Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver
Webley & Scott Ltd. · Revolver · Out Of Production · 1901
Also known as: Webley-Fosbery Model 1901, Webley-Fosbery Model 1902, W-F Automatic Revolver
Overview
The Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver is a unique recoil-operated revolver designed by retired British Lieutenant Colonel George Vincent Fosbery VC and produced by Webley & Scott from 1901 to 1924. Unlike conventional revolvers where the shooter rotates the cylinder by pulling the trigger or thumb-cocking the hammer, the Webley-Fosbery uses the recoil energy of each shot to slide the entire upper assembly (barrel, cylinder, and frame top) rearward along grooves in the lower frame, with a fixed stud engaging zig-zag tracks machined into the cylinder to rotate it to the next chamber and simultaneously re-cock the hammer. This produced an extraordinarily light, crisp single-action trigger pull and made the Webley-Fosbery exceptionally accurate for its era - it became a favourite of competition target shooters at Bisley. Chambered in .455 Webley with a 6-round cylinder (or in .38 ACP with an 8-round cylinder), the gun was loaded via stripper clips for rapid reloading. Despite its mechanical brilliance, the design was complex, expensive, mud-sensitive, and offered few practical advantages over conventional revolvers or the emerging self-loading pistols. It was never officially adopted by the British military but was carried into combat by officers who privately purchased examples during the Boer Wars and the First World War.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1065 g (37.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 267 mm (10.51") |
| Barrel Length | 152 mm (5.98") |
| Action Type | Recoil Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Single Action |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Rotary |
| Muzzle Velocity | 190 m/s (623 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 305 J (225 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 7 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .455 Webley · primary — also known as .455 Eley, .455 British Service, 11.5x19mmR Webley
- .38 ACP — also known as .38 Auto, 9x23mmSR
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Rotary Cylinder, Stripper Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Lever
- Features: Recoil Operated Cylinder Rotation, Automatic Hammer Cocking, Zig Zag Cylinder Grooves, Two Part Sliding Frame, Stripper Clip Loadable, Target Grade Accuracy
Variants
- Webley-Fosbery .455 Model 1902 (6-inch) — Standard
- Webley-Fosbery .38 ACP (8-shot) — Small Caliber
- Webley-Fosbery 7.5-inch Target — Target
Service history
Operators
- British Army (private purchase by officers) · adopted 1901
- British target shooting community · adopted 1901
Conflicts
- Second Boer War (1899-1902)
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Estimated total produced: 4,750 · Production years: 1901-1924
Approximately 4,000 produced in .455 Webley and roughly 750 in .38 ACP. Production effectively ceased during WWI when Webley & Scott shifted to standard service revolvers, with leftover parts assembled into the early 1920s.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: Lt. Col. George Vincent Fosbery VC
Discontinued: 1924
Notes
The Webley-Fosbery is famous for its appearance in Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel The Maltese Falcon, where Sam Spade identifies it as the murder weapon - though it does not appear in the 1941 film adaptation. The design is mechanically classified by some authorities as a 'semi-automatic revolver' since it self-cycles its action while retaining a rotating cylinder.
Background
The Webley-Fosbery is the murder weapon in Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon - Sam Spade famously identifies a discarded brass casing as 'an eight-shot .38 Webley-Fosbery automatic - there aren't many of them.' Colonel Fosbery, the inventor, had previously been awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions during the Umbeyla Campaign in 1863 against Afghan tribesmen on the North-West Frontier, making him perhaps the only Victoria Cross recipient to also patent a successful production firearm.