Webley Self-Loading Pistol

Webley Self-Loading Pistol Mk. 1
Type	Semi-automatic pistol
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	1910–1942
Used by	United Kingdom
Wars	World War I
Production history
Designer	Webley & Scott
Designed	1910
Manufacturer	Webley & Scott
Produced	1910–1932
Specifications
Weight	1.13 kilograms (2.5 lb)
Length	216 millimetres (8.5 in)
Barrel length	127 millimetres (5.0 in)

Cartridge	.455 Webley Auto
Caliber	.455 in (11.55 mm)
Action	Short recoil
Muzzle velocity	236 metres per second (770 ft/s)
Feed system	7-round detachable box magazine

The Webley Self-Loading Pistol was a design in early magazine-fed pistols. The gun was designed in 1910 by the Webley & Scott company. The Mk. 1 entered police service in 1911 in a .38 ACP model for the London Metropolitan Police. The .455 version was adopted by the Royal Navy in 1912 as the first automatic pistol in British service. The pistol was also adopted by the Royal Horse Artillery and the Royal Flying Corps.^[1] Its predecessor was the unsuccessful Mars Automatic Pistol.

Problems

The pistol's original cordite cartridge left a lot of residue in the barrel causing frequent jamming. This was resolved in 1914 with nitrocellulose instead of cordite in the .455 cartridge. This new cartridge for the Mk.1 was called the Mark Iz. Among other things, the pistol was awkward to hold due to its bulk and awkward grip.^[2]

Had Webley invested in more research and development of its pistol and ammunition and new technologies, the result would have been a better firearm produced more quickly. Particularly given the increasing adoption of the Semi-automatic pistol by foreign armed forces and the extensive testing and development data available from previous efforts by other manufacturers.^[3]

Improvements and variations

The first models of the Mk. 1 had the safety on left side of the hammer. This was later moved to the left side of the frame, where it could lock the slide. Service versions were also outfitted with a grip safety.

References

↑ McNab, Chris (2009). Firearms. Bath, UK: Parragon. p. 78. ISBN 978-1-4075-1607-3.
↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20090704095414/http://www.webley.co.uk/webley_scott/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=103&Itemid=243. Archived from the original on July 4, 2009. Retrieved January 15, 2012. Missing or empty |title= (help)
↑ Kinard, Jeff (2004). Pistols: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. ABC-CLIO. p. 167; 397. ISBN 978-1-85109-470-7. Soon after World War II the major powers all but abandoned the revolver for standard issue

External links

High resolution picture of a Webley Self-Loading Pistol

British Empire small arms and ordnance of the First World War

No. 1
No. 2 Hales Pattern
Nos. 3, 20, 24, 35 Hales rifle grenades
Nos. 5, 23, 36 Mills
No. 6
Nos. 8, 9 Jam Tin
No. 13 Battye
No. 14 Pitcher
No. 15 Ball
No. 16 Oval
No. 17 Opera hat
No. 18
No. 19
No. 21 "Spherical"
No. 22 Newton-Pippin
No. 25 Sangster
No. 27
No. 28 Chemical
No. 29 Gas
No. 31 Day Signal
No. 32 Night Signal
No. 32 "Spherical E"
No. 34 Egg
No. 37
No. 39 Steuart Pattern

Artillery

Tank guns	QF 6 pounder Hotchkiss QF 6 pounder 6 cwt

Infantry guns	1.59-inch Breech-Loading Vickers Q.F. Gun, Mk II ("Vickers-Crayford rocket gun")

Field Artillery	BL 12 pounder 6 cwt QF 12 pounder 8 cwt QF 12 pounder 18 cwt QF 13 pounder BL 15 pounder BLC 15 pounder QF 15 pounder QF 18 pounder QF 4 inch gun Mk III BL 4 inch gun Mk VII QF 4.5 inch Howitzer

Mountain artillery	RML 2.5 inch Mountain Gun BL 10 pounder Mountain Gun BL 2.75-inch Mountain Gun QF 2.95 inch Mountain Gun QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer

Howitzers, medium, and heavy artillery	QF 4.7 inch Gun BL 5 inch Howitzer BL 5.4 inch Howitzer BL 60 pounder gun BLC 6 inch siege gun BL 6 inch Gun Mk VII BL 6 inch Gun Mk XIX BL 6-inch 26 cwt howitzer BL 6-inch 30 cwt howitzer BL 8 inch Howitzer Mk I - V BL 8 inch Howitzer Mk VI - VIII

Siege artillery	BL 7.5 inch Mk III naval gun BL 9.2-inch howitzer BL 9.2 inch Mk X naval gun BL 12 inch Howitzer BL 12 inch Mk X naval gun BL 15 inch Howitzer

Coastal artillery	QF 12 pounder 12 cwt QF 4 inch naval gun Mk I – III BL 6 inch Mk VII naval gun BL 9.2 inch gun Mk IX–X RML 9 inch

Mortars

Grenade launchers

Smoke and chemical weapons

Railway guns

Anti-aircraft guns

Foreign weapon designs
in British Empire Armies use

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