Webley’s WW1 replica Eyebrow – Co2 pistol review

Time Well Spent June 15, 2022

The Editor sees the light with Webley’s WW1 replica

I have a confession. You see, I just don’t get antiques, vintage, classic and retro products. For me, there’s a reason that things have changed and that’s because they’ve got better. Sorry, I know that’s sacrilege to many of you, but I can’t help being who I am. If there’s a new, improved and better version of anything, I want it. Why drive a 1960s car with poor reliability, dodgy brakes and performance that can be outrun by a milk float, when modern cars are cheap, reliable and fast? ‘No soul,’ you say, well I’ll be at home keeping my soul warm and dry while you wait at the side of the road for the AA to tow you home … again.

However, I’m not totally without feelings, and every now and then a ‘classic’ stirs a little bit of me that hasn’t seen the light of day for a while. Some while ago, Webley showed us a prototype of the MKVI revolver that was based on the actual technical drawings of the WW1 revolver that saw service throughout the Great War. The 4.5mm, BB-firing, Co2 replica had the exact dimensions and functionality of the original, and even the weight and balance were spot-on. Mmm … this was going to be hard for me to ignore.

Get em’ while they’re hot

When the revolver hit the shops it sold like the proverbial hot cakes and even some hard-nosed rifle guys I know simply ‘had to have one’. Wow! This gun was getting all the right attention and everybody was happy, until Webley did the unthinkable. They made an even more desirable version. Yes, really, ‘even more desirable’. In recent years, many of the big Co2 manufacturers have been releasing versions of combat pistols that have been artificially ‘aged’ with a battlefield finish – a bit like buying stone-washed jeans that look like you’ve had them for years and they’re nicely worn in. The pistols look as if they’ve seen action at the front, and survived to tell their story in the scratches and dents on their bodies.

Of course, internally they’re brand new with perfect functioning and reliability. This, I believe, makes them even more appealing to collectors, and those whose interest is in the history of these landmark guns, who want to enjoy some casual shooting fun as well. Yes, my soul has been stirred and yes, I do want one. I think that I might be a little slow returning the test gun to Webley. I mean, a proper test isn’t done overnight, is it?

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