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Webley & Scott 400 Series verses 700 Series Shotgun

I was recently viewing the attached YouTube video from TGS Outdoors, re: The Webley & Scott 700 series shotgun.

Webley & Scott 700 Series Shotgun

My question to the British shotgun experts, is the newer Webley & Scott 700 series shotgun superior to their older 400 series shotgun? From what I can see, the 400 series model had the disc-set strikers and the screw-grip rib extension third fastener over the post-1946 700 series model.

Example of the Webley & Scott 400 Series Shotgun

Any opinions on model preference?

Thanks in advance.

Much better fit and finish engraving on the 400. 700 are great guns

Integral strikers/tumblers on the 700. If a striker breaks, you own a single shot until it is repaired. The 400 allows for you to replace the striker yourself. I know of two 700s that broke striker/tumblers on the first shot of opening day. May never happen again, but, it wouldn’t matter on a 400.
The English guys will be along with more. They are both satisfactory designs.

Best,
Ted

Integral strikers are on approx 98% of British boxlocks. Disk set strikers on boxlocks are relatively rare….kinda like intercepting sears.
The 400’s do have disc set strikers, and that’s great…if you have additional strikers already made to fit and, and this a biggie….if you can remove the disk itself. Simply having a tool that fits the disk isn’t enough in most cases, especially if the disk tool is a hand tool like the type you find in gun cases, etc. In my experience, to get the disk out, it is done with a tight fitting, custom made tool that is also fitted into a belly brace or hand impact driver to get the disk to even budge. Many disk are damaged so badly during removal that another must be made and fitted in.
400’s and 700’s suffer from the same flaws. The barrel hook. I don’t think the screw grip bite adds much of anything, probably why they redesigned the gun into the 700 series.
Either one is a proven performer and with proper maintenance and care will last a lifetime or 2.
I do like 400’s for the same reason MC stated, the higher graded guns were wonderful. Beautifully engraved and the fit and finish are usually very nice. I’ve owned a few. Nice guns.

I hope “gunman” comes along shortly, he probably is the most knowledgeable guy on here about mechanics of W&S stuff…..he apprenticed with them.

Thanks for the feedback.

Good points LeFusil on the disc-strikers. I had never thought about them in those terms. I have disc-strikers on my modern Spanish double guns, so had assumed they were superior. But of course as with all handmade guns, unless you have spare parts made with the gun upfront you are out of commission anyways if a pin or spring breaks. When I custom ordered one of my Spanish shotguns, I tried to get a spare set of firing pins and springs made at the same time. But for whatever reason they didn’t want to do it, even though I was willing to pay for it. So now if a firing pin breaks on that gun, I’m screwed anyways.

Getting back to the Webley & Scott screw-grip bite, was it maybe considered a more finicky or complicated design, and so dropped from their 700 series models?

From my observations, there seems to be a lot more Webley & Scott 700 series models kicking around on the market than the 400 series models which were also built for a lot of years. Just wondering why.

I have a rebadged W&S that has a machined in place non-replaceable hinge pin. Fortunately TIG welding can make necessary repairs should the gun become off face. This design is typical among W&S guns. Gil

Only had 2 disc set pins replaced,both on AYA`s and both required the bushes being machined out ,not exactly a simple replacement job.And yes both were tackled by very experienced `smiths . I did have a V Sarasqueta sidelock that you could quite easily remove the bushings by hand .

Just finished up repairing a damaged bushing on an AYA, much more of a PIA than repairing a broken tip on a boxlock tumbler in my opinion.

The 400 were made for a lot of other names the 700 not so much

Hello, as a layman with no technical ability or knowledge , I'll give my short view of the two. I have handled, viewed and used many examples of both, over the years . The 400 series are in general delightful, pleasant and have a lovely feel. Reliable and very nice . The 700s are workmanlike with average looks and fairly lifeless ,again reliable. Pound for pound and all being equalI would opt for 400 without doubt. Pigs ears and silk purses in both series of course. Regards