Webley-Scott .455 1913 Navy Automatic

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by Ron Wood

Wow! Very nice...I really enjoy seeing scarce items like this.

I really enjoy seeing weird items like this!!!

Some of the features are obvious - grip safety, mag release, lanyard ring...But what is that lever (?) on the right side of the slide??? And the curious piece over the trigger guard on right side???

Does it have an obvious ejection port??? Or is it only in view during ejection??? (I assume it is top ejecting)...

[varifleman]

Originally Posted by postino

I really enjoy seeing weird items like this!!!

Some of the features are obvious - grip safety, mag release, lanyard ring...But what is that lever (?) on the right side of the slide??? And the curious piece over the trigger guard on right side???

Does it have an obvious ejection port??? Or is it only in view during ejection??? (I assume it is top ejecting)...

Hi Postino: According to the 1916 Webley-Scott Pistol manual diagram for this pistol I think the level is the "recoil lever bar and breech stop" and the other button-like piece is the "recoil level stop." These are used to take down the pistol for cleaning, inspection etc.

[Olle]

Originally Posted by postino

Does it have an obvious ejection port??? Or is it only in view during ejection??? (I assume it is top ejecting)...

It has an ejection port on top of the slide. This is a rare bird, and it's really cool in all its ugliness. That ammo pack is also interesting, it's amazing that they went through all that trouble wrapping it, tying it up, stamping it etc. for a measly 7 rounds. I guess it stems from the same philosophy as the magazine cut-offs on some old rifles: "Don't waste your ammunition, one round per enemy is enough".

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by Olle

This is a rare bird, and it's really cool in all its ugliness.

I was reading a little bit about its history...It seems in April 1915 the Royal Flying Corps pilots needed a weapon to defend themselves against enemy planes...Machine guns had not yet been mounted (or even thought of being mounted), so the Webley-Scott was issued for aero defense...[Source: POTW, Ian Hogg]...

I thought that scene in "Flyboys" where The Black Falcon is shot with a revolver was kind of a flight of fancy, but at a mere 70mph maybe not so much...

[Olle]

Originally Posted by postino

I was reading a little bit about its history...It seems in April 1915 the Royal Flying Corps pilots needed a weapon to defend themselves against enemy planes...Machine guns had not yet been mounted (or even thought of being mounted), so the Webley-Scott was issued for aero defense...[Source: POTW, Ian Hogg]...

I thought that scene in "Flyboys" where The Black Falcon is shot with a revolver was kind of a flight of fancy, but at a mere 70mph maybe not so much...

I wouldn't be surprised. They even dropped bombs by hand, so it's not too far fetched to assume that they used handguns to shoot at other planes. It's also said that many WWI pilots liked to carry handguns, just because they didn't have parachutes. Quicker and less painful than jumping from a burning plane...

[varifleman]

An interesting observation about use of this pistol by the Royal Flying Corps. According to the 1916 Admiralty manual this pistol is supplied for the use of destroyers and torpedo boats where a sword will not be worn and therefore the pistol is carried at the left side. Sounds almost like the days of the sailing ships and boarding parties...and Errol Flynn!