Working The Webley Mk VI .455 Revolver

The British Army started using Webley top break revolvers back in 1887 and by the time the first World War rolled around the .455 Webley had become a true icon of the Empire. The big Webs were possibly as well know and regarded as the Lee-Enfield rifle.

The fi nal .455 Webley top break design that we will present here was the Mk VI and was introduced on May 24, 1915, just in time for "The Great War." This rugged double action revolver quickly gained a reputation for being very dependable in harsh trench warfare conditions and the Mk VI continued to be used hard through World War Two and into the Korean War.

Actual production of new .455 caliber Webley revolvers ceased in 1926 and in 1932 the .455 was officially replaced by the .38 caliber Mk IV Webley, however, this big ugly brute continued on in service and was not officially retired until 1963. We will often see WWI Webley revolvers that have been converted to shoot more easily obtainable .45 ACP ammo because original .455 caliber Webley cartridges are becoming somewhat scarce.

The conversion 455 caliber Mk VI saw service with British commonwealth troops from 1915 through 1963. Big and ugly, the Mk VI was one of the most reliable revolvers ever built. involves removing material from the rear face of the cylinder to accommodate the .45 ACP cartridge in halfmoon clips. There is a downside to the conversions because the .455 barrels generally have .455 to .456-inch groove diameters so many of the Webs converted to .45 ACP are not known for their accuracy.

To begin, as with any firearm, we should always take steps to assure the revolver is unloaded before beginning any work. Grasp the gun by its grip, being careful not to touch the trigger (#9) while at the same time keeping the revolver pointed in a safe direction. Use your right thumb to push down on the barrel catch (#10). The lever for the barrel catch is located on the left side of the frame, just below and to the left of the hammer.

While holding the barrel catch down, use your other hand to push down on the front of the barrel (#2), allowing the barrel to swing open fully. While the barrel is in the process of being opened, the automatic extraction system will eject any ammunition and/or spent cases that may be present in the Top-break revolvers are easily unloaded. Depress the barrel catch lever with your right thumb while applying downward pressure to the top of the barrel.

As the barrel opens fully the revolver’s automatic ejection system will raise and retract the extractor.

Notice its "V" shape and that the top leg is hooked to and powers the hammer via a conventional stirrup while the bottom leg is providing downward tension to the mainspring lever, acting as a trigger return and hand spring. cylinder chambers. For safety’s sake, please be sure to remove any ammunition to a separate location while you are working on any firearm. Now, remove the cylinder. With the barrel still in the open position, unscrew and remove the cam lever lock screw (#33).

This screw has a large slot and it was designed to be loosened with a three-pence, a former English coin that was commonly Take note of the extractor cam between the barrel hinge as this part becomes free to fall out once the barrel is removed. available. Rotate the cam lever (#16) toward the front all the way until you feel spring tension. The cylinder assembly is now free and may be pulled (#5) off to the rear of the barrel. Disassembly instructions for the cylinder itself will be found near the end of the text.

To remove the barrel, unscrew and remove the cam lever screw (#32) from the left side of the hinge and lift off American Gunsmithing Association

This action will depress the cylinder catch, allowing the cylinder to be removed to the rear. Remove the mainspring, mainspring lever and two screws and you have it all on the bench. the cam lever (#16), making careful note of its position for later assembly. Unscrew and remove the joint pin axis screw (#31) from the right side of the hinge and, using a small punch, push the joint pin axis (#29) out of the hinge from right to left. The barrel (#2) may now be lifted out of the frame hinge.

You may now use a small pick to reach up into the barrel hinge area and pull down the extractor cam assembly (#17). Be sure you take note of its orientation for correct assembly later. If needed, the cylinder catch (#15, the Brits sometimes call this a cylinder retaining cam) may be removed by first unscrewing the two cylinder catch screws (#15A) located on either side of the barrel. The front sight (#28) is held in place in the barrel by across-screw (#28a). We can now dismantle the action.

