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52-525: The Webley is a top-break revolver and breaking the revolver operates the extractor , which removes cartridges from the cylinder . The Webley Mk I service revolver was adopted in 1887 and the Mk IV rose to prominence during the Boer War of 1899–1902 . The Mk VI was introduced in 1915, during wartime, and is the best-known model. Firing large .455 Webley cartridges, Webley service revolvers are among

104-514: A London factory competing with the British firearms trade, manufacturing firearms with interchangeable parts. The older 1851 and 1854 Adams revolvers were self-cocking, also known as double-action. The Adams revolver was favoured by British officers in the Crimean War and colonial conflicts due to the stopping power of its larger 54 bore (.442 cal) bullet (compared with their main competitor,

156-399: A break action inherently indicates when a round is chambered, and thus an open or closed action contributes to all participants' awareness as to whether a weapon that can be fired is present. This is considered an safety advantage. The break action design is best suited for non-repeating firearms . To get multiple shots requires either multiple barrels or a revolving cylinder ; while this

208-612: A commercial basis to military officers and civilians alike, tendered the .455 calibre Webley Self-Extracting Revolver for trials. The military was suitably impressed with the revolver (it was seen as a vast improvement over the Enfield revolvers then in service, as the American-designed Owen extraction system did not prove particularly satisfactory), and it was adopted on 8 November 1887 as the "Pistol, Webley, Mk I". The initial contract called for 10,000 Webley revolvers, at

260-528: A copy of the Smith & Wesson .44 Double Action First Model . The Pistol, Revolver, Old Pattern, No. 1 Mk. 1 was by Garate, Anitua y Cia. and the Pistol, Revolver, Old Pattern, No.2 Mk.1 was by Trocaola, Aranzabal y Cia. Orbea Hermanos y Cia. made 10,000 pistols. Rexach & Urgoite was tapped for an initial order of 500 revolvers, but they were rejected due to defects. The official service pistol for

312-466: A hook over a pin; releasing an auxiliary latch will allow sufficient travel to allow the hinge to be unhooked. A latch is operated to release the two parts of the weapon, allowing the breech to be exposed. Rounds are inserted into the breech, loading as many barrels ( pistol , rifle , or shotgun ) or chambers ( revolver ) as desired, and the mechanism is closed and latched. The hammer is then pulled back and latched. The weapon can now be fired by squeezing

364-399: A longer barrel in a firearm of similar size. Since the cartridge extractor or ejector is built into the barrel assembly in break action weapons, the breech face is simply a flat plate with a hole for the firing pin to protrude through. This makes break actions ideal for interchangeable barrel firearms, such as the popular Thompson/Center Arms Contender and Encore pistols. The simplicity of

416-624: A price of £3/1/1 each, with at least 2,000 revolvers to be supplied within eight months. The Webley revolver went through a number of changes, culminating in the Mk VI, which was in production between 1915 and 1923. The large .455 Webley revolvers were retired in 1947, although the Webley Mk IV .38/200 remained in service until 1963 alongside the Enfield No. 2 Mk I revolver. Commercial versions of all Webley service revolvers were also sold on

468-475: A revolver, the Webley-Fosbery had a safety catch, and the light trigger pull and reputation for accuracy ensured that the Webley-Fosbery remained popular with target shooters long after production had finished. and all 9mm cartridges Break-action Break action is a type of firearm action in which the barrel(s) are hinged much like a door and rotate perpendicularly to the bore axis to expose

520-483: A sidearm. The Mk VI proved to be a very reliable and hardy weapon, well suited to the mud and adverse conditions of trench warfare, and several accessories were developed for the Mk VI, including a bayonet (made from a converted French Gras bayonet), speedloader devices (the "Prideaux Device" and the Watson design), and a stock allowing for the revolver to be converted into a carbine . Demand exceeded production, which

572-530: A single locking lug, almost all bolt-action rifles use multiple locking lugs around the perimeter of the bolt to provide an even distribution of the forces of firing, providing a much higher intrinsic strength. Since many break-action pistols and rifles, such as the inexpensive H&R models, are built on large frames originally meant for shotguns, the action is very heavily built and capable of handling moderate to high pressures. Still, belted magnum cartridges such as .300 Winchester Magnum are generally only found in

