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The Webley Revolver (also known as the Webley Top-Break Revolver or Webley Self-Extracting Revolver) was, in various marks, the standard issue service pistol for the armed forces of the United Kingdom, the British Empire, and the Commonwealth from 1887 until 1963. The Webley is a top-break revolver with automatic extraction. That is, breaking the revolver open for reloading also operates the extractor. This removes the spent cartridges from the cylinder. The Webley Mk I service revolver was adopted in 1887. A later version, the Mk IV, rose to prominence during the Boer War of 1899–1902. However, the Mk VI, introduced in 1915 during the First World War, is perhaps the best-known model. Firing the large .455 Webley cartridge, Webley service revolvers are among the most powerful top-break revolvers ever produced. Although the .455 calibre Webley is no longer in military service, the .38/200 Webley Mk IV variant is still in use as a police sidearm in a number of countries.〔(Historic firearm of the month, July 1999 ), Cruffler.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-02〕 With a modified, "shaved" cylinder and the use of a half moon clip, the Webley Mk VI can fire the 45 ACP cartridge,〔https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=517641〕 although full-power or +P .45 ACP cartridges exceed Webley proof loads and should not be used.〔() Retrieved on 2015-09-28]〕 Many of the Webley Mk VIs were converted to fire 45 ACP ammunition after .455 Webley ammunition became increasingly difficult to find. ==History== The British company Webley and Scott (P. Webley & Son before merger with W & C Scott in 1897) produced a range of revolvers from the mid 19th to late 20th centuries. As early as 1853 P. Webley and J. Webley began production of their first patented single action cap and ball revolvers. Later under the trade name of P. Webley and Son, manufacturing included their own .44-caliber rim-fire solid frame revolver as well as licensed copies of Smith & Wesson's Tip up break action revolvers. The quintessential hinged frame, centre-fire revolvers for which the Webley name is best known first began production/development in the early 1870s most notably with the Webley-Pryse (1877) and Webley-Kaufman (1881) models. The W.G. or Webley-Government models produced from 1885 through to the early 1900s, (often incorrectly referred to as the Webley-Green) are the most popular of the commercial top break revolvers and many were the private purchase choice of English military officers and target shooters in the period, coming in a .476/.455 calibre. However other short-barrel solid-frame revolvers, including the Webley RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) model and the British Bulldog revolver, designed to be carried in a coat pocket for self-defence were far more commonplace during the period. Today, undoubtedly best-known are the range of military revolvers, which were in service use across two World Wars and numerous colonial conflicts. In 1887, the British Army was searching for a revolver to replace the largely unsatisfactory .476 Enfield Mk I & Mk II Revolvers, the Enfield having only replaced the solid frame Adams .450 revolver which was a late 1860s conversion of the cap and ball Beaumont–Adams revolver in 1880. Webley & Scott, who were already very well known makers of quality guns and had sold many pistols on a commercial basis to military officers and civilians alike, tendered the .455 calibre Webley Self-Extracting Revolver for trials. The military was suitably impressed with the revolver (it was seen as a vast improvement over the Enfield revolvers then in service, which American designed Owen extraction system did not prove particularly satisfactory in service), and it was adopted on 8 November 1887 as the "Pistol, Webley, Mk I".〔§ 6075, ''List of Changes in British War Material'' (hereafter referred to as "LoC"), H.M. Stationer's Office, periodical〕 The initial contract called for 10,000 Webley revolvers, at a price of £3/1/1 each, with at least 2,000 revolvers to be supplied within eight months.〔Skennerton, Ian D., ''Small Arms Identification Series No. 9: .455 Pistol, Revolver No. 1 Mk VI'', p. 6, Arms & Militaria Press, 1997.〕 The Webley revolver went through a number of changes, culminating in the Mk VI, which was in production between 1915 and 1923. The large .455 Webley revolvers were retired in 1947, although the Webley Mk IV .38/200 remained in service until 1963 alongside the Enfield No. 2 Mk I revolver. Commercial versions of all Webley service revolvers were also sold on the civilian market, along with a number of similar designs (such as the Webley-Government and Webley-Wilkinson) that were not officially adopted for service, but were nonetheless purchased privately by military officers. File:Webley_MkI_P0.jpg|A Webley Mark I Revolver, circa 1887, from Canada, cal .455 (Mk I) Webley File:Thinktank Birmingham - object 1949S00001.jpg|Webley Mark VI .455 service revolver Image:Webley-Mk-IV-p1030102.jpg|Close up of the cylinder (including thumb catch) on a Webley Mk VI service revolver File:Webley W. G. Model.JPG|Webley WG (a.k.a. Webley Government) Revolver cal .455/476 (.476 Enfield) File:Webley IMG 6793.jpg|A Webley Revolver, opened File:IOF-32-REV-1.JPG|IOF .32 Revolver Image:Webleypocket.jpg|Copy of Webley Pocket Pistol in .38 S&W, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan Image:455in SAA Ball - Webley 455 Ammunition.jpg|.455 in SAA Ball ammunition. Image:380RevolverMkIIz Cartridges.JPG|A box of Second World War dated .380" Revolver Mk IIz cartridges 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Webley Revolver」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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