The Webley Senior - Adventures with Birmingham's finest air pistol

[@Falco45able]

You can tell it’s a premium pistol the moment you pick it up, I had one in 1968 I was 15 , happy days 😉🇬🇧

[@aintright]

My dad died a year ago and I've just discovered a Webley Senior in his loft, wrapped in an oily rag. It's a Birmingham 4 model with the 177 barrel. Batch no. 285. With it was an original Webley tin full of what look like the original pellets and three green darts too. I've not cleaned it or fired a pellet through it yet but it seems to work well enough. Condition-wise, it's very like your dad's. I also found a BSA 177 Standard Light which I think was made in the 1920s or 30s. I'd no idea it was up there so it was a pleasant surprise. Last but not least, a chrome Gat Gun in excellent condition. Again, I had no idea it was there. My dad was a teacher through the 60s, 70s and 80s and it wouldn't surprise me if he had confiscated it off some kid. So, I went from having no air weapons to having three. I'm not planning to keep all of them but as I do remember the Webley from my youth, I'll be keeping it. Great video. I'm sure it'll help when I take the Webley to bits. Thanks.

[@grahamsmith6592]

Any idea who repairs Webley in Canada

[@grahamsmith6592]

What a great presentation.

[@danielgreen3715]

I love my old Webley Premier in 22 its got a suprising punch to it and although not particularly accurate beyond 15 yds its fun to shoot and an Icon of British Gunsmithing you know you have got a quality Engineered Piece of British History in your Hand!

[@flashgordon99999]

Nice Webley. I have the Hurricane. Had it since the 70's as well. Still works perfectly.

[@KeithPrince-cp3me]

My father bought me Webley Senior in .22 for my 13th birthday, I still have it, I'm 65 now.

[@dcspooky6903]

Great video! Thanks very much for producing it for us. 👍👍

[@derekp2674]

Great video, thanks for sharing. Around 1973, a friend of mine had a Webley Junior. It was great to shoot and being a smooth bore, could also fire airgun darts.

[@algobr]

Very enjoyable and nostalgic video. Webley's original premises were in Weaman Street in Birmingham 4, the '4' referring to the postal district. In 1958 they relocated to premises that were mainly located just over the city boundary in West Bromwich, very near to the Albion's football ground. To preserve the myth that they were 'Birmingham Made' (this being a sign of quality at the time; sadly no more) they used a purpose-built entrance gate that was just within the city limits.

[@TheBudgie29]

I had the 22 version of this Pistol. It was great till the barrel would jump up when You fired It. Best thing I ever had, I would walk around with this In a Holster, and a Rifle on My back. A Bowie Knife strapped to My leg. You couldn't do that now. And I'm In the UK.

[@garydaniels1420]

The Day's mate had an airsporter and this then meteor and the big scorpion.

[@cbenson5697]

Thank you very much for an interesting video. If you do want spare parts, a company here in the United Kingdom have spares. T. W . Chambers air gun spares :they definitely have replacement main springs I just bought one,( MS 071 £ 16 pounds sterling ). I hope this might interest you, thanks again.

[@Leo_Pard_A4]

Thanks

[@colliedogjoy]

What a great little history lesson! I have the same pistol - it's a marvel. I shoot mine indoors, maybe 4 meters. It can put pellet on pellet at that range. Have you tried the RWS Hobby pellets? They're my favourite. I have a Leica made in 1936 that also works as intended. I love that era of manufacturing. I put tiny white dots on my sights, like Glock uses. It helps. Zinsser BIN on a cocktail stick. You can wipe it off with methylated spirit and re-apply until you get it right.The sight radius is so small, you need all the help you can get! Protek Supplies have spares, if you need them. I find resting my forearm and using the lightest grip possible is the trick. Let the pistol recoil consistently. Getting used to the trigger is key, also. Being single stage, there is only experience to tell you when the sear will slip.

[@Lee-70ish]

Had both the Junior and the Senior in the 60s Built like a tank . Great great air pistols. My brother was a gun smith and did some sear refining on mine so they had very light trigger actions. The 22 was a great little ratting gun the 177 was better for target shooting

[@chrisgreenwood271]

I recently restored a very tired looking Webley Senior, it belonged to my late father in law, I priced up the replacement parts needed years ago when he was still with us, but he didn't want to spend any money on it. It sat in our loft for years, untill recently it is now a working pistol, the barrel is quite worn but it is original to the gun so it is staying as is.