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624-527: Is fairly simple for shotguns , with double-barreled shotguns being quite common and even a few quadruple-barreled shotguns such as the FAMARS Rombo, double rifles require very precise alignment of the barrels in order to achieve consistent accuracy known as regulation. Modern double rifles are very expensive and designed for short-range use; the barrels are often regulated for ranges under 110 yards (100 m) for use against dangerous game . Wear in

676-461: Is not an issue. Some centerfire pistol and rifle cartridges, however, can generate pressures that may be too great for a single locking lug if it is not stout enough. The Thompson/Center Contender , for example, was limited to .30-30 Winchester level cartridges. To fire more powerful cartridges requires a much larger locking lug, such as that which Thomson Center used on the larger Encore model. By comparison, while bolt-action shotguns may only use

728-439: The .38/200 calibre Webley Mk IV revolver, which as well as being nearly identical in appearance to the .455 calibre Mk VI revolver (albeit scaled down for the smaller cartridge), was based on their .38 calibre Webley Mk III pistol, designed for the police and civilian markets. (The .38 Webley Mk III used black powder cartridges, as did the .455 Webley Mk IV; they should not be fired with the smokeless powder cartridges developed for

780-549: The Royal Engineers was granted a British patent for improvements to the Adams revolver which allowed them to be cocked and fired either by manually cocking the hammer as in single-action revolvers or by just pulling the trigger. Beaumont was granted a US Patent (no. 15,032) on 3 June of the same year. At that time there was intense competition between Adams and Colt , which was rapidly expanding its sales and had opened

832-699: The Union Army at the beginning of the American Civil War . They also made a pocket version in .31 calibre. In 1867, Robert Adams' brother John Adams patented a breech-loading revolver which was adopted by the British government in place of the Beaumont–Adams. It was a solid frame pistol with six chambers, in .450 caliber. After official acceptance of his pistol, Adams left the London Armoury Company and established his own factory,

884-651: The breech and allow loading and unloading of cartridges . A separate operation may be required for the cocking of a hammer to fire the new round. There are many types of break-action firearms ; break actions are universal in double-barreled shotguns , double-barreled rifles , combination guns , and are commonly found in single shot pistols (especially derringers ), rifles, shotguns, including flare guns , grenade launchers , air guns , and some older revolver designs. They are also known as hinge-action , break-open , break-barrel , break-top , or, on old revolvers, top-break actions. The first break-action revolver

936-403: The falling- block , rendering them capable of withstanding only relatively low-pressure pistol and rifle cartridges. The action is usually held closed by a single locking lug, usually below the barrel in a single-barrelled gun or between the barrels of a double-barreled gun. The single lug must carry all of the force of firing the cartridge. For shotguns, which operate at very low pressures, this

988-607: The " Boer War Model", on account of the large numbers of officers and non-commissioned officers who purchased it on their way to take part in the conflict. The Webley Mk IV served alongside a large number of other handguns, including the Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" (as used by Winston Churchill during the War), earlier Beaumont–Adams cartridge revolvers, and other top-break revolvers manufactured by gunmakers such as William Tranter , and Kynoch . The standard-issue Webley revolver at

1040-618: The .38 Webley Mk IV and .455 Webley Mk V and Mk VI.) Much to their surprise, the British Government took the design to the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock , which came up with a revolver that was externally very similar looking to the .38/200 calibre Webley Mk IV, but was internally different enough that no parts from the Webley could be used in the Enfield and vice versa. The Enfield-designed pistol

1092-547: The .450 Adams and other cartridges. They were also widely copied in Belgium. The British Bull Dog model was an enormously successful solid-frame design introduced by Webley in 1872. It featured a 2.5-inch (64 mm) barrel and was chambered for five .44 Short Rimfire, .442 Webley, or .450 Adams cartridges. (Webley later added smaller scaled five chambered versions in .320 and .380 calibres, but did not mark them British Bull Dog.) A .44 calibre Belgian-made British Bulldog revolver

