Webley and Scott semi-automatic pistols M1905 M1908 M1909 M1913 Mk.I Navy M1922

Experimental Webley Scott automatic pistol, cal. 455, model of 1904.

Early Webley Scott automatic pistol, cal.32, model of 1905. Very early model with safety lever located next to the hammer.

Webley Scott pocket-type automatic pistol, cal.25, model of 1906.

Webley Scott automatic pistol, cal.32, model of 1908.

Webley Scott automatic pistol, cal.9mm Browning Long, model of 1909.

Webley Scott automatic pistol, cal.9mm Browning Long, model of 1909 partially disassembled. The V-shaped return spring and the rocking lever, which connects spring to the slide, are clearly visible on the right side of the grip. Right grip panel is removed.

Webley Scott look-a-like pistol, made in USA by Harrington & Richardson in .32 ACP caliber. It differed internally from similar Webley pistols (see text below).

Webley Scott automatic pistol, cal 38 High Velocity (.38ACP), model of 1910, version with manual safety.

Webley Scott automatic pistol, cal.38 High Velocity (.38ACP), model of 1910 (version with automated grip safety).

Webley Scott automatic pistol, cal.455, model of 1912.

Webley Scott automatic pistol, cal.455, model of 1912 - Mark I Navy.

Webley Scott automatic pistol, cal.455, model of 1912, Mark I Model 2 Royal Horse Artillery pistol with rare detachable buttstock and adjustable sights.

Exploded parts diagram of the Webley Scott automatic pistol, cal.455, model of 1912, Mark I Navy.

Webley Scott automatic pistol, cal.9mm Browning Long, model of  1922. South African Police issue pistol.

Characteristics

	M1906 .25 cal	M1905 - 1908 .32 cal	M1909 9mm	M1909 .38	M1912 .455
Type	Single Action semiautomatic
Caliber(s)	.25ACP / 6.35x16SR	.32 ACP / 7.65x17SR	9x20SR	.38ACP / 9x23SR	.455 / 11.43x23SR
Weight unloaded	340 g	580 g	985 g	~1000 g	1131 g
Length	120 mm	159 mm	203 mm	203 mm	216 mm
Barrel length	54 mm	89 mm	140 mm	127 mm	127 mm
Magazine capacity	6 rounds	8 rounds	8 rounds	8 rounds	7 rounds

Webley & Scott Ltd, famous British gun-making company, began experiments with self-loading pistols during the earliest years of the 20th century. Their first attempt, based on design of the Hugh Gabbet-Fairfax and known as "Mars" pistol, proved to be a commercial failure, and in 1903 company began experiments with weapons, designed by its factory manager, Mr.Whiting. Early prototypes, known as Webley - Scott model 1904 pistols, were based on short-recoil operated action, designed by Whiting. Earliest prototypes fired standard .455 caliber rimmed revolver ammo, which later was converted to semi-rimmed pattern. In 1905, Whiting designed new pistol, based on simple blowback action and intended for relatively low-power ammunition. Pistols of this pattern were built in .32 caliber (.32 ACP / 7,65mm Browning) until 1940 in several minor modifications. Version of this pistol, produced in 1908, was adopted by British Metropolitan police, and similar pistols in this caliber also were adopted by other police forces across the British empire. In 1909 Whiting designed an enlarged version of his basic blowback design, chambered for more powerful 9mm Browning Long (9x20SR) ammunition. This pistol differed from its smaller cousins by having an internal hammer and automatic grip safety, rather than exposed hammer and manual safety of the M1905 pattern. The year of 1910 saw introduction of another short-recoil operated pistol from Webley & Scott, also designed by Whiting. This gun retained same external outline of its predecessors, but was larger and had slide of the rectangular cross-section (all blowback-operated Webley pistols had slides with rounded tops). Chambered for .38 caliber High Velocity ammunition (which in fact was an American .38 ACP round), these pistols were manufactured in two patterns - with manual safety or with automated grip safety. In couple of years this model evolved into the biggest of all production Webley automatic pistols. First known as Model 1912, it fired proprietary .455 caliber ammunition. It was adopted by British Navy as the Webley & Scott self-loading pistol Mark I Navy, with production commencing in 1913. Version of this gun, fitted with adjustable sights, was known as Webley & Scott self-loading pistol Mark I Model 2. It was issued on limited basis to Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Air Corps during the WW1. Production of these large pistols was relatively limited, as after the war British military returned to more usual revolvers, and these military Webley & Scott self-loading pistols were declared obsolete. Despite this fact, smaller-caliber blowback operated Webley-Scott pistols were manufactured for domestic civilian markets until early 1920s, and for export markets and police use until 1940.