[@johnnyurive5404]

I have a Webley Premier. I still have it’s original box along with a factory target and parts list. I believe the Premier followed the Senior next in line of upgrade. It still shoots like the day I bought it. I’ve always loved air guns! I fell in love with mine the first time I saw it at a Gibson’s department store. I remember the price. $46.00. I bought it in 1972 I was 22 years old. I went back several times thinking should I spend the money. At the time I could by a .22 rifle for about the same price. It is very accurate. You mentioned the trigger on the Senior being vert heavy? The Premier has an adjustment screw in front of the trigger guard. I have mine adjusted to let of nice and Chrisp! Thank You for sharing!

[@ChrisvanKoppen]

For more than 37 years I own a Webley Tempest, I guess it must be the younger version of the Senior (or Junior?).. Very nice gun, still shoots straight and well.. :)

[@alanbrudenell4918]

I have a Wembley premier that looks identical to that which I got in 1971 as a 9 year old boy I loved it and it still shoots as it should today

[@mothmagic1]

Webley always had a reputation for quality and reliability and I can vouch for that. My premier is still in good condition and still shoots as well as the day I bought it. I find the trigger pull on mine a little too light.

[@NoosaHeads]

I have a Senior .177 in its original box. Beautiful gun. I also have the Mk3 air rifle. It's similarly well made. At the time (60s) the competitor was BSA. They "looked" better but even at that age, I could see that the Webley oozed quality that the BSA didn't quite have. Later on in life, I acquired Webley revolvers. The quality is, IMO, better than any other competing gun. There's just something about Webleys. Like a Porshe or a Rolls, they have their own delightful characteristics. I also have S&W (which are themselves superbly well made) but there's something about a Webley that stands out. - Something that would be evident even if you were handed one in complete darkness.

[@johnnunn8688]

Is the Junior not .177 and the Senior .22?

[@NoosaHeads]

@johnnunn8688 Not sure about the Junior, but I had a Senior .22 as a young boy, in the 60s, and I have a .177 Senior now.

[@manofkentcatapultsgunsando5069]

Lovely old pistols , had a few over the years, unbiased Englishman, great video

[@kevanhubbard9673]

I have an early Premier and it looks exactly like that one.The only problem I had was with the sear worn out and it caused accidental discharges but I bought a replacement sear and fixed the problem.

[@ludo9234]

Remember buying a webley Premier' had it for years even the box. Sold to a friend and never saw it again.

[@markcole1400]

I had a 60s Webley Premier .177 with bakelite grips Beautiful pistol, lovely trigger and accurate. Lent it to a friend never got it back😂

[@Hotdogarmy1]

I have a webley mk1 in mint condition that was found in my wifes lated grandads bediside cabinet, along with his ww2 Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife and another army issue sheath knife with broad arrow stamp. 13:11 It still shoots, and if it is fairly accurate after practice lol. Its a work of art in my opinion. Great video by the way.

[@crazycressy7986]

I've got the junior, still in the box with intrusions and 3 cardboard boxes of marksman pellets, and it's only shot about 40 pellets

[@russcattell955i]

As a kid from the 60's I enjoyed that. I was never rich enough to own one but fired a friend's. As for accuracy, you need a kid marksman that fired one all the time.

[@skulptor]

I had one but swapped it for a lighter Junior after I shot myself in the leg while reloading... I dug the pellet out and never told my Mum why I limped for a day or two....Happy Days.

[@jasonmauracooper3881]

Thanks for sharing that tale, you really made me chuckle!

[@regsparkes6507]

This is exactly the pistol that my brother-in-law ( he wasn't at the time ) owned and never let me use when I was a young teenager. I have seen him shoot with it, and even way back then, I remember thinking it had quite some power for an air pistol. I only wish I had been on better terms with him back then :)

[@ks-eq3yx]

I had the webley smaller version, the junior in 1965 , it was the most accurate pistol I ever used, I used to stand matches up and at 50 ft. Would light them every 3rd shot!

[@sidneydawe9937]

I remember when I was at Fulneck Boys' school in 1964 a lad brought this air pistol to the class and some of us had fun taking shots at paper targets. These days the police would have arrested us for possession of a firearm since in the UK all forms of self defence are strictly illegal and carrry a penalty of up to 5 years imprisonment.

[@WalnutandSteel]

very nice pistol. I have a Mark 1 that dates back to the 20's she's a little rough but fully functional

[@Shimshams]

My first pistol was a Wembley junior .177, smooth bore if I remember correctly , back in about 1965, it was my dads he passed it to me, many hours spent plinking with it in the garden, many times trapping my thumb loading the thing. Many years after leaving home I asked dad where it was…wasn’t being used, looked rusty so he broke it up and binned it 😫😫 Was so sad. …still am in 2023

[@Iazzaboyce]

Mabey, it's because I'm a Brit, but I do think British design classics like the Triumph Bonneville, Supermarine Spitfire, Jaguar E type, Mallard steam train and the Webley Senior air pistol are unsurpassed.

