TOPIC:

J.I.W.,

This example (Serial Number 78576) was isuued to the 38th (High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire) Company, 10th Bn. Imperial Yeomanry, in January 1900.

Backstrap stamped: "1/00 I.Y.C 18". Flap of holster stamped: "IMP.YEO 18 38 COY." The "18" is the issue number of the handgun and matches the revolver to the holster.

According to the Imperial Yeomanry Report, only three revolvers were issued to each company: one for the farrier-sergeant, and one for each of the two buglers. As noted by others, officers had to provide their own firearms.

Note that the serial number of this piece is just over 4,000 after your example.
www.classicfirearms.be , states that 36,756 Mark IVs were delivered between 1899 and 1904, giving an annual production for this period of c. 7,000. There is no way of knowing how long the pictured army-issue revolver had been in stores before entering I.Y. service, but its serial number appears to place your example nicely within a 1900 time-frame (pre Aug 1900).




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During the ABW, every British officer's pistol / revolver would have been "private purchase". Revolvers were issued to just a few ranks, like gunners (intention: to defend the gun if threatened with capture - while it is being spiked - artillery carbines for the same purpose) and farriers (intention: humane despatch of injured horses). So, as well as IY, any unit from Somerset would make sense; or any unit if your officer himself came from Somerset; or maybe his colleagues or his fianceé came from Somerset and gave him a leaving gift?
If you purchased it in SA, it fairly likely it was lost in the ABW as a Boer capture (see how many Boer officers carry Webleys in late ABW photos). Although the Boer Republics did buy Webleys, they were not Mk IVs.

Thanks to everybody who posted here. The reason why I would want to replace the current grips, and I agree that they are part of the handgun's history, is so that I can preserve them. The left side panel has split in two pieces and has been crudely repaired at some point in the past, and I would like to ensure that the piece does not break again.

Thank you;

J.I.W

PM sent

KR
Here are the grips available in UK - PM sent - but no pictures sendable by PM
Rob

Interestingly, I identified a marking on my Webley after seeing it on a P. Webley and Son produced Mk.I OVS Martini Henry rifle. If is apparently, as I have read doing research on Webley Mk.IVs, a marking seen on British commercial firearms of the time period.

It is a winged bullet over the letters: W.S





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