Welcome to at present’s Photograph of the Day! The Webley 1904 was an experimental early semi-automatic pistol designed by John Whiting for Webley & Scott in .455 caliber. It utilized a brief recoil locking system with an enormous falling block breechbolt, making it extraordinarily massive and heavy. This Webley 1904 prototype was one of many first British army semi-auto pistols examined, exhibiting promise initially. Nonetheless, points quickly arose together with sensitivity to grime, extreme recoil, and ejecting instances on the shooter’s face. Testing was discontinued in 1905. Although modern with options like its grip security and lever recoil buffer, the 1904 proved too unrefined. Webley & Scott in the end redesigned it into the profitable blowback-operated Mannequin 1912. Solely a handful of 1904 prototypes like this instance survive. Regardless of its flaws, the 1904 represents an essential step within the growth of Webley & Scott’s later pistols.
“It is a very uncommon instance of one of many early prototype kind designed Mannequin 1904 semi-automatic pistol as manufactured by W&S. This uncommon pistol has the very massive fashion body that makes use of the Whiting designed vertical locking mechanism. John Whiting had been introduced into the Webley & Scott agency by Henry Webley after his profitable growth of the Gabbett-Fairfaz designed MARS pistol. Clearly the intent was to have Whiting develop a brand new semi-automatic kind pistol for each industrial and army gross sales. This precise pistol is proven and described on pages 500-504 of the ebook “Handguns of the World” by Dr. Ezell. It’s a very massive, heavy design that had some attention-grabbing options. It was a blow-back operated kind design with an enormous breach bolt with lightning cuts on the perimeters and the vertical locking block that engages the decrease sides of the breech bolt. It has a big ring hammer with a removable journal and a backside launch mechanism positioned on the underside of the butt of the pistol. The pistol weighs simply over 3.04 lbs unloaded and was the very first British Navy semi-automatic pistol examined.”
Lot 1407: Webley & Scott Mannequin 1904 Semi-Computerized. (n.d.-b). Rock Island Public sale Firm. {photograph}. Retrieved February 16, 2024, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/element/69/1407/webley-scott-model-1904-semiautomatic.
The submit POTD: Their Early Self Loader – The Webley 1904 in .455 appeared first on AllOutdoor.com.
