My stepson left a couple revolvers with me when they moved to Seattle. One is a HiStandard 22 revolver which I have shot and it is fun - I may also enter it in the "show us your ugly gun" thread. The other is a Webley. I finally got some penetrating oil on it and got the breaktop open. Read a little about it on Wikipedia and I guess the caliber is .455. Not sure what edition it is given the markings above and below the cylinder on the frame. I hope these show up well in the pictures. Any idea of how old? Any value if cleaned up? Cylinder does not lock up well, could I shoot it if ammo can be found? Thanks for any help. I think he got it from his grandfather (RIP).

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Good looking Webley!

What does the rear of the cylinder look like? Smooth with no stampings?Looks to be wide there and might be shaved. If it’s got lockup issues it might not be safe. I had a Mk VI that was hitting the edges of the primers causing it to shave lead. I retired it until I found a replacement pawl that along with an old .455 correct cylinder fixed it. They are cool revolvers.

the cylindars are modified to use .45 auto with half moon clips. just a "collector item". vin

It is a Webley MK VI made in 1917. On the topstrap you see the mark 17. That will tell the age.

That looks to be a nice Mk VI. Also does not appear, from the images, that the rear of the cylinder has been "shaved" for use with .45 ACP in half or full moon clips. It's more valuable to a collector as the original .455 chambering. The only ammo available for it is loaded by Fiocchi and may be a little tough to find, but worth it.

Most Mk VI's imported into the US were converted to .45 ACP even though the gun metal really won't do well with standard or +P .45 ACP factory ammo. It's common knowledge to use only light pressure .45 ACP handloads in Mk VI's. I'd suggest lead bullets over jacketed too.

They are fun to shoot with proper ammo.

A little cylinder side to side play is common with these.

I have an unshaved Mark VI Webley and it is really a fun gun to shoot. That big lead 265 grain bullet makes a pretty good smack on the target. One gentleman at my club was able to put 5 shots into around 3 inches offhand one-handed with my gun.

Now that FETV is showing reruns of "Sgt. Preston of the Yukon" the Webleys are showing up all the time. All I need now is a red coat and a lanyard.

How old? is easy: It says 1917 right on the gun

I think it is probably shaved, but the photo is slightly distorted and I’m not 100% sure.

It has the standard proofs and acceptance markings, but also later Birmingham commercial proofs, which are the cluster on the left in front of the cylinder and the crown/BNPs.

The cylinder will wobble or rock side to side when the revolver has the hammer down and the trigger forward as in the pics.
When the hammer is cocked and/or fully down and the trigger is fully to the rear,,the cylinder should be 'locked' in position and not rock side to side.
The hand is pushing hard against the ratchet tooth pushing the cylinder against the cylinder locking bolt.

That's just the way they are designed.

Look at the rear outside edge of the cylinder. The ser# of the gun is stamped along that edge.
If the stamped # appears to be cut in half,,then the cylinder has been 'shaved' for use with 45acp. A common conversion done to these in the 50's and 60's when most were imported into the USA. .455 ammo was scarce,,45acp was not. Selling them for $12.50 was much easier at the time if they were in 45acp.

If the ser# appears full size, unaltered as to height, then the cylinder is most likely unaltered and still in .455 cal.
That's a plus as the orig cal revolvers bring a premium when sold.

Nice looking Webley Mk VI. They bring some good money now.
Even the ones converted to 45acp that were bought for $12.50 back in the day.

The orig grips are a hard rubber matrl and can be fragile from age. Be careful with them. Orig replacements are pricey.

Brings back memories when I was a kid and one could buy a Lee-Enfield for $18.00, a 1911 for $25.00 and the Webleys went for a cheap price as well. There were all kinds of Army-Navy surplus stores around, too.

Thanks everybody for your help. Attached are a couple more pics of the cylinder. If no stampings does that mean it is shaved? Does this one appear to be shaved?

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Looks shaved to me unfortunately. There would be proofmarks if it wasn’t. Another clue is if the serial number on the rear edge of the cylinder is partially gone so only the top half of the number is visible. Moon clips or autorim brass will work. Reduced handloads or target factory loads if you can find them.

Sorry, I had not read this response when I posted the second set of pics. Indeed the number on the outside edge of the cylinder is cut in half, so obviously shaved, correct??

Thanks Baltimore. 100% correct. The serial number does appear on the rear edge and it is indeed cut in half. So I guess shaved.

For issues regarding shooting the shaved gun, you might find this old thread interesting:

Webley Revolver question

I have a number of Webley MK VIs and some unshaved, some shaved. Never use a regular 0.45ACP load in these guns as that regular loading approximates proof loads. Use a load that will give you roughly 625 fps with a 230 grain bullet. Dave_n

I just went down and checked the cylinder on my Webley. On the back it has a proof mark and an arrowhead. So if there are no marks like these on the rear of the cylinder of your gun that would indicate the cylinder was put on a lathe. Combine that with the information in Post #9 you would have pretty hard evidence that the cylinder was shaved.

you can tell if a .445 clindar has been shaved if there no numbers on the rear. vin

"When the hammer is cocked and/or fully down and the trigger is fully to the rear,,the cylinder should be 'locked' in position and not rock side to side.
The hand is pushing hard against the ratchet tooth pushing the cylinder against the cylinder locking bolt."

I did not know that. It in fact does lock up tightly when hammer is cocked and trigger is pulled back. Where does one look for half moon clips for such an old gun? I plan to soak off the rust and clean it up and MAYBE put a few rounds through it.

This is also how to correctly check a Colt double action, cock the hammer, hold the trigger back and lower the hammer. If it’s tight there is no rotation -wiggle in the cylinder. And of course hopefully no endshake. Plenty of folks selling moon clips.