POTD: Big Oops Before The Webley – The Enfield MK II
Sam.S 02.28.24
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! The Enfield revolver was a British .476 caliber handgun adopted in 1880 as the standard sidearm of the British military and colonial forces. Designed at the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield, it had a top-break action and an unusual Owen Jones extracting system that pulled the cylinder forward when opened to eject spent cases. However, it was obsolete upon introduction, as it still loaded one cartridge at a time through a gate like older single-action revolvers. After quickly being replaced in British service in the late 1880s by the Webley revolver, the Enfield continued to see use by the Canadian North-West Mounted Police from 1882 to 1911. But its awkward handling, anemic ballistics, and loading limitations meant the MK II had a short service life.
“Manufacturer: Enfild
Model: Mark 2Type: RevolverGauge: 476 CFBarrel: 5 7/8 inch roundFinish: blueGrip: walnut”
Lot 2779: British Enfild Mk. II Double Action Revolver. (n.d.-e). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved February 28, 2024, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/1043/2779/british-enfield-mk-ii-double-action-revolver.
