# Webley & Scott Ltd. Mk. IV .380" Calibre Revolver



## TomcatPC (Jun 18, 2014)

Hello
Here is my Post-WWII Commercial Webley & Scott Ltd. Mk. IV .380" (aka .38 S&W) Revolver that was made for the Singapore Police Force.
Mark


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## lewwallace (Mar 4, 2015)

My Webley & Scott 38/200s


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Those W&S 0.380 revolvers were very well made, and the design was improved over their 0.455 versions too. The rear of the triggerguard meets smoothly with the frame, rather than presenting the middle finger with a bruising bump.

The only fly in W&S's ointment was that the 0.380's 200-grain bullet travelled so slowly that a fleeing felon could've outrun it. Maybe even outwalked it.

I keep wishing that the design had been updated to accommodate something a little more powerful, for instance the .38 Special round.

It's nice that the 0.455 can be modified to accept .45 ACP cartridges in half-moon clips; but, if I remember correctly, the 0.455 barrel's inside diameter is a little too large for 0.451" bullets, making the accuracy of the conversion somewhat suspect.


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## Tangof (Jan 26, 2014)

From what I've read the 200 Grain .38 S&W Webley was well liked by the British and considered to be quite a man (German) stopper. I've only shot the 146 Grain out of mine, and they shoot about three inches low at 15 yards, but well centered for windage. It's a well made, solid revolver with a surprisingly good trigger, both DA and SA. I remember agonizing over the $165 price tag at a gun show, and the seller would not come down or take the .22 Excam? I had in trade.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Tangof said:


> From what I've read the 200 Grain .38 S&W Webley was...quite a man (German) stopper...


It wasn't.

The theory is that a large bullet, travelling very slowly, will stop within its target and deliver all of its energy there.
It's an excellent theory, and it works quite well..._if there's lots of energy to deliver_.
But the 0.380 is a low-energy round, dictated mostly by the very slow speed of its bullet.

The theory works well with the .45 ACP, because it does carry with it just enough energy to be a useful fight stopper.
In that case, it's a combination of a slightly heavier bullet and a somewhat greater speed.


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## Tangof (Jan 26, 2014)

Makes sense. I think it was a Major Crisp in "Brazen Chariots" that was one of the commenters on the Webley, but I've read so many WWII books I can't say for sure. Something about a tanker shooting three Germans off his tank with a .38 Webley, might have been a Commando memoir. I owned a .455 Webley that had been converted to .45 ACP, unfortunately it shot loose very quickly as .45 ACP is hotter than .455. As you stated it wasn't much for accuracy. I do enjoy these old Military guns though.


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## lewwallace (Mar 4, 2015)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> It wasn't.
> 
> The theory is that a large bullet, travelling very slowly, will stop within its target and deliver all of its energy there.
> It's an excellent theory, and it works quite well..._if there's lots of energy to deliver_.
> ...


Or for more of a manstopper Steve the War Dept cold have adpter either of 2 earlier designs: the 1910 9mm Browning Long or their High Velocity model in 38acp. (it achieved 1100fsp) Of course they had the No1 Mk I in .455 too.
But what could they have manufactured with a stopping power that would meet your standards? It probably came down to whomever designed the MkIV had friends or kin in the WD!!!!
Here's my 1910 and High Velocity:


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

lewwallace said:


> ...what could they have manufactured with a stopping power that would meet your standards?...


Well, I start from the .45 ACP round from at least a 4" barrel (230 grains @ about 900fps). That seems to work pretty well.
The 9mm Parabellum, _with the right bullet_, is also reliable.
I think that the .38 Super was also pretty close.
But the .380 ACP is useful only when placed on the target with extreme accuracy, and the 0.380/200 British revolver cartridge is no better. Maybe worse.


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