Thursday 14 December 2017

'Webley' Revolver Production Continues in India:

The Webley company is among the earliest of firearms makers - dating back to the late 1700s. They are widely known for several famous models .. The Webley Royal Irish Constabulary Model, - The British Bulldog Model, - & the Webley Fosberry Automatic Revolver are quiet well known - along with the various Service revolvers that served the British Empire and Commonwealth nations for many decades.

In a lecture to enthusiasts, 9th January 2006 Richard Milner confirmed that after the official cessation of production of .455s, - Webley continued shipping parts guns and refurbished guns. The last shipment of a .455 was in 1959 .. Richard said that was probably a refurbished gun.

Revolver production completely ceased in 1982 and I have read somewhere that the production equipment may have been transferred to India where manufacture continued - and it is said that the IOF designed the IOF .32' Revolver in 1995.


The first Webley production revolver appeared in 1853 ... and their last handgun is recorded in 1979.

Webley & Scott produced 450,000 Service Revolvers - 310,000 during the Great War alone.



The Firearms Act in 1920, restricting the sale of firearms for civilians, almost brought Webley & Scott to its knees. It was at this time they started making quality spring-piston air guns. The Mark I air pistol became the first of Webley's air pistols. Demand for air pistols grew in Britain through the 1920's and helped Webley & Scott's sales. Production of air pistols would go on, after the decision to stop firearms manufacture in 1979, until 2005 when Webley & Scott closed down.
Grip Detail From Webley Senior Air Pistol.
Present day Webley & Scott is owned by Wolverhampton based Airgunsport, who have relocated air gun production to Turkey and have started making shotguns.
The Webley records show the last Mk VI revolver being sold from the factory in 1957 with "Nigeria" noted against the entry.
However ..The first 'modern' sidearm produced in large quantities by their Ordnance Factory in India was the Webley Mk IV revolver, 

made at Ferozepore in the early 1900s - before production was moved to Ishapore and Kanpur.

  - Versions of the Singapore Police Webley with a manual safety are still produced for the .32 S&W Long - for sale to civilians as the Indian Ordnance Factory 32 ..
and another version said to be made of light weight titanium is sold as the Nirbheek:
The Indian 'thirty-two" ammunition is loaded with a 98 grain bullet at a gentle velocity of 705 feet per second. - "Gentle"  maybe - but I'd never volunteer to be shot by one 😆

Indian industry Is advancing fast - certainly with new model motorbikes coming from Royal Enfield and a BMW 'single' motorbike now coming from there. Don't forget that Daewoo & Jaguar - Land-Rover are owned by Tata Motors based in Mumbai.
F-Type Jaguar, 4,  6 or 8 cylinder Engines
 - Both Come From Indian Owners Tata.
Marty K.

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