Webley Mk IV help please

[Carpe_Jugulum]

OK at the gunshow this past weekend my mom fell in love with a Webely Mk. IV and bought it like she keeps doing
Here is the problem, we were told 3 different calibers of ammo for it by 3 different dealers.
.38 S&W
.38/200
.380 revolver

So which (if any) is it?  Where can I get some? and is there any modern day ammo that can be run through it like you can with the nagant pistol?

It's marked Mk IV,  .38 and War Finish


Also where can I score a period (or period looking) holster for it?

[47_MasoN_47]

After looking around it looks like they were originally chambered for their own caliber (.455 Webley) but it looks like most of them are .38/200.  The main reason I've never bought one of these revolvers is because of the odd caliber.

[Carpe_Jugulum]

Well so far I found this:
At the end of World War I, the British military decided that the .455 calibre gun and cartridge was too large for modern military use, and decided (after numerous tests and extensive trials) that a pistol in .38 calibre , firing a 200-grain (13 g) bullet, would be just as effective as the .455 for stopping an enemy.
 
An Enfield No. 2 Mk I revolver—clearly based on the Webley revolver, if not an outright copy.Webley & Scott immediately tendered the .38/200 calibre Webley Mk IV revolver, which as well as being nearly identical in appearance to the .455 calibre Mk VI revolver (albeit scaled down for the smaller cartridge), was based on their .38 calibre Webley Mk III pistol, designed for the police and civilian markets

so I know it wasn't re-chambered but then there was this:
Webley revolver, .38, Mark 4. Oficially adopted for military service in 1942, this was initially a scaled-down version of the .455 Mark 6 revolver, chambered for .38 S&W cartridge, and developed by Webley & Scott in 1923 for police use. These guns were oficially regarded obsolete as late as in 1963. It should be noted, that oficial british .38/200 ammunition was based on early, blackpowder .38 Smith & Wesson cartridge, and was used with heavy 200 grains (13.4 gramms) bullet, leaving the muzzle at relatively slow velocities of about 198 meters/sec (650 fps).

So it looks like she might be able to use .38 S&W, but the "early, blackpowder" part makes me a bit nervous. Would a modern .38 S&W cartridge be to high a pressure?

[Silicon Wolverine]

modern 38 S&W ammo is loaded to safe levels in older revolvers because of the fact that 99% of guns chambered in this round came from the turn of the century.  there is factory ammo available but it is far more economical to load some yourself.   brass and other components are widely available from the usual sources.  dies may be harder to find but lee lists them.

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/cart.cgi?1206118797.5702=90569

SW

[Carpe_Jugulum]

Great! I saw some posts on thehighroad saying that the closer to 200 grn the better the accuracy. but first I think we'll go grab some factory ammo and give it a run through and then go from there. Now to find a proper holster for it

[Silicon Wolverine]

possible one here

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=145147777

another here (dedicated 38 rig)

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=144727243

and a navy rig with riveted seams

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/rare-webley-naval-holster-webley-mk-v-gun

SW

[Carpe_Jugulum]

here are pics no toes but I didn't take them







somebody cut the loop off of the bottom but left part of the bolt still the frame. how tough would it be to remove? it's cut flust with the frame but I was wondering if it stuck out into the open area inside so I could back it out. And is there a place I can get a replacement bolt and loop? I've been looking online and found pretty much everyother part but those.

Also how do I measure the barrel length? from tip to front of cylinder?

[Silicon Wolverine]

barrel length is from the muzzle to teh back fo the forcing cone.  dont include the cyclinder length.

as for your other part, you could try the british section of gunboards, they would be more help than me.

http://forums.gunboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=56

SW

[Carpe_Jugulum]

UMMM forcing cone?


and as proof of how great this board is the lanyard question seems to have been answered almost as soon as I clicked the link from SW

[Silicon Wolverine]

the forcing cone is the conical part at the rear of the barrel that aligns the bullet with the rifling.  just measure from the rearmost part of the barrel to the muzzle.

SW

[Batjac]

Hmmm...  Saw one of these at the local pawn shop yesterday for 169.00 with holster.  Interesting, but not my cup of tea.

[Carpe_Jugulum]

I would have grabbed it for that price and never looked back.

[Carpe_Jugulum]

Well I finally got up here to clean her Webley and the barrel is PERFECT! The bore is shiny and the rifling is crisp and even. She got a good deal on this thing (especially after talking the guy down!)

Now to find some ammo Cabellas was a bust. They really seem to be dropping a lot of non-mainstream ammo. Looks like it will be online purchase time