Brief descriptions of Webley & Scott semi automatic pistols

Webley & Scott semi automatic pistol models of 1905, 1907, 1908, caliber .32 (7,65mm Browning)
These pistols featured simple blowback action, with short slide and exposed barrel. V-shaped return spring under the right grip panel, linked to the slide through the rocking lever. Single-action trigger with exposed hammer and manual safety, located on the left side of the frame, above the grip panel. Single-stack detachable magazine with bottom magazine release. Fixed sights.

Webley & Scott semi automatic pistol models of 1906, caliber .25 (6,35mm Browning)
These pistols featured simple blowback action, with short slide and exposed barrel. V-shaped return spring under the right grip panel, linked to the slide through the rocking lever. Single-action trigger with exposed hammer and manual safety, located on the left side of the frame, above the grip panel. Single-stack detachable magazine with bottom magazine release. Fixed sights.

Webley & Scott semi automatic pistol model of 1909, caliber 9mm Browning Long
These pistols featured simple blowback action, with short slide and exposed barrel. V-shaped return spring under the right grip panel, linked to the slide through the rocking lever. Single-action trigger with exposed hammer and automated grip safety, located at the rear of the grip. Single-stack detachable magazine with bottom magazine release. Adjustable rear sights. lanyard ring at the base of the grip.

Webley & Scott semi automatic pistol models of 1909, caliber .25 (6,35mm Browning)
These pistols featured simple blowback action, with short slide and exposed barrel. V-shaped return spring under the right grip panel, linked to the slide through the rocking lever. Single-action trigger with  internal (concealed inside the slide) hammer and manual safety, located on the left side of the frame, above the grip panel. Single-stack detachable magazine with bottom magazine release. Fixed sights.
Externally similar models also were built in USA by Harrington & Richardson in .25ACP and .32ACP calibers between 1912 and 1924. These H&R pistols differed internally from Webley pistols by having coil-type  return spring located inside the slide, and also by being striker-fired.

Webley & Scott semi automatic pistol model of 1910, caliber 38 (.38 ACP)
These pistols featured short recoil operated action with "dropping barrel" locking. In this system, barrel has sets of inclined lugs at its sides, and additional locking lug on the top. Upon recoil, side lugs forced the barrel to drop down slightly, and this downward movement disconnected the top (locking) lug on the barrel from the respective cut, made in the top of the slide. Once the slide was fully unlocked, it was allowed to recoil freely and barrel was stopped. Upon return to the battery slide pushed the barrel forward. Side lugs also forced barrel to rise and thus lock into the slide. V-shaped return spring under the right grip panel, linked to the slide through the rocking lever. Single-action trigger with internal (concealed inside the slide) hammer and automated grip safety, located at the rear of the grip (on early production guns) or with manual safety above left grip panel (as made since 1913). Single-stack detachable magazine with bottom magazine release. Drift-adjustable rear sights. lanyard ring at the base of the grip.

Webley & Scott semi automatic pistol model of 1912, 1913, Mark I Navy (Mk.I N), caliber .455
Short recoil-operated action similar to that of the Model 1910. Single-action trigger with exposed hammer and automated grip safety, located at the rear of the grip. Single-stack detachable magazine with bottom magazine release. Fixed (Mk.I) or adjustable (Mk.I Mod.2) rear sights.

Webley & Scott semi automatic pistol model of 1922, caliber 9mm Browning Long
These pistols featured simple blowback action, with short slide and exposed barrel. V-shaped return spring under the right grip panel, linked to the slide through the rocking lever. Single-action trigger with exposed hammer and manual safety, located on the left side of the slide. Single-stack detachable magazine with magazine release located next to the trigger guard. Adjustable rear sights. Lanyard ring at the base of the grip.

Posted in: Great Britain,Handguns