Mbogo

The Proof marks on your rifle tell an interesting story. The "450EX" indicates that the rifle is pre-1904, since after that date the rifle would have carried the Powder charge and Bullet weight like ".450 EX 120 - 270".

Also interesting is the fact that the rifle was Black Powder proved at the London Proofhouse.

Prior to the merger with W&C Scott in 1897, P.Webley made mainly for the trade; about 90 percent of their production being sold under other names.

However, there was a brief period after 1893 when Webley opened a showroom in Shaftesbury Street, London, but it is unkown how long the merged company kept this retail business open.

The London proof marks and the "winged bullet" suggest that your rifle originates from the short period after the merger that this outlet was active; 1904 being the latest date possible given the proof marks.

The address given on your rifle would shed some light on this?

Although not helping with the dating it would be interesting to know what the action type is? T.W. Webley and T. Brain patented the "Screw Grip" as early as 1882, but this type of top extension has been wrongly attributed to Webley and Scott who certainly sang it's praises after they "aquired" it at the time of the merger.

A lot of "third party" guns and rifles with screw grips are IMO, wrongly attributed to Webley and Scott manufacture as a result?