Enfield revolver
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Enfield No 2 Mk I Revolver | |
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| Type | Service pistol |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1932-1963 |
| Used by | United Kingdom & Colonies, British Commonwealth, |
| Wars | World War II, Korean War, British colonial conflicts, numerous others |
| Production history | |
| Designer | RSAF Enfield, Webley & Scott |
| Designed | 1928 |
| Manufacturer | RSAF Enfield |
| Produced | 1932-1957 |
| Number built | approx 270,000 |
| Variants | Enfield No 2 Mk I*, Enfield No 2 Mk I** |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 1.7lb (765g), unloaded |
| Length | 10.25in. (260 mm) |
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| Cartridge | .380" Revolver Mk IIz |
| Caliber | .38/200 |
| Action | Double Action revolver (Mk I* and Mk I** Double Action Only) |
| Rate of fire | 20-30 rounds/minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 570ft/s (170m/s) |
| Effective range | 15yds |
| Maximum range | 200yds |
| Feed system | 6-round cylinder |
| Sights | fixed front post and rear notch |
Enfield Revolvers were British handguns manufactured at the government-owned Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield. First model Enfield revolvers were the official sidearm of the Northwest Mounted Police, and later models were the standard British sidearm in the Second World War.
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[edit] History
The first models of the revolver, the Mark I and Mark II, were official British military sidearms from 1880 through 1887. However the original cartridge was considered underpowered during the Afghan Wars and loading the gun was complicated. It was superseded by the Webley Mark I revolver.
The Mark II Enfield was adopted by Canada's Northwest Mounted Police in 1883 and remained in service as their official sidearm until the Colt New Service revolver was adopted in 1905. About 1100 Enfield revolvers were delivered to the NWMP.
After the First World War, it was decided that a .38 calibre (9.65 mm) pistol firing a 200 grain (13 g) bullet would be as effective as the .455 calibre (11.6 mm) round. There is some doubt as to how true this actually was, as the .38/200 round gives comparable performance to the modern .38 Special cartridge- which is not nearly as powerful as the .455 Webley round.
Nonetheless, the British firm of Webley & Scott tendered their Webley Mk IV revolver in .38/200 calibre. Rather than adopting it, the British authorities took the design to the Government-run Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield. The Enfield factory came up with a revolver that was very similar to the Webley Mk IV .38, but internally slightly different.
This pistol was designated as the Enfield No. 2 Mark 1 revolver and adopted for use from 1932.
Webley sued the British Government for £2250, being "costs involved in the research and design" of the revolver. Their action was contested by Enfield, who stated that the Enfield No 2 Mk I was actually designed by Captain Boys (the Assistant Superintendent of Design, famous for the Boys Rifle) with assistance from Webley & Scott, and not the other way around- accordingly, their claim was denied. By way of compensation, however, the Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors awarded Webley & Scott £1250.
During the Second World War, large numbers were handled to the Free French Forces and French Forces of the Interior; the weapon is known as "Enfield Commando" in France.
[edit] Variants
[edit] Mk 1*
- spurless hammer,
- double action only
[edit] Mk 1**
- Simplified for wartime production in 1942.
The vast majority of Enfield No 2 Mk I revolvers were modified to Mk I* during WWII. The Enfield (and Webley revolvers) were not completely phased out in favour of the Browning Hi-Power until 1963.
The official explanation of the change to the Mk I* version was that the Tank Corps had complained the spur on the hammer was catching on protrusions inside tanks, but most historians nowadays believe that the real reason was that the Mk I* version was cheaper and faster to manufacture.
The No 2 Mk I* is at least as accurate as any other service pistol of its time in normal short-range combat situations, because of the relatively light double action trigger pull. It is not, however, the best choice for precision shooting - the double action pull will throw the most competent shooter's aim off enough to noticeably affect accuracy.
The Enfield No 2 is very fast to reload, as are all British top-break revolvers, because of its automatic ejector, which removes simultaneously all six cases from the cylinder. A modern speedloader designed for Smith & Wesson "K" Frame revolvers will function with any of the British .38/200 top-break revolvers, further speeding reloading.
Some unit Armourers are known to have retrofitted the Enfield No 2 Mk I* back to the Mk I variant, but this was never an official policy and appears to have been done on an individual basis.
[edit] Other Manufacturers
The vast majority of Enfield No 2 revolvers were made by RSAF (Royal Small Arms Factory) Enfield, but wartime necessities meant that numbers were produced elsewhere.
Albion Motors: Albion Motors in Scotland made the Enfield No 2 Mk I* from 1941–1943, whereupon the contract for production was passed onto Coventry Gauge & Tool Co. By 1945, over 42,000 Enfield No 2 Mk I* revolvers had been produced by Albion/CG&T.
The quality and workmanship on the Albion and CG&T guns is identical to that of RSAF Enfield, and the revolvers are all sturdy, reliable, and effective.
HAC: The Howard Auto Cultivator Company in NSW, Australia tooled up and began manufacturing the Enfield No 2 Mk I* and I** revolvers in 1941, but the production run was very limited (estimated at around 350 or so revolvers in total), and the revolvers produced were criticised for being non-interchangeable, even with other HAC produced revolvers.
It is thought that most of the HAC revolvers have either been crushed in the various Australian Gun Amnesties and "Buy-Backs", or else are still stored in people's attics and basements in Australia.
[edit] References
- Stamps, Mark and Skennerton, Ian: .380 Enfield Revolver No 2 (1993). Greenhill Books, London ISBN 1-85367-139-8
- Maze, Robert J: Howdah To High Power (2002). Excalibur Publications, Tucson AZ ISBN 1-880677-17-2
- Wilson, Royce: "A Tale of Two Collectables". Australian Shooter, March 2006
- Smith, W.H.B: "1943 Basic Manual of Military Small Arms" (Facsimile). Stackpole Books, Harrisburg PA (USA), 1979. ISBN 0-8117-1699-6
[edit] External links
- The Corps of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Museum of Technology: Pistol Revolver .476 inch Enfield Model 1882
- The Corps of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Museum of Technology: Pistol Revolver .38 inch No 2 Mk I and again
| British & Commonwealth small arms of World War II | ||
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Side-arms
Machine-guns & other larger weapons
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| Weapons of the British Empire 1722-1965 | |
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Anti-Tank Weapons
Field guns & Misc. weapons
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| .38 Calibre |
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| Cartridges |
| .38 Long Colt (1875) | .38 S&W (1877) | .38 ACP (1900) | .38 Special (1902) | .380 ACP (1908) | .38/200 (1922) | .38 Super (1927) |
| Revolvers |
| M1899 Revolver | Smith & Wesson M&P/Victory | Enfield No. 2 Mk I | Colt Detective's Special |
| Pistols |
| Colt M1900 | Colt M1902 | Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammer | Colt M1908 Pocket Hammerless | Browning M1910 | Walther PPK |
| Lists |
| List of handgun cartridges | List of rifle cartridges | List of firearms |
