British Bull Dog
P. Webley & Son · Revolver · Discontinued · 1872
Also known as: Webley British Bull Dog, Webley No. 2 British Bull Dog, Bulldog revolver
Overview
The British Bull Dog is a compact double-action revolver introduced by P. Webley & Son of Birmingham in 1872. Designed as an affordable pocket pistol for self-defence, it featured a short 64 mm barrel and a five-round cylinder chambered for the .442 Webley centrefire cartridge (also offered in .450 Adams). Its small size, solid frame, and stopping power made it one of the most popular concealed-carry handguns of the late Victorian era, and it was extensively copied by gunmakers in Belgium, France, and the United States.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 450 g (15.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 152 mm (5.98") |
| Barrel Length | 64 mm (2.52") |
| Action Type | Revolving |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 210 m/s (689 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 324 J (239 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 14 m (15 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .442 Webley · primary — also known as .442 Revolver Centre Fire, .442 R.I.C., .44 Webley, 10.5x17mmR, .442 Kurz
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Cylinder
- Features: Fixed Sights, Short Barrel, Concealable, Rebounding Hammer
Service history
Operators
- Civilian self-defence market · adopted 1872
Production
Production years: 1872-1939
Produced in large numbers by Webley and copied by numerous Continental and American makers; exact totals are not recorded.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: P. Webley & Son
Discontinued: 1939
Notes
Sold in enormous numbers and so widely copied that 'Bulldog' became a generic term for short-barrelled solid-frame pocket revolvers. Charles Guiteau used a .442 British Bull Dog to assassinate U.S. President James A. Garfield in 1881.
Background
The British Bull Dog earned lasting notoriety in 1881 when Charles J. Guiteau used one chambered in .442 to fatally shoot U.S. President James A. Garfield. Cheap, concealable, and hard-hitting, it became the archetypal Victorian pocket revolver and lent its name to an entire class of compact self-defence handguns.