Original Item: Only One Available. The Webley Royal Irish Constabulary revolver is a British double-action, centerfire cartridge revolver designed in 1867. It was one of the earliest British breechloading revolvers and one of the most popular British revolvers of the 19th century.

British gunmaker Philip Webley and Son of Birmingham produced their first cap lock revolvers, known as Webley Longspurs, in 1853 with limited success, due to the popularity of the already established Adams revolvers. Taking lead in the new centerfire metal cartridge technology, they produced their first breechloading, centerfire cartridge revolvers in 1867. They immediately became popular with British Army officers, who at the time were expected to purchase their own personal weapons (swords and pistols) on their own expense, as very robust, compact and reliable weapons. They were the first popular Webley product that made the firm famous. Due to their quality, they remained in production for more than 30 years.

In 1868, the Royal Irish Constabulary was formed as a paramilitary force armed with carbines and revolvers. As the Webley revolver was adopted as their first service weapon, that specific model was known after that as the Royal Irish Constabulary revolver. This was then used as the basis for later Webley designed revolvers. This continued after 1897, when Webley merged with W.&C. Scott & Son and Richard Ellis & Son to become the firm of Webley & Scott. This amalgamated firm continued to produce various "Webley" style revolvers in different configurations well into the second world war.

By this time however the design of the RIC revolver was rather antiquated, and production ceased in 1898, one year after the merger. This means that all Webley RIC revolvers are Pre-1899 production, and considered Antique Firearms by the BATF.

Here is a lovely early production R.I.C. No.1 Revolver in .442 Webley, the original caliber it was produced in. It features a correct early smooth sided cylinder, which would later become fluted to reduce weight slightly. The frame does show evidence of possibly having been re-finished at some point during its service life, making the markings a bit faint. The RIC is a solid frame design, marked on the top of the cylinder strap with the retailer information:

This is a known retailer of firearms in London, operating under this name from 1844 to 1875, after which the firm became Edward Whistler & Co. continuing in business until 1957. The left side of the revolver is marked with the serial number and "Winged Bullet" over W & S logo of P. Webley & Son:

The revolver is fitted with a 4 ½ inch barrel, correct for the larger R.I.C. No.1 revolver, which is marked on the left side with small CROWN / CROSSED SCEPTERS / B P C "black powder proof" and CROWN / CROSSED SCEPTERS / V "viewed" marks from the city of Birmingham. The cylinder takes 6 cartridges, and is marked with small CROWN / CROSSED SCEPTERS / V "viewed" markings between each. The serial number is quite low on this example, and there are not any records from this early in production, however we assume it was made around 1870 or slightly after, as the firm who sold it changed their name in 1875.

The revolver operates in both Double Action and Single Action, and the wood grip is fully checkered. Folding side gate on the right hand side provides access to the chambers for ejection and reloading using the attached ejection rod. Overall condition is very good, still retaining the blued finish very well, except on the cylinder, which is a bit faded to a gray color. The lanyard ring is still present, and the grip is in very good condition, still retaining strong checkering and showing no major wear or damage.

The action works very well, and we did not notice any finicky behavior in either double or single action, just a bit of slop in the lockup. The bore is in excellent condition, showing a bright finish with crisp lands and grooves. There are just a few small spots of oxidation keeping this bore from being "mint", and it's an exceptional barrel for a black powder cartridge revolver. The revolver breaks down correctly, for cleaning, and we did not notice any difficulties or missing parts.

In fine working condition with everything correct, showing a lovely finish and great markings. "A CLASSIC", ready to research and display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: circa 1870
Caliber: .442 Webley
Ammunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Overall Length: 9 ¼ inches
Barrel Length: 4 ½ inches
Action: External Hammer Double/Single Action
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

More on the Webley Royal Irish Constabulary Revolvers:
Webley R.I.C. revolver No 1
Designed in 1867 for .442 centerfire cartridge, it was one of the earliest British breechloading revolvers. Solid frame revolver, with a round barrel screwed into the frame, and a one piece wooden grip held by two vertical screws. The foresight is slotted in, mostly semi-round, while the backsight is a long, V-shaped groove on the top strap above the cylinder. It has a loading gate hinged at the bottom that opens sideways, held by a flat spring. The six cambered cylinder is plain in the early models, while in later ones it was fluted to achieve a small reduction in weight. The ejector rod is mounted on a yoke (swivel) under the barrel and mostly housed in the hollow cylinder arbor, so it can be pulled out and swung to the right when needed. When the ejector rod is drawn out, the cylinder may be removed after drawing the arbor forward. The revolver has a double-action lock, with a half-cock position for loading.

These revolvers were made in a variety of calibers, but no less than .410 in (10.4 mm). They were widely used all over the British Empire, and copied in various European countries. In 1872, a pocket model (.442 in) with a 2.5 in barrel was produced, which was the precursor of the famous British Bulldog revolvers.

Webley R.I.C. revolver No 2
Produced from 1872, slightly smaller (8.25 in length, 3.5 in barrel) and lighter (0.76 kg) model, with the same overall characteristics. They were made in a variety of calibers, from .320 and .380 to .450. Service revolvers were six-shot, but smaller commercial 5-shot variants were also very popular.

Service history
These revolvers were massively used by British officers and horsemen in the Anglo-Zulu War (1879). Practical use in combat showed that they were mostly effective on the distance of less than 25 yards.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to most US States and most U.S. territories.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to most addresses within the United States.