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1144-405: The 1930s. Singaporean police (and some other "officials") Webleys were equipped with safety catches, a rather unusual feature in a revolver. These were gradually retired in the 1970s as they came in for repair, and were replaced with Smith & Wesson Model 10 .38 revolvers. The London Metropolitan Police were also known to use Webley revolvers, as were most colonial police units until just after

1196-619: The Adams Patent Small Arms Company. His pistol was manufactured in three distinct variations (differences related mainly to methods of spent cartridge ejection) between 1867 and about 1880. The models were tested and adopted by the British Army and Navy, with the last, the M1872 Mark III, seeing the widest use. The John Adams revolver remained the official sidearm of the British Army until replaced by

1248-614: The British military during the Second World War was the Enfield No. 2 Mk I .38/200 calibre revolver. Owing to a critical shortage of handguns, a number of other weapons were also adopted (first practically, then officially) to alleviate the shortage. As a result, both the Webley Mk IV in .38/200 and Webley Mk VI in .455 calibre were issued to personnel during the war. The Webley Mk VI (.455) and Mk IV (.38/200) revolvers were still issued to British and Commonwealth forces after

1300-638: The Enfield No. 2 Mk I was designed by Captain Boys (the Assistant Superintendent of Design, later of Boys Anti-Tank Rifle fame) with assistance from Webley & Scott, and not the other way around. Accordingly, their claim was denied. By way of compensation, the Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors eventually awarded Webley & Scott £1250 for their work. RSAF Enfield proved unable to manufacture enough No. 2 revolvers to meet

1352-595: The Second World War, but are now generally sought after only as collectors' pieces, since ammunition for them is for the most part no longer commercially manufactured. A highly unusual example of an "automatic revolver", the Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver was produced between 1900 and 1915, and available in both a six-shot .455 Webley version, and an eight-shot .38 ACP (not to be confused with .380 ACP ) version. Unusually for

1404-609: The Second World War. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Shanghai Municipal Police received Webley Mk VI revolvers during the interwar period. The Ordnance Factory Board of India still manufactures .380 Revolver Mk IIz cartridges, as well as a .32 calibre revolver (the IOF .32 Revolver ) with 2-inch (51 mm) barrel which is clearly based on the Webley Mk IV .38 service pistol. There were six different marks of .455 calibre Webley British Government Model revolvers approved for British military service at various times between 1887 and

1456-481: The Second World War; there were now extensive stockpiles of the revolvers in military stores, yet they suffered from ammunition shortages. This lack of ammunition was instrumental in keeping the Enfield and Webley revolvers in use so long: they were not wearing out because they were not being used. An armourer stationed in West Germany joked by the time they were officially retired in 1963, the ammunition allowance

1508-465: The break action is the ability to insert shorter cartridges into the chamber, like the 12-gauge 1.75-inch Mini-shells from Aguila Ammunition and Federal Premium Ammunition Shorty Shotshells , which can have problems cycling in other action types. This also allows chambering for cartridges of a length impractical in other designs, as well as easy use of caliber conversion sleeves . It is common to find conversion sleeves for double-barrel shotguns, allowing

1560-401: The break-open design, especially with an external hammer, also reduces the cost of manufacture. There were a number of companies, such as H&R Firearms , that produced break-action rifles at lower costs than comparable bolt-action rifles. While most firearms are designed for right-handed shooters, break-action guns operate identically when fired from either shoulder. Another advantage of

1612-507: The civilian market, along with a number of similar designs (such as the Webley-Government and Webley-Wilkinson ) that were not officially adopted for service, but were nonetheless purchased privately by military officers. Webley's records show the last Mk VI was sold from the factory in 1957, with "Nigeria" noted against the entry. The Webley Mk IV, chambered in .455 Webley, was introduced in 1899 and soon became known as

