Original British Victorian Enfield MkII .476 Service Revolver Serial A1388 Issued to 3rd Australian Military District – Dated 1884 Original Items

Original Item. Only One Available. These are only ever encountered in a very great while and were introduced as the Enfield Mark 1 Revolver in 1880. This version was quickly superseded by the Mark 2 Revolver in 1882. The beauty of this extraordinary revolver is that when you “open” the the action the cylinder just slides forward upon its axis ejecting all the empty cartridge cases in the cylinder. Due to loaded cartridges being slightly longer, they do not fall out when this operation was performed. The revolver would then be closed again, and the right side loading gate opened to allow live cartridges to be loaded. Unfortunately this proved to be tedious, as each empty chamber needed to be loaded one at a time. There were also issues with the spent cartridges getting stuck, and overall the revolver was large and cumbersome. It was never popular, and the introduction of the Webley MkI made it obsolete.

Company owner Christian Cranmer had one of these as a kid in England and his father told him it had been issued to the Canadian Mounties. Unfortunately he traded it away, probably for a flintlock, without realizing how hard these were to come by. There definitely were some issued in Canada to the predecessors of the RCMP, but they were also issued to various areas in Australia. We previously had one marked to the Gaols / Jails of New South Wales.

Our example is marked and dated on the left side of the frame:

CROWN
V.R.
ENFIELD
1884.
II.

It also has matching serial number A1388 on the frame, barrel, and rear of the cylinder. There are proof marks on most parts of the revolver, including CROWN / VR / 2P on the cylinder, and others. It also has the opposed broad arrows under the mark of arm, meaning it was sold out of service. This was quite common with these, as they were not popular at all, and definitely had design issues with the extraction and loading. The revolver was officially chambered for .476 Enfield, but this was readily interchangeable with the earlier Adams cartridges, as well as the later .455 Webley cartridges.

This particular Revolver is especially rare and sought after, as it was issued for use in the Third Military District of Australia. While today it is a modern country, during Queen Victoria’s time of the 1880’s it was still considered a PENAL COLONY. The grip back strap is marked 3.M.D. at the very bottom, for the third military district of Australia. Also of interest is that the barrel on this revolver is two inches shorter than usually seen, which looks to have been an arsenal level modification. These were actually used through WWII as an emergency substitute. There is information regarding this type of pistol at the Internet Movie Firearms Database as well as the Imperial War Museum.

The cylinder is of a church steeple design and most attractive. Condition of the revolver is quite nice, though as with most seen that saw Australian service, the original finish is mostly worn away. It now displays a lovely polished light grain patina, with the expected wear of age. The lanyard ring is still present, and the grip is solid without any major chips or cracks, just the usual denting from service. The revolver functions well in both double and single action, with no issues to note. The extraction / ejection system still works correctly, with the top of the frame still locking securely. The bore shows clear lands and grooves, but there is definitely also wear and past oxidation.

This model however received many complaints and was replaced in 1887 by the equally rare WEBLEY MARK ONE Revolver. For more information see THE WEBLEY SERVICE REVOLVER by Robert Maze, published 2012, pages 14, 15 and 16.

A truly well-manufactured revolver with a great story, in very nice condition ready to display!

Specifications: 

Year of Manufacture: 1884
Caliber:  .476 Enfield / .455 Webley
Ammunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 3 7/8 inches
Overall Length: 9 1/2 inches
Action: External Hammer Double/Single Action
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver