Finish on a post war Webley .38 Mk IV Revolver

[bigduke6]

Picked this up not long ago, its to go with my Matchless WD when its finished, its deactivated to pre EU spec, it had a problem in single action it would cock occasionally but breath on the trigger and it would fire and send the trigger forward, can only guess its down to the broke main spring (broke on the bottom of the bend) works fine just pulling the trigger etc.

I was led believe it was a 1943 one but is post war 1946, and was issued to the South African Police at some point. not too concerned as the price was very reasonable

The finish looks to be parked but is a paint, as I can see small bits were its flaked, Just wonder if this was post war finish by Webley ?

Information

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[browningautorifle]

I'll bet it was a finish by the S.A.P., I'm sure Webley at least blued them before sunkorite painting.

[Peter Laidler]

We had hundreds of these Singapore and Federation of Malaya Police and RNavy .38" Webleys come through the big Base workshop. I never got to grips with them but they were a mix of blued and grey phosphate. To be honest, the finish beneath the blue or phosphate varied between a good post-war commercial blue and wartime mediocre rush-job on either type. They all went out black though! Some of the Navy ones were quite badly pitted though and these, we suspected, came from the inshore fast patrol boats that operated from Singapore out into the Johore Straits, North up into the Sth China Sea and down to Sarawak where they had to refuel (place called Baria?). The saline atmosphere in the open small ships/boats didn't do their S&W's, Webleys and their SMG's any favours as they were carried in holsters most of the time.

Here's a little point to take note of. Photos 1,2 and 4. See the SCREW, Cam lever? To remove the cylinder for a bit of cleaning and maintenance (not a trait followed on the small patrol boat crews.....) you had to REMOVE this screw to allow the cylinder to be removed. And guess what happened to the screw when it was removed.......... Yep, it rolled off the table and was lost. On the Enfield, this screw went in from the right side, so you just unscrewed it a couple of turns. That would release the cam lever and the cylinder could be removed without taking out the screw and losing it. Clever eh!

[Simon P]

Heres a war time one just come in with its original finish:

[browningautorifle]

The blue is ok, it's just a rough finish is all...