Webley Tempest Centennial

Nice heft and feel, about right for a service piece, good practice weapon. Trigger pull is well balanced, releases crisply and as expected. Sight adjusted well, was able to get within palm-sized spacing at 10 meters without difficultly free-standing. Operation was simple and manual gave full break-down of weapon for field-stripping/parts replacement. Case was very nice (could have used a locking hasp though).

Gun fits loosely in case, corrected by stuffing in cleaning rag, but would expect to be custom fitted to preclude shifting. Gun itself seems very nice for what it is, hits hard, well made, solid metal throughout, expect many years of enjoyment out of it.

Be carefull to fully secure barrel after cocking/loading, had come un-secured after firing a shot - once I noticed the problem, I ensure that it was well set after loading and had no further problems. From other comments, noticed issue with cocking effort - this is my first air pistol, but did not seem that difficult (I am an adult male, it may be a bit difficlut for kids/women, but definitely doable, especially if following directions in manual).

This is a very well made air pistol. I was admittedly hesitant when I saw it was made in Turkey, but several on-line reviews inspired me to take a chance. I was not disappointed. If anything, the Turkish version is better made than the English version it replaces. Fit and finish are very good. Mechanical function is very good, very tight and precise, with no discernible slop or free play in the mechanism. The trigger is very crisp and can be easily adjusted down to about three pounds weight with very little creep. Accuracy is outstanding with H&N Field Target Trophy 14.8 grain pellets (the only ones I've tried so far). The "recoil" generated by this little springer aids in providing realistic practice that transfers well to the use of firearms - you really must pay attention to maintaining a consistent grip, both in position and firmness. A very firm grip, as when shooting a firearm with some recoil, is rewarded with satisfyingly small groups. Mine easily shoots into 2.0" to 2.5" groups at 25 yards (across the back yard) "when I do my part" (one of my favorite "gunwriter" terms... heh heh heh...). Oh, and let's not forget the smell - my smells distinctly of castor oil when fired. I may have to get a bottle of Webley gun oil just to keep that going. How quintessentially British... gotta love it. Really - it just adds to the charm of firing this little pistol.

Like everyone else who comments on this pistol, I believe it would benefit greatly from improved sights. Not so much the rear sight, but rather the front. The front sight reminds me of an original G.I. 1911 (and it's been a decade since I could see that front sight well), only smaller. I can live with the rear sight adjustment method, but that front sight has to go. Taller and wider would both help a great deal, but I guess that would mean a really tall rear as well (the rear is tall enough as it is). Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing.

Much has been said about the cocking effort and grips. Being right handed, I have no trouble with the latter. Being a six foot tall, 250 pound former weight lifter, I only have a little trouble with the former... (just kidding, kind of...). This little pistol is hard to cock - there is no getting around that. Developing an over-the-leg or around-the-hip technique alleviates most of the difficulty, though, so it's really not a deal breaker. Just be aware it is a very real issue with this pistol.

This little pistol is no powerhouse, but that really isn't its point, now is it? Mine clocks right at 336 fps with the above mentioned 14.8 grain H&N's. Enough to maintain accuracy across my 25 yard back yard range, which is really all I was after. It will not penetrate a soup can at that range, which I have found is actually a good thing - the cans last forever, but give a very satisfying hollow "clonk" when tagged. Great good fun.

Midrange trajectory is necessarily quite high when zeroed at that range (25 yards), thereby requiring a good deal of "Kentucky elevation" to score hits at closer range. That, and my rear sight would not adjust up high enough to zero at 25 yards with that heavy pellet. I had to file the bottom of the elevation screw slot to allow the blade to go up higher.

In summary, I see this as a very solid five star pistol. I could not be happier. I would recommend this new Turkish Tempest to anyone looking for a quality adult air pistol.

great little pistol for backyard shooting. time proven design,and well built.I thought the tigger action was good.I haven't broken it in yet,but I get a consistent pattern.