Unscrew and remove the stock screw (#25) and lift off the stocks (#40, left and right.) Use a pair of strong needle nosed pliers to compress the "V" mainspring, while at the same time pulling the rear of it to the left out of its seat in the frame while sliding it to the rear. Carefully unhook its top from its connection with the stirrup (#8) and remove the spring. A quick note.

To reassemble the mainspring, engage the top hooks with the stirrup first, then compress the spring and slide it forward into the frame until the dowel in the spring can be pressed back to the right and into its hole in the frame. Use a small screwdriver as a lever to pry the rear of the mainspring lever The barrel catch spring is still in place on the rear of the frame’s recoil shield. (#12) up out of its seat in the frame.

Remove the lever by working it out to the rear and notice its position for correct reassembly later. Pull the trigger (#9) to allow the hammer (#6) to rise and fall while holding the trigger to the rear. Unscrew and remove the hammer screw (#26) and lift the hammer (#6) up out of its opening in the frame. Unscrew and remove the two trigger guard screws (#24) and pull the trigger guard (#3) off the frame. Unscrew and remove the trigger screw (#26) and pull the trigger (#9) and hand

1 frame 2 barrel 3 trigger guard 4 extractor 5 cylinder 6 hammer 7 sear 8 stirrup 9 trigger 10 barrel catch 11 hand (pawl) 12 mainspring lever 13 mainspring 14 barrel catch spring (#11) as an assembly down and out the bottom of the frame. Be sure you make note of how these two parts fit together for later reassembly. The trigger also contains three separate parts (36, 37 and 38) that comprise the cylinder stop mechanism.

The movable cylinder stop (#37) mounted on the trigger acts to hold the cylinder in place only when the trigger is in the forward position. The barrel catch screw (#27) may now be unscrewed and removed, allowing the barrel catch (#10) to be slid toward the rear and off the frame.

When reassembling the barrel catch (#10) to the frame, use a pair of needle nosed pliers with leather padded jaws to partially compress 15 cylinder catch 15a cylinder catch screw (2) 16 cam lever 17 extractor cam assembly 18 extractor cam pawl (not shown) 19 recoil shield 20 recoil shield screw (not shown) 21 extractor spring 22 extractor cam pawl spring (not shown) 23 butt swivel 24 trigger guard screw (2) 25 stock screw 26 hammer or trigger screw (2) 27 barrel catch screw the barrel catch spring and hold it out of the way while you install the barrel catch and its screw.

The barrel catch spring (#14) is held into the frame by a small dowel the fits into a hole in the right-rear of the recoil shield and it may now be lifted off the frame. If required, the butt swivel (#23) may be removed by first driving out its retaining pin (not shown) and pulling the butt swivel down and off the frame.

It is normally not necessary to remove the recoil shield (#19) from the frame but, if need be, the shield is held in place by one screw (not shown) that passes through from its face and into the frame.

You will notice the recoil shield is dovetailed Webley Mk VI .455 Revolver (Speci cations subject to change without notice) 28 front sight 28a front sight screw 29 joint pin axis 30 extractor rod 31 joint pin axis screw 32 cam screw 33 cam lever lock screw 34 sear screw 35 stirrup screw 36 cylinder stop spring screw (not shown) 37 cylinder stop 38 cylinder stop spring (not shown) 39 sear spring 40 grips (stocks) into the breech face of the frame and slides in from side to side.

To disassemble the cylinder, first insert six fi red cartridge cases into the cylinder for support. Hold the cylinder in a padded vise and insert a strong pin punch through the hole in the extractor rod (#30). The rod is a conventional right hand thread and may be unscrewed. Once the rod is off, the extractor spring (#21) is pulled out from the front and the extractor (#4) may be removed from the rear of the cylinder. Reassemble the revolver in the reverse order of above.

This will get you started with any Webley project if a customer brings one of these grand old war horses to you. AG