16ga.com ~ View topic - General opinion of webley and scott boxlocks

Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 46

Found a nice boxlock from both webley and scott and cogswell harrison. The cogswell is '20 vintage, but I can't find dates of manufacture for the Webley and Scott. It is #114xxx. Also, were these guns ever polished clean after case hardening, with no trace of color?

Go to the Doublegunshop.com site. Click on "other useful info" and on the bottom of the list you'll see "dates of manufacture". Smile

Strato-caster
The 114XXX serial number dates the gun between 1932 -----1935. 115XXX started in 1935. My gun has a 128XXX serial number and was made in 1957.
Webley & Scott made so many guns for so many people.They were the gunmakers that gunmakers went to to get a gun and then put their own name on them.
My beloved 470 Gibbs is built on a Webley action.Yesterday I shot a W J Jeffery 450 / 400 built on a Webley action. In my opinion Webley actions or actions made by Webley and Scott are second to none in both double rifles and shotguns.My 470 has chopperlump barrels and twin disc set strikers,not bad for a common old Webley.
Chopperguy has a pretty special Webley and my brother has a Live pigeon gun which I have trying to get from him for ages.32" barrels chopper lump,side clips,bored full and full. yeah Webley aint bad.I would't mind a couple more in the safe.

I don't think the factory would have polished the action.

good shooting
sbs470

Member Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Posts: 743

The most commonly seen modern British double (that is, post-WWII) is the Scott 700 series. A 30's gun would have predated the 700's. But generally speaking, Scott boxlocks are solid, reliable guns. My pair of Army & Navy 2 1/2" 12's were made by Scott in 1933, and I have absolutely no complaints.

Absence of case color is likely the result of wear. Also, if the frame got tarnished, someone might have polished it, thinking it looked better that way.

When I had the gunshop, I must have had at least twenty Webley 700's through my hands. I also had some that predated the 700, called Model 500, which were equally tight and right.....never saw a bad one, they are the workhorses of the British boxlock gun world (they also had a couple fancier upgrades, the 702 and the 701....the 701 being nicer than the 702....go figger), built like tanks, they can take shot after shot after shot....even the ones that predated the numbered models were very sturdy, and as has already been mentioned, many many gunmakers bought Webley barrelled actions then finished them out and put their own names on them.... get the Webley, you can't go wrong.....

also, the "polished clean" is actually called "brushed bright" in the English guntrade and is in my opinion a cheap and unattractive alternative to re case color hardening....they did it to dull, graying, faded actions which actually look better dull and faded, I think.... that shiny look spooks incoming waterfowl....

britgun

Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 46

This gun is a 700, but I am sure the Sn was 114xxx, which contradicts what was mentioned above. The wood and blueing are in remarkably good shape, but the receiver is missing all of its case color. Might be a restocked and reblued gun, for all I know. It feels very nice in my hands, would shoot slightly high, but now I'm a little leery. It is a 2 1/2 action, but from what I've garnered from others, that shouldn't be a problem. I was orinally looking for a 16 ga for chukar and possibly pheasants, because of the reputation of the gauge and because I don't have one! Laughing

My goal is not to spend a bundle and have a good patterning hunting gun that I will enjoy for years to come.

Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 46

BTW this gun is a 12 ga 2 1/2 chamber, not a 16.

I originally wanted a 16 for chukar and possibly pheasant due to its shotstring and patterning ability and because, well, I don't have one and really want one! Very Happy

Forgot to ask in the previous post-

I am assuming this gun should have a proof mark as to what loads you may shoot out of it. I know it should handle low pressure, low recoil 1 oz loads like RST and Polywad, but will it be able to handle larger loads, say up to 1 1/8 oz? Can you tell I didn't scrutinize this gun as much as I should have. I should have broken it down to look at the barrel flats. I had my 2 year old with me, need I say more?

Also, assuming the gun is original (well, it does have a recoil pad) is it worthwhile or desirable to re-casecolor the receiver and how does that affect value?

And who would I go to?

Member Joined: 01 Dec 2006 Posts: 524

No on the case colors. It would cost more than you'd ever recoup at resale.
Plus there are many 700's out there with great CC's for 2800-3800 bucks.
I know where one is right now for 2900 in 12GA. CC's are close to 100% gun has 28"bbls and all is tight. Actually, it is the lack of shotstring with the 16GA that makes it such a great shooter of 1oz loads. balanced loaads are ones in which all the pattern arrives at once, with no stringing. The 28GA does that with 3/4oz loads. Anything over 1oz in the 16GA, will begin diminishing returns, except on a stationary pattern board.

Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 46

Also what do you think this gun should sell for?

Quite frankly, I've consulted the BlueBook of Gun Value and I have never seen guns on the used market sell at their scales. They always seem low, at least on the purchases I have made, and I typically drive a fairly hard bargain and am no sucker. On ths particular Webley, they say $1700 for 100%, 1625 for 98% , 1500 for 95% , 1250 for 90% and so on... and btw, subtract $50 for double triggers.

I agree, don't worry about case color, and if it's a 2 1/2" 12 bore gun, it's proofed for 1 1/8, but a lot of these guys shot 1 1/16, it'll handle all of the above fine, it's the pressures to be concerned with....shoot lower pressure loads, like 7000-8000 max (and below)...

b'gun

Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 46

Anybody have an educated guess for pricing this gun? I would be very grateful! Seems like they're all over the board!

Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 46

Brit Gun ,

I sent you a PM

My latest possession is a Jeffrey 12ga 2 1/2" BLE. I noticed on it as well as most other Brit boxlocks that the bottom of the action is blackened whereas the rest of the action is CC, and it seems to wear much better than the CC. Is that a type of tough wearing bluing?