I wear glasses and I have trouble sighting front sight

you need a little muscle to cock it.If you follow instructions in manual its not bad, takes a bit to get use to.

Ingenious time proven design, compact, quality made, very reliable.

Rear sight is OK, but definitely could be improved. The pistol is very left-hand unfriendly and LH version does not seem to be available. If left hand grips are available for the Alecto, why not for the Tempest?

It is very easy to mount Mendoza micrometer rear sight on a simple 11 mm rail made from a piece of steel angle. The sight is inexpensive, accurate, and fits perfectly. No modifications to the pistol or the sight are needed. It is much easier to cock the pistol if you position the hands as recommended in the manual. It seems quite awkward at first, but you get used to it very quickly.

It is a classic design who recoil is more like a real handgun than most other springers.

The spring is almost impossible to cock. The strength required to cock this gun is unbelievable. Especially since the pellets do actually come out at 350fps. I expected them to be faster considering the strength required to cock the pistol. All I can say is to wear jeans and use your knee or else your arms will get tired.

The pistol is accurate and compact. It is well made and the carrying case is very nice.

Have one of these pistols from 35 years go. I love the grip angle and comfort, and this iteration of the gun still fits my large hands. After removing the gun from it's fitted luggage style case, I thoroughly examined it, and found the fit and finish to be as superb as my older .177 Tempest pistol. Unlike other airguns I've purchased, the barrel was bright and clean. A light cleaning was all that was needed to get it ready for shooting.

Although the plastic grips fit my hand, I would like Webley&Scott to offer checkered wood replacement stocks. The rear sight is exactly as my old .177 Tempest: crude but adjustable.

Cocking this baby is harder than my older Tempest. Perhaps it's the age and amount of use the older guns has had over the years. Accuracy in .22 caliber is good, but then I haven't broken in the gun yet. I'll post those findings after a tin or two of Crosman 14 grainers. All in all, I find this a very adequate remake of an old favorite of mine. I got this one in .22 as it wasn't offered in that caliber 35 years ago (if it was, it wasn't readily available when I ordered my oldie Tempest). I'm expecting velociies in the neighborhood of 400fps once broken in, and quarter sized groups at 10 meters.

Familiar with the pistol, owned an original in .177 some 35 years ago. Ergonomics is superb.

Trigger is stiff, and the barrel needs some breaking in to ease the cocking effort--the short barrel makes cocking the pistol difficult. The rear sight hasn't changed in all those years--it can be improved.

I purchased this model in .22 caliber, but I would greatly recommend the .177 caliber over the .22. Cheaper ammo, and higher velocity. Neither caliber has sufficient velocity for hunting vermin, but it is a fun plinking gun--soda cans, pinecones, dirt clods and such--WATCH OUT!

Great trigger,breaks clean each time. Fit and finish second to none. Fits my hand well and has good balance. The rear sight is easy to adjust, and the manual gives clear instructions, if needed on how to do this. Groups well at 10 meters.

needs a cocking aid.

Very hard to cock,very hard!

Feel of the grip is tight and weight is very ballanced. It's great for training one hand slow fire pistol, as it is a springer. Construction and quality is very good. The operation, cocking, loading, and safety is very comfortable. The sights do hold well over time and are solid.

Wood grips would be nice.

I purchased the Tempest back around 1983 or 84. I used it a lot back then, and spent some years without shooting it. It has decent accuracy at 10m and with wadcutters it will perform it's best at target shooting. It's not a hunting pistol, but can be a great plinker because of the ease of operation.
Keep it well lubed and lube up the breech seal and it will last decades. Nice good quality target pistol back then. Keep it moisture free, as the barrel is made of steel and will be prone to rust if exposed to the elements for long periods.

Craftsmanship and construction of gun was excellent. Easy to cock and very accurate. Gun printed on paper targets consistently at 10 meters within .75" group.

Longer barrel would be nice....grips could be bigger.

High quality air-gun , recommend for a first time buy. Good value for the money.