Original British Victorian Webley .455cal Mark I Antique Revolver Made Between 1887-1894 Original Items

Original Item: One Only. This is one of the most hard to find of any British Military Revolver. Known as the MARK ONE, it is the very first version of the iconic Webley Top-Break revolver series. This model was first produced in 1887 and continued production until 1894 when it was replaced with the Mark two from 1894 until 1897. The series continued with the Mark three from 1897 to 1899, the Mark four from 1899 to 1913, the Mark five from 1913 to 1914 and finally the Webley Mark six from 1915 until 1919.  The Mark Six was the revolver WRONGLY carried by Actor Michael Caine as Lt. Bromhead in the wonderful Movie “ZULU”.

The early Mark One Revolvers are just never encountered on the market. Company owner Christian Cranmer has only ever owned one previously. This example is marked with matching serial number 21602 on the frame, barrel, and side rear of the cylinder. As seen with other British arms of the period, as improvements were made before he next model came out they were indicated with “Stars” after the “mark number” and if you examine this example it reads:-

WEBLEY
MARK 1 **
PATENT
1914

The date 1914 is overstamped on the bottom of the patent marking, and is not the date of manufacture. It means that this revolver was still in service in 1914, and was possibly used during WWI. There are multiple proof marks on the revolver, making this an excellent research opportunity. For additional information see: THE WEBLEY SERVICE REVOLVER by Robert Maze, published in 2012. Pages 18-21.

In excellent Condition this is a prime example of a very rare model, the ANTIQUE WEBLEY MARK ONE .455 cal. Service Revolver (1887-1894). The bore shows clear lands and grooves, though there is some pitting in the grooves. The revolver has a nice aged blue finish, with the expected wear of age. The grips are in good shape, with just a bit of chipping at the bottom corner. Lanyard loop is intact.

Fully cleaned and ready to Display.