Webley Mk IV .38

Webley & Scott Ltd. · Revolver · Out Of Production · 1932

Also known as: Webley Mark IV .38, Webley .38/200, Webley .38 Mk IV War Finish

Overview

The Webley Mk IV .38 is a six-shot, top-break, double-action service revolver chambered for the .38/200 (.38 S&W) cartridge. A scaled-down derivative of the .455 Webley Mk VI, it was developed in the early 1930s as Webley's commercial answer after the British Army adopted the rival Enfield No. 2 Mk I. WWII pistol shortages forced the Army back to Webley, which supplied roughly 126,000 Mk IVs from 1940 onward. It served extensively with British and Commonwealth forces through World War II, Korea, the Malayan Emergency, and into the colonial police era.

Specifications

Weight (empty)	995 g (35.1 oz)
Overall Length	260 mm (10.24")
Barrel Length	127 mm (5.00")
Action Type	Break Action
Firing Mechanism	Double Action Single Action
Trigger Type	Double Action
Magazine Capacity	6 rounds
Magazine Type	Internal
Muzzle Velocity	198 m/s (650 fps)
Muzzle Energy	239 J (176 ft·lbf)
Effective Range	50 m (55 yd)
Barrel Rifling	Right Hand
Number of Grooves	7
Frame Material	Steel
Barrel Material	Steel
Stock Material	Wood
Finish	Parkerized

Calibers

.38/200 (.38 S&W) · primary — also known as .38/200, .38 S&W, .38 S&W Super Police, 9x20mmR

Features

Firing modes: Repeating
Feed systems: Six Round Cylinder
Safety mechanisms: Rebound Hammer, Stirrup Latch
Features: Top Break Action, Automatic Extraction, Six Round Cylinder, War Finish Simplified Production

Variants

Webley Mk IV .38 War Finish — Wartime Simplified

Service history

Operators

British Army · adopted 1940 · as Pistol, Revolver, Webley .38 Mk IV
Commonwealth Forces · adopted 1940
Hong Kong Police

Conflicts

World War II (1939-1945)
Korean War (1950-1953)
Malayan Emergency (1948-1960)
Suez Crisis (1956)

Production

Estimated total produced: 126,000 · Production years: 1932-1968

Approximately 126,000 purchased by the British Ministry of Supply from 1940; broader Webley .38 family output across 1929-1968 is estimated near 500,000

Origin

Country of origin: United Kingdom

Discontinued: 1968

Notes

Standard military barrel was 5 inches (127 mm); 4-inch and 3-inch commercial/police barrels were also produced. The wartime 'War Finish' models used parkerised finishes and plain wood grips for faster mass production.

Background

The Mk IV .38 was Webley's commercial consolation prize: the firm designed a .38 service revolver for the War Office, but in 1932 the government adopted the Enfield No. 2 instead, a design heavily based on Webley's own submission. Wartime pistol shortages forced the Army to buy Webleys anyway. A second irony: Britain swapped the original hard-hitting 200-grain soft-lead bullet for a lighter ~178-grain jacketed round citing the Hague Convention, blunting the very stopping power the .38/200 was designed to deliver.