into service in 1914. I found on-line an interesting article "The .455 Webley & Scott Pistol" (American Rifleman 1964) which has a chart which details both Government Contracts and Private sales deliveries by month/year/serial number. This pistol (serial number 3800) was 1 of 1919 (serial numbers 3691-5609) delivered to the Royal Navy in December 1914. It served through most of WWI.

 

[varifleman]

few more photos to show broad arrow military property mark on grip.

 

[varifleman]

a few more to show close-up of 1914 acceptance marks.

 

[James K]

There is a bit of a story behind that "NOT FOR REVOLVERS" stamping on the .455 Automatic ammo pack. The .455 Auto is semi-rimmed, and so will fit and fire in .455 Webley revolvers. But the auto pistol round is in about the same pressure category as the .45 ACP (c. 21k psi), much too powerful for revolvers designed for a cartridge generating only c. 12k psi).

The flip side of that coin is that after WWII, many surplus .455 revolvers were sold in the U.S. reworked to take the .45 ACP with half-moon clips. Those should never be fired with full power .45 ACP ammo, which has been known to blow cylinders on the old guns.

Just for info, and NOT recommended, but the Webley auto pistols can be fired with .45 ACP by seating the bullet deeper and feeding from the magazine so that the extractor will catch the rim of the shorter case.

Jim

 

[shouldazagged]

Nice find. How did you acquire it?

 

[varifleman]

I got the pistol and ammo on Gunbroker auction. I also have some reloaded .455 Webley automatic ammo and will try it with this pistol and my WWI British contract Colt Govt Model pistols.

 

[James K]

I recently saw a very nice .455 Colt that had had the .455 barrel and magazine replaced with .45 ACP parts so it could be used. Enough to make one cry.

Jim