[@ParcelOfRogue]

I have had one of these lovely things for decades. There's one for sale (sept 23) in the gunshop with a range near Carlisle at about 100+

[@markstephenson-oliver7513]

My Grandpa had one. Not sure if it was senior or Junior. a great pistol we used when visiting him. My Cousin is now custodian of it.

[@TheBaronAirGunReviews]

I had one back in the 1970's

[@mikeJones-tl5hf]

Philip webley was a hand gun maker of high standing for army officers, he lived in Birmingham in a really big house, he Had built a second house identical to his about 50 yards away for his sister and her husband. Philip Wembley house is still in use today, it's called mcneills house in uplands Road Selly oak. Both the houses was linked together though and walk way through the garages, but one house was demolished for flats, Philips house is now owned by fry housing as a hostel.

[@drjthornley]

Got one. Pristine and works perfectly cos I give it love.

[@leoroverman4541]

I still have a Webley Junior, boxed with darts and the original documentation and pellet tin.

[@unclefester9857]

Still got mine packed away in its little wooden box, loverly pistol

[@ogilkes1]

This is great channel, excellent content.

[@stevedeline2537]

Appreciate your videos sir!

[@terryevans2411]

I could never work out as a kid why all my wooly jumpers were getting holes in them

[@GMT439]

Built to last. A Rare thing these days.

[@glyncolman8901]

I found one on a car boot sale a few years ago. I got it for £15. It wanted a new cylinder washer. It was an early one, Serial No. 47. When fired I found it always pulled slightly to the right. It was lost on a house move in 2018.

[@lone-ranger568]

when i was young it was the tempest then the 10 pump crossman went straight through a bucket of water the tempest was lucky to go in 1 side but i loved an had both guns realy accurate aswell..

[@julianstorey2699]

My father gave me his Webley air pistol in the 70's, I would have been about 13 or 14. To cock the pistol grab the barrel from the top and place your thumb underneath near the breach and move the barrel away from you while holding the grip, finger off trigger of course.

[@WeaponsAffair]

Beauty!

[@johnstewart9745]

Great video thanks 🇬🇧

[@weaton25]

I have an all steel premier version I got it about 15years ago it is nearly mint I took it apart when I got it and gave it a good clean and put some molly grease on all of the moving parts that helps a lot to improve the action and adds a bit more power. You say about the small size at the time I had an airsoft perfect replica of a colt 1911 and out of interest I put on on top of the other and to my surprise they are both exactly the same size and shape it made me think did webley copy the 1911size and shape when making the Senior/Premier airguns.

[@scron2]

177 is the ONLY caliber to get a Webley air pistol in. I think the gun bounced off your rest. They do shoot much better. Great video!

[@ClassicTrialsChannel]

Yeah a friend had the scorpion, it really was a long pistol , i had the Webley .22 Tempest . i still have it.

[@pizzademonXX]

I enjoyed this as a youngster, in the UK, i think there as was a Junior version, so long ago i can't remember 😂😂

[@lone-ranger568]

an oz spring cut an stretched was a great idea for a 177 cal air rifle

[@vincentenglish8489]

If you want to see the true accuracy potential of that Webley don't use modern pellets, see if you can source some Eley Wasps, secondly don't put the gun in/on a rest, hold it as normal and put your hands on the rest otherwise it'll bounce shots all over the place and group like a shotgun 👍👍👍

[@chawk4839]

i have the premier and tempest, both are a real challenge to shoot well, until you realize they shoot better with a loose single handed grip, took me a few decades to get that part right.

[@rowdyyates4273]

Yes fabulous air pistol and so easy to come apart! The front stem. 0n the barrel is used to unscrew the cylinder block.these pistols are firearms qulity and would be expensive to be made today

[@essexhognose1808]

I've got the Webley Tempest, it is a nice solid feeling pistol that when aimed correctly is quite accurate. Those rear sights and a wide front blade are pretty aweful to be fair when aiming

[@roygillham398]

Had several in my early days .including junior.the sighting .would make gun shoot high. To allow to compensate for backward kick.

[@grahamcole4240]

I had one about 60 years ago.

[@Trickysteve666]

I still have one 👌

[@Bill23799]

Reminds me of the Crosman 150 I owned as a boy.

[@philipgreen6085]

I had one over 50 years ago

[@cdlp8131]

I have the Mark 1/4.5 mm pellets. Bought in 1968 in Rome, Italy.

