Gunsmith for Webleys

[jada]

Hi all!

I have a Webley Mk1, the lockup has a little play, locking latch is just a hair loose. No problems in the sense that this is normal wear and tear, but somewhere down the line I would like to bring it to a smith for rejuvenation.

Any recommendations for a gunsmith?


Thanks!

 

[scianna54]

Peter at rustywoods is good, just google it.

 

[jethunter]

I've tightened up quite a few of them.
The cylinder lockup is tightened by slightly peening the hand in midsection, stretching it a mm or so.
The play in the latch actually most often originates in the hinge - tighten up the hinge and the play in the latch is reduced or eliminated.

 

[jada]

Thanks guys!

jethunter, I have tightened the hinge screw for both the frame and the latch. But still a little play, is it possible the latch pin itself is the culprit?

 

[dingus]

Thanks guys!

jethunter, I have tightened the hinge screw for both the frame and the latch. But still a little play, is it possible the latch pin itself is the culprit?

Most of the time the looseness is the Latch screw take it right out and see if its bent .
To see if its bent put it back to where it was (when it was loose) now unscrew it 180 degrees. thats a half a turn if the gun tightens up at all the latch screw is bent.
What most people dont know is them latch screws will bend with to heavy a loads thats what they meen by shooting the gun loose.
On all Webleys MKIs to MKVIs that latch screw is the weak point on the gun.
Any good machineist can make you up some new latch screws.
The troble is they dont bend in the middle but right at the threaded part that sticks out so there hard to straiten.

Just a note "" to take out a latch screw you should compress the latch spring slightly with padded jawed vise grips. once the spring tension is off the latch the screw will come out easyer.
Just compress the latch spring a tiny amount you dont want to bust it.
black electric tape works good to pad jaws in a pinch.

 

[jethunter]

Thanks guys!

jethunter, I have tightened the hinge screw for both the frame and the latch. But still a little play, is it possible the latch pin itself is the culprit?

Might be the latch pin worn but quite often the two hinge "ears" on the frame are slightly spread so the corresponding hinge tab on the cylinder/barrel assy is loose or sloppy when it is fit together. I have very good results by ever so slightly bumping these ear tabs on the frame closer together. Here's how I do it:

Remove hinge pin and then the clyinder/barrel assy from the frame. Then I squeeze the frame hinge ears closer together ever so slightly with a paddded vice. Go slow using tiny incremental increases in tension and after every invremental increase try fitting the center tab into the frame hinge. If you go too far, don't panic - just use a wedge (large chisel works well) and again ever-so-softly tap it between the ears to spread them slightly. This steel is VERY soft and it does not take much effort to make things move. The key is to go softly and not take things too far. If you don't feel comfortable it is probably best to let a 'smith do it but it is quite simple.