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1664-564: The early 1900s, are the most popular of the commercial top break revolvers and many were the private purchase choice of British military officers and target shooters in the period, coming in a .476/.455 calibre. Other short-barrel solid-frame revolvers, including the Webley RIC ( Royal Irish Constabulary ) model and the British Bulldog revolver , designed to be carried in a coat pocket for self-defence were far more commonplace during

1716-539: The end of the First World War: At the end of the First World War, the British military decided that the .455 calibre gun and cartridge was too large for modern military use and concluded after numerous tests and extensive trials, that a pistol in .38 calibre firing a 200-grain (13 g) bullet would be just as effective as the .455 for stopping an enemy. Webley & Scott immediately tendered

1768-405: The firing of smaller-gauge shells as well as sub-bore pistol and rifle cartridges (and thus allowing the same gun to be used with, for example, 12 gauge through 28 gauge, as well as .410 bore shells). Finally, break action firearms are often favored for competition such as trap shooting and skeet shooting in which groups of shooters must unavoidably congregate with their firearms. The nature of

1820-510: The forward end of the top strap. On S&W tip-up revolvers, the barrel release catch is located on both sides of the frame in front of the trigger. A break action is one of the most compact firearm actions. Since there are no parts to reciprocate, it is shorter than repeating designs, and generally more compact than other non-repeating firearms such as falling block and rolling block actions. This compactness results in reductions in weight and size compared to larger actions; this can also allow

1872-632: The growing demand for its weapons, Deane, Adams & Deane contracted companies in Birmingham and Liége to manufacture their weapons under licence. The new revolver gave Robert Adams a strong competitive advantage and Samuel Colt shut his London factory due to a drop in sales. In the US, the Massachusetts Arms Company was licensed to manufacture about 19,000 units of the revolver in .36 calibre, of which about 1,750 were purchased by

1924-418: The highest-quality break-action rifles. Break-open designs work best with rimmed cartridges, which can use a solid extractor. Rimless cartridges require a spring-loaded extractor, which can slide out of the way for cartridge insertion and spring back to engage the recessed rim. While these spring-loaded extractors are found on even inexpensive models, they are not as strong as solid extractors, which increases

1976-445: The likelihood that failures to extract will occur more often. Beaumont%E2%80%93Adams revolver The Beaumont–Adams revolver is a black powder, double-action , percussion revolver. Originally adopted by the British Army in .442 calibre (54-bore, 11.2 mm) in 1856, it was replaced in British service in 1880 by the .476 calibre (11.6 mm) Enfield Mk I revolver . On 20 February 1856, Lieutenant Frederick E. B. Beaumont of

2028-455: The mechanism is focused upon the small contact area of the latch, and the breech is difficult to seal properly once the latch wears. In some firearms such as Thompson/Center guns, the latch is a removable part that can be replaced when worn. Designs without a replaceable latch may be fixed by building up the worn part with a welder , then filing it back into shape. Break-open actions are also not as inherently strong as other action types, such as

2080-573: The military's wartime demands, and as a result Webley's Mk IV was also widely used within the British Army in World War Two. Whilst the top-break, self-extracting revolvers used by the British and other Commonwealth militaries are the best-known examples of Webley revolvers, the company produced a number of other highly popular revolvers largely intended for the police and civilian markets. The Webley RIC ( Royal Irish Constabulary ) model

2132-513: The most powerful top-break revolvers produced. The .455 calibre Webley is no longer in military service. As of 1999, the .38/200 Webley Mk IV variant was still in use as a police sidearm in a number of countries. Webley & Scott (P. Webley & Son before merger with W & C Scott in 1897) produced a range of revolvers from the mid 19th to late 20th centuries. As early as 1853 P. Webley and J. Webley began production of their first patented single action cap and ball revolvers . Later under

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2184-519: The outbreak of the First World War was the Webley Mk V (adopted 9 December 1913), but there were considerably more Mk IV revolvers in service in 1914, as the initial order for 20,000 Mk V revolvers had not been completed when hostilities began. They were issued first to officers, pipers and range takers, and later to airmen, naval crews, boarding parties, trench raiders , machine-gun teams, and tank crews. They were then issued to many Allied soldiers as