[@grahamgoldie1577]

I`ve had a Webley Hurricane in the attic somewhere for 25yrs.

[@canuckair]

Well, the good news is the Hurricane uses a teflon seal, which won't have degraded. Hope the rest of it is in good shape. They're pretty valuable these days. I love mine.

[@californiadreamin8423]

@@canuckair. My Junior is stuck in France for now. I’m in shock at the size of other makes, absurd. I’m on the look out for a Senior over here in the U.K. I’m enjoying your series of videos. 😊

[@californiadreamin8423]

@@canuckair. My Junior is stuck in France for now. I’m in shock at the size of other makes, absurd. I’m on the look out for a Senior over here in the U.K. for use indoors. I’m enjoying your series of videos. 😊. Thanks.

[@Mythteller]

This makes a real Star Wars blaster prop😉

[@Youtubeiscool865]

I have two of these, one is 22, the other is 177. One has a serial number, one does not.

[@jcdupuy4809]

Very Nice video. I just bought à hurricane but the barrel is wobbling when i cock it. Any advices to fix it ??

[@gangleweed]

I had one of these abortions in the mid 60's and I can say that the action of the mechanism causes the pistol to move erratically as the spring powered piston compresses the air when the trigger is activated......I can state this with authority as I was a member of a rifle club doing small bore (.22") and full bore (.303") competitive shooting.

[@canuckair]

Agreed. The backwards firing piston didn't really make the gun any more controllable, despite what many have claimed. You can see it pulsing in my hand in the video. But like anything, with enough practice, you can get pretty good with it. Target pistol, it ain't.

[@peteroates2908]

That's a fact sir I had one in the 60s and for a great time in your own back yard you could attempt to show off your prowess 😮 xx.

[@helpmehelp3009]

It was the best, I've had the all. Unfortunately, I sold my last on in 1975, I bet a friend of mine that I could shoot a cockroach in the corner of the ceiling that was 5 yards away whilst sitting in a chair. 10dollars. I took the shot, and he said missed, but we got the ladders out, and he gave me the dough, so accurate at that distance.

[@redauwg911]

Hi i have a Webley Hurricane A Tempest And a brand new Tempest in the box. I also have a 1980s Premier , Do you think the parts are the same as this senior you just took apart? Thank you for the video. my premier no longer cocks:(

[@canuckair]

I suppose some parts are common to the two designs, but as Webley went along in the 60's-80's the main effort was to keep the cost of the guns down, and the designs were simplified a good bit. But if you're taking yours apart, the Premier is essentially the same layout and design.

[@jtrengove5701]

I had one😊

[@DaveyMulholland]

I have one that needs restoring. Does anyone know if parts are available ? It must need a new sear or something, as it just used to fire randomly a few seconds after you loaded it. Hence me stopping using it about thirty years ago. It's gathered rust since and needs a good going over.

[@zodiac8892]

T. W . Chambers air gun spares UK

[@edy1361]

I love mine but took it out to have a play the other month and it won't cock, the barrel/lever comes up about an inch then won't go any further. Haven't a clue what the problem is and dare not take it apart to try and fix it.

[@barryjones8008]

Bought one 2nd hand 50 years ago for £10. Unfortunately the trigger mechanism wore out from overuse.

[@tonyhoodlass1846]

I have a 1961 senior

[@charleygarth]

Mine cannot be cocked...it doesn't latch...possibly a sear problem....and the screw on the left side of the barrel front is missing. I need to find someone to re-furbish it.

[@zodiac8892]

T. W . Chambers air gun spares UK

[@markrainford1219]

Good with tranquilizer darts. In the movies anyway.

[@mra7899]

Whilst the Senior was beautifully made, it really needed trigger adjustment like the MK1 and Premier 😃

[@ashwayn]

What they worth now as I have one try the senior and junior bench testing shoot at a target see where the pellets go not in bulls eye but at top of target or over target You see the piston moves towards but of gun so when you shoot in ya hand the gun jerks down bringing on target very odd

[@openmicsandacts]

I have the Webley Premier

[@scottdonaldson1973]

Very nice, I've always wanted one. I did have a Hurricane but mainly owned Webley rifles, mk3, Osprey, Vulcan and an Xocet . Should have bought a Longbow but never got around to it before Webley closed down.

[@mohammadshamsheer8022]

Ham iska order kaise karen

[@karp6130]

I had one of those. It broke my finger. Just don't pull the trigger with the gun cocked and the barrel raised with a finger resting on top. Ouch! Sort of stupid thing I used to do when I was a sprog.

[@canuckair]

Ouch

[@MeYou-yz2yz]

What makes it a senior? I have one that ooks identical to that that I bought as a junior. .177 smoothbore.

