Which cartridge are the civilian Webley .38 revolvers sighted for?

[jmoore]

The muzzle of a .38" revolver rises approx 0.18" while the bullet it in the barrel but much more after shot ejection of course. It goes without saying that the greater the weight of the weapon, the the slower will this recoil develop. This extra weight is something the designers and users do not want.

A couple of other factors that make zeroing a handgun more difficult than might be expected:

The height at which the user grips the firearm matters. I tend to take a high hold, often high enough that a hammer spur (if present) will make contact with the web of my hand when cocked. This will lower the POI, all else being the same. (Enfield revolvers invariably shoot low for me regardless of bullet weight. But are surprisingly accurate once compensated for. Webleys of any caliber? Safest place downrange is where I'm aiming when using the trigger to cock the action!)

Another factor is the user's visual acuity. Any "fuzzing" of or glare from either sight will make a relatively large change downrange as compared to a rifle. Short sight radius and all that.

Right and left POI changes can be made by changes in how the revolver is held as well.

Having the troops(or officers, NCOs, etc.) do well with handguns at any sort of distance isn't worth the training effort for most military purposes, though.