doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Can you explain the Webley Greener SLE

Going back to your original questions, Daryl, Webley took over Greener in 1965, producing a small amount of Greener sidelocks and boxlocks, and rather more Empire models between then and 1971.

They continued Production of the Greener GP Martini action shotgun until about 1979.

As to the “Webley Courally” it might have been built on a Webley supplied action but I cannot see any trace of Birmingham Proof Marks.

I wonder if someone has mistaken the LC Bullet trademark,as I did at first sight , for the Webley Winged Bullet.

Great info on the Greener connection. I was totally unaware of this!

The Webley LC is more definitive than conjecture. Picture 12 of 13, not very clearly, shows the inscription on the barrel as “Webley Lebeau Courally A Leige”. Maybe we need better pictures from the seller?

Various Continental Makers described their different models by reference to the English guns that inspired them, as Model Holland and Holland, system Greener etc.

Might this just be a Lebeau Corrally built in the Webley style?

Has anyone got one of their old catalogues?

This is on the left barrel. Any clue?
“Faht Des Cours De Russie & d’Dallamagne”

My friend in Belgium translates the above as-

Suppliers to the Russian en German court

I guess we have a pretty good lead on the Webley - Greener sidelock.

Now, we need some thoughts on the Webley-Lebeau-Courally. Does the barrel marking [translated] of “Suppliers to the Russian and German Court” give us any ideas. These are unusual markings to me, including 4 geographical areas.

Part of the. Riddle from the net.


I am quoting [loosely - very - translating] from a French book given me by a French Doctor called "The Encyclopedia of Hunting Arms" by a Dominique Venner. Of Lebeau-Courally it says - and please excuse my translational abilities?
" In 1866, a master armourer/gunsmith from Argenteau (a suburb of Liege in Belgium) decided to open his own manufactury. Surrounding himself with a team of known-to-be-good craftsmen he began making sporting shotguns of high quality. He also made unique weapons such as the "mitrailleuse" with 5 juxtaposed barrels [??all striped?? perhaps fluted??] for Winchester .22 cartridges, in the form of a bottle, and firing simultaneously. This astonishing weapon, of which the first made was sold to the Kalwer armoury in Moscow was used for wild fowling on ducks and geese as well as big game [this means deer and boar in French - not African type big game].
Auguste Lebeau became the Royal supplier to the Spanish, Italian and Russian royal families and then partnered with Ferdinand Courally. He also became associated with the British firm of Webleys for the manufacture of revolvers. When he died in 1896 F Courally became the sole proprietor. In 1902, this latest association became known as [the firm of] Webley-Lebeau-Courally.
At the end of the First World War (1918) the business was restructured and took the business limited company name of Auguste Lebeau-Courally. The business was entrusted to a Mr Philipp Reeve, an Englishman. When he died in 1956 the business was resumed by M Joseph Verrees another Liege gunmaker. When he in turn died in 1982 the business was continued by Mme Anne-Marie Moermans who had already been working in the business for 15 years. Shotguns and Express Riles [made by] Lebeau-Courally are amongst the best and most beautiful of the late 20th Century."
There follows a picture of the engraving and action of an express rifle on the theme of "The Big Five" These were made in .470NE and .375 H&H Magnum.
I hope and trust this throws a little light on the subject?

No, it doesn't.

The question about the Webley connection is answered - possibly - in Marco Nobili's 1997 book, which I do not have,
and - certainly - in Igor Karklinsh's superbly researched, scholarly deep, web accessible article, of which I have used the automatic Google translation:
https://shotguncollector.com/2023/10/17/%d0%bc%d0%b8%d1%84%d1%8b-%d1%80%d0%be%d1%81%d1%81%d0%b8%d0%b9%d1%81%d0%ba%d0%be%d0%b3%d0%be-%d0%be%d1%80%d1%83%d0%b6%d0%b8%d0%b5%d0%b2%d0%b5%d0%b4%d0%b5%d0%bd%d0%b8%d1%8f-%d1%84%d0%b5%d1%80%d0%b4/

Carcano, that is wonderful information. I urge interested readers to copy and paste the address Carcano has listed and view Igor Karklinsh's fine article. While we are on the subject, one can find hours of enjoyable, well researched , reading in Igor Karklinsh's other very fine articles. Igor's articles are easily translated with Google Translate. Thank you for the guide, Carcano.

More information related to the current can be found here regarding Lebeau--

https://shotguncollector.com/2023/07/16/%d0%bc%d0%b8%d1%84%d1%8b-%d1%80%d0%be%d1%81%d1%81%d0%b8%d0%b9%d1%81%d0%ba%d0%be%d0%b3%d0%be-%d0%be%d1%80%d1%83%d0%b6%d0%b8%d0%b5%d0%b2%d0%b5%d0%b4%d0%b5%d0%bd%d0%b8%d1%8f-%d0%be%d0%b3%d1%8e%d1%81/

Just found a Webley catalogue which I got in the early 70`s.First gun listed is a Model 1100 `Conquest` sidelock of `best` quality.The gun shown is finely scroll engraved but not stocked to the fences .Price to be quoted by your gunsmith !
I wonder how many were ever built ?????

Imperdix, the Crawford and Whatley Book on Webley and Scott says the Model 1100 or Conquest was made starting in 1966 for three years. Only 24 Standard models and 3 deluxe models were made, serial numbered in the 200000-200047 range. The action was the Rogers bar action.