[@canuckair]

The Senior is bigger, more powerful, had that fancy bronze piston ring, and only came rifled, either .177 or .22. The Senior is difficult enough to cock for some adult shooters. The Junior was definitely easier for younger owners.

[@charleygarth]

I have one,,,,,by your presentation it seems mine is from batch 335.....I have never fired it...."Birmingham 4" extremely powerful spring.....I am not young and cannot crank it....I think we met at a gun show......Bracebridge or Eagle Lake. This needs restoration by someone....barrel is good....some hairline cracks on one side near trigger....don't know how to reach you or I would telephone or email you. Also have a Sheridan Blue Streak with intermount and scope ....purchased about 1967. Garth Elliot

[@canuckair]

Oh, I that wasn't me. I haven't been to a gun show that far north. It is difficult to find people willing to work on airguns, as its not as straightforward as most simple firearm repairs. And the problem is that those who do want to work on them, there's a flood of people wanting cheap repairs on old BB guns and pump up repeaters for every worthwhile quality gun out there.

[@philbunston9663]

When storing a Webley the barrel should be left unlatched especially if it's got a leather seal . ( in my opinion )

[@canuckair]

I agree. I always store mine open. But ... how come I don't store all my spring piston guns cracked open to preserve the seal? Just a Webley thing, I guess.

[@henryToped]

It's smoothbore right?

[@canuckair]

No, all Seniors were nicely rifled. You could buy an extra barrel in the other calibre, but I don't believe smoothbore was an option for the top-of-the-line Senior

[@henryToped]

@@canuckair Thanks. I must have mistaken it for the Junior.

[@PatriotNews-iq9tt]

My Father owned one Pre WW2, must cost my ex Royal Flying Corp Grandad Tom a Fortune

[@ldman100]

Can you convert one of these to a rifle?

[@canuckair]

Well, Webley used to make a rifle with the barrel over the cylinder (the Service). The design was more complicated than say, the BSA's of the time, or the Dianas that came later. Webley transitioned over to conventional breakbarrel designs because that was more efficient. But the advantage of the barrel on top was it made for a nicely compact pistol - compared to say, a Diana Model 5. I can't figure any good reason to put a longer barrel on a Senior and a shoulder stock, even though it should be possible. There was a shoulder stock for the later Hurricane, so you could make better use of the scope mount.

[@ldman100]

@@canuckair Wow! Fantastic information, many thanks indeed for taking the time to respond with such amazingly helpful and detailed information. Thank you so much

[@bigbasil1908]

The rear sight on my webley tempest is useless. I have to just point the gun and shoot without using the sights

[@robbinparker4382]

😉👍aim small

[@goodie54321ag]

My tempest will hole a milk bottle very impressive

[@PatriotNews-iq9tt]

I expect the heavy trigger was for safety.

[@supervortex8363]

that webley was made in 1948

[@WoodWizardrybyColin]

Damn that brings back memories in my opinion it wasnt the best BSA made the BSA Scorpion was much better

[@canuckair]

The big BSA has its fans, even if to me it seemed halfway sized between a pistol and an air rifle. But my argument for the Webley Senior was that in its time (1930-1964) it was the one to beat (compactness, design, quality, power, etc.). The Scorpion didn't arrive till 1973, of course. Then again, I've just acquired an air pistol an inch longer than a Scorpion, if not as hefty - designed for a different purpose though. Stay tuned.

[@martinwarner1178]

Moving the pistol about so much just put me off watching the video. Peace to all.

[@darren.hilldrup]

Keep it still and don’t keep moving the damn thing

[@jasonevans6720]

That trigger spring is too weak the gun can prematurely fire

[@canuckair]

No chance of that with this design. The spring's job is to return the trigger and sear to the position where it catches the sear surface on the piston. The spring has no purpose in holding the sear. The trigger literally drags the sliding block downwards away from the piston to fire the gun. Before that, pressure from the piston holds that block firm in its channel. If the spring were missing, the gun would still work if you pushed the trigger forward when cocking, and it would hold firm until the the trigger was pulled. It's a design heavy on frictional surfaces and why it's never going to be a match pistol. The old mangled spring was making things worse by getting in the way of the trigger.

[@grahamsmith6592]

good reply and it makes sence.

[@maddon001]

when i was a nipper u could pick one up for £10-15 quid

[@canuckair]

Sure, but wasn't a school lunch only a sixpence?

[@maddon001]

@@canuckair the clue was in £, decimal was 1971

[@gordoncrockett5861]

Are the other 15 episodes as boring as this one?

[@rhino1138]

Lovely minutiae. Pure AI bait.