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LOT 3481
Exceptional British Webley-Fosbery Model 1903 Automatic Revolver in .455
Webley - Serial no. 2720, 455 Webley cal., 6 inch solid rib bbl., blue finish, walnut grips.
Designed in 1895 by Lt. Col. George V. Fosbery (1832-1907) and with roughly 4,237 produced
by Webley & Scott Ltd. from 1903 to 1924, the Model 1903 Webley-Fosbery revolver was a
continuation of the earlier Model 1901 with a simplified cylinder removal method and improved
recoil spring design. Like the earlier Model 1901 and 1902 variants, the Model 1903 utilizes a break-
action cylinder upper half, which recoils back with each discharge on the lower frame, and in doing so
re-cocks the hammer and advances the cylinder through the use of zig-zag cam lines cut into the outer
face of the cylinder. While mechanically novel, the design ultimately lost out to more conventional semi-
automatic pistol designs emerging at the time. Features fixed blade front and barrel latch notch rear
sights, “crown/BV” proofs on multiple components, “”WEBLEY FOSBERY”” marked on the left side of the
top strap, Webley & Scott Ltd. “winged bullet” logo above “W&S” along with “.455 CORDITE” marked on the
left side of the lower frame, side checkered hammer, a lanyard loop at the bottom of the grip frame and a safety lever on
the left side of the lower frame which locks the recoil action back. Matching “720” partial serial numbers visible on the back of the
cylinder and front of the barrel assembly. Fitted with a pair of checkered walnut grips, with a brass insert marked “SAFE” in the left
panel under the safety lever.
CONDITION: Very fine, retaining 80% plus original blue finish with some light edge wear, light cylinder drag wear, thinning on
the grip straps with visible grey and brown patinas, some light patches of freckling, some minor spotting, and a scattered minor
handling marks. The grips are fine with numerous scattered minor compression marks in the otherwise defined checkering.
Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 9,000 - 14,000
LOT 3480
Excellent Webley-Fosbery
Model 1902 Automatic
Revolver in Very Scarce .38
ACP - Serial no. 1299, 38 ACP cal., 6 inch solid rib bbl., blue finish, hard rubber grips. This
excellent .38 ACP chambered Webley-Fosbery Model 1902 revolver was manufactured on
September 29, 1903 according to production figures listed on page 60 of the book “Webley &
Scott Automatic Pistols” by Gordon Bruce. Produced in limited quantities in the early 1900s, the Webley-
Fosbery uses a novel recoil driven operating system. Around early 1904, many of these .38 ACP chambered
Webley-Fosbery revolvers were stripped for parts at the factory in order to utilize their components in
production of the newer .455 caliber Webley-Fosbery variants in an attempt to garner more military interest,
lending to their scarcity today. The revolver is divided into two main components, an upper frame carrying the barrel,
cylinder and the hammer, which is mated to the lower grip frame and single action trigger and disconnector assembly on a spring loaded track.
On discharge the recoil energy drives the entire upper frame back along the track recocking the hammer and advancing the cylinder. While this
mechanism combines many of the positive features of both a revolver and an automatic pistol, it did not catch on, and the revolver was supplanted
by the automatic pistol (today known as a semi-automatic pistol) as the primary sidearm of the military, police and civilians. Blade front and notch rear
sights, an 8-shot cylinder, “P. WEBLEY & SON.LONDON & BIRMINGHAM.” address on the barrel rib, full and partial matching visible serial number “1299” on the barrel, cylinder, right
side of the frame, left side of the grip strap, a few internal components and handwritten on the interiors of both grip panels, “’WEBLEY FOSBERY’” on the left side of the top strap and
“38 AUTOMATIC” (a lesser seen caliber for this model) next to the “flying bullet” trademark above “W&S” on the left side plate of the lower frame. The hammer is checkered on three
sides, with Birmingham proofs, a safety switch on the left side of the lower frame, a pair of checkered grips with “SAFE” at the top of the left panel and a lanyard swivel on the butt.
CONDITION: Excellent, retains 95% plus original high polish blue finish with some light drag lines visible on the cylinder and some fading on the rear grip strap. Grips are also excellent
with tight fitment, minimal handling evidence, and crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. This outstanding Webley-Fosbery revolver in very scarce .38 ACP would be difficult to
improve upon!
Estimate: 13,000 - 19,000