Webley & Scott 1910
Webley & Scott Ltd. · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1910
Also known as: Webley & Scott Model 1910, Webley .38 High Velocity Self-Loading Pistol, Webley & Scott .38 Automatic Pistol Model 1910
Overview
The Webley & Scott 1910 is a short-recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol chambered in .38 ACP, designed by William John Whiting and made by Webley & Scott Ltd. of Birmingham. Marketed for the British market under the .38 'High Velocity' designation, it actually fired the American .38 Automatic Colt Pistol cartridge. The design moved away from Whiting's earlier blowback pistols, adopting a locked-breech short-recoil action housed under a slide of distinctive rectangular cross-section that broke from the rounded contours of the firm's smaller .32 ACP guns. It was offered in two patterns, one with a manual safety lever and one with an automatic grip safety, fed from a detachable box magazine in the butt. Although mechanically capable, the 1910 sold poorly and was a commercial dead end, overshadowed by the larger .455 self-loaders that Webley & Scott developed for British naval and military trials. Production was very limited and ended in 1911 after fewer than a thousand were built, making it one of the rarest of all Webley & Scott semi-automatic pistols.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1000 g (35.3 oz) |
| Overall Length | 203 mm (7.99") |
| Barrel Length | 127 mm (5.00") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Single Action |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 8 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 320 m/s (1050 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 430 J (317 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 45 m (49 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .38 ACP · primary — also known as .38 Automatic Colt Pistol, .38 Auto, .38 High Velocity, 9x23mmSR
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Lever, Grip Safety
- Features: Exposed Hammer, Rectangular Cross Section Slide, V Spring Lockwork, Detachable Box Magazine, Produced In Manual Safety And Grip Safety Patterns
Variants
- Webley & Scott 1910 (Manual Safety) — Manual Safety Pattern
- Webley & Scott 1910 (Grip Safety) — Grip Safety Pattern
Service history
Operators
- Commercial / private purchase · adopted 1910
Production
Estimated total produced: 930 · Production years: 1909-1911
About 22 pistols made in 1909-1910 as early/prototype examples; series production ended in December 1911 after roughly 930 were built.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: William John Whiting
Discontinued: 1911
Notes
Sources disagree on magazine capacity (commonly reported as 7 or 8 rounds); modernfirearms.net gives 8 for the .38 model, which is used here. Total production is generally cited at around 930 pistols, with a handful of prototypes made in 1909-1910 and series production ending in December 1911. The .38 'High Velocity' label was a British marketing name for the standard American .38 ACP round.
Background
The 1910 .38 was a transitional Whiting design bridging Webley & Scott's small blowback .32 ACP pocket pistols and the firm's much larger locked-breech .455 service self-loaders adopted by the Royal Navy. Its commercial failure makes surviving examples prized collector items today.