2236-552: The period. Today, the best-known are the range of military revolvers, which were in service use in two World Wars and numerous colonial conflicts. In 1887, the British Army was searching for a revolver to replace the largely unsatisfactory .476 Enfield Mk I & Mk II revolvers , the Enfield having only replaced the solid frame Adams .450 revolver which was a late 1860s conversion of the cap and ball Beaumont–Adams revolver in 1880. Webley & Scott, who were already very well known makers of quality guns and had sold many pistols on

2288-546: The smaller .36 cal Colt Navy revolvers), and the speed of the Adams trigger-cocking action for close-quarters fighting (over the more cumbersome Colt action). In partnership with George and John Deane, the company of Deane, Adams & Deane produced the new revolver in a variety of calibres and sizes, from pocket pistols to large military versions. The United Kingdom officially adopted the 54-bore (.442 calibre) Beaumont–Adams in 1856, Holland and Russia following soon after. To meet

2340-573: The trade name of P. Webley and Son, manufacturing included their own 0.44 in (11 mm) calibre rim-fire solid frame revolver as well as licensed copies of Smith & Wesson 's Tip up break action revolvers. The quintessential hinged frame, centre-fire revolvers for which the Webley name is best known first began production/development in the early 1870s most notably with the Webley-Pryse (1877) and Webley-Kaufman (1881) models. The W.G. or Webley-Government models produced from 1885 through to

2392-418: The trigger. After firing the rounds, the break action is unlatched and the barrel and forearm are allowed to fall forward. This causes an extractor catch to remove the spent shells so that they fall to the ground, leaving the weapon ready for reloading. The tip-up was the first revolver designed for use with metallic cartridges in the Smith & Wesson Model 1 , on which the barrel pivoted upwards, hinged on

2444-730: Was "two cartridges per man, per year." The Webley Mk IV .38 revolver was not completely replaced by the Browning Hi-Power until 1963, and saw use in the Korean War, the Suez Crisis , Malayan Emergency and the Rhodesian Bush War . Many Enfield No. 2 Mk I revolvers were still circulating in British military service as late as 1970. The Royal Hong Kong Police and Singapore Police Force were issued Webley Mk III & Mk IV (38S&W then.38/200) revolvers from

2496-603: Was Webley's first double-action revolver, and adopted by the RIC in 1868, hence the name. It was a solid frame, gate-loaded revolver, chambered in .442 Webley. General George Armstrong Custer was known to have owned a pair, which he is believed to have used at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. A small number of early examples were produced in the huge .500 Tranter calibre, and later models were available chambered for

2548-491: Was already behind as the war began. This forced the British government to buy substitute weapons chambered in .455 Webley from neutral countries. America provided the Smith & Wesson 2nd Model "Hand Ejector" and Colt New Service Revolvers . Spanish gunsmiths in Eibar made acceptable copies of popular guns and were chosen to close the gap cheaply by making a .455 variant of their 11mm M1884 or "S&W Model 7 ONÁ" revolver,

2600-474: Was patented in France and Britain at the end of December in 1858 by Devisme. A substantial hinge pin joins the two parts of the rifle or shotgun; the stock with its firing mechanism and the fore-piece and barrel, which hold the round to be fired. In some cases the hinging pin may be easily removable, allowing the two portions of the weapon to be compactly and safely stored. In other cases the hinge will consist of

2652-556: Was quickly accepted under the designation Pistol, Revolver, No. 2 Mk I , and was adopted in 1932, followed in 1938 by the Mk I* (spurless hammer, double action only), and finally the Mk I** (simplified for wartime production) in 1942. Webley & Scott sued the British Government over the incident, claiming £2250 as "costs involved in the research and design" of the revolver. This was contested by RSAF Enfield, which quite firmly stated that

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2704-496: Was used to assassinate US President James Garfield on 2 July 1881 by Charles Guiteau . It was designed to be carried in a coat pocket or kept on a bedside table, and many have survived to the present day in good condition, having seen little actual use. Numerous copies of this design were made during the late 19th century in Belgium, with smaller numbers also produced in Spain, France and the US. They remained reasonably popular until

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