Enfield revolver

doubleaes2 · June 29, 2005, 05:23 PM

Hey everyone,

I just acquired a new revolver. I can't make heads or tails of this thing. There are no manufacturers marks, and I really can't find a serial number. The only thing that I can decipher is the marking "CAL.38" on the top of the barrel. It is a break open double action with a five inch barrel. 38 S&W seems to fit the cylinder well. Can anyone help? I would post pics, but my brother has my camera.

Adam

Rail · July 6, 2005, 01:31 PM

Posted is an ad for an Enfield on Gunbroker - the pics should help. I have a couple of the .38's at home but no pics right now...

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...?Item=34384971

Cheers.

doubleaes2 · July 8, 2005, 09:02 PM

Yep,

Thats it. Except mine has a hammer spur and the finish is much nicer. It is missing the lanyard loop though. Thanks for the info.

James K · July 10, 2005, 09:54 PM

The original Enfield revolver (Pistol, revolver, No. 2 Mk 1) has a hammer spur. The later No. 2 Mk 1* does not. The spur was reportedly removed because tank crewmen who carried the gun in a shoulder or hip holster found the hammer spur snagged on the tank when they tried to get out through the hatch. Given the quality of many British and American tanks in WWII, a rapid exit from a tank was all too often required, so that complaint was taken seriously.

Jim

doubleaes2 · July 11, 2005, 12:00 AM

Thanks Jim.

jacobtowne · July 15, 2005, 09:59 AM

There should also be a date stamped on the top of the barrel, the year the barrel was proved.
JT

doubleaes2 · July 15, 2005, 10:52 AM

There are some numbers stamped on the top of the barrel, but
I cannot make out what the stamping is. Would it be 4 digits or 2?

jacobtowne · July 15, 2005, 11:35 AM

Two digits.
The SN on my No. 2 Mk. I is stamped on the outside of the cylinder, and on the barrel and frame on either side of the hinge (you have to turn the gun upside down to see these.)
It may be that your revolver lacks stamps because they were buffed off during refinish, but that's just guessing.
JT

doubleaes2 · July 15, 2005, 11:57 AM

Could the serial be stamped under the barrel near the hinge assembly? Does ZG 6263 sound correct? This is also stamped on the cylinder.

adam

jacobtowne · July 15, 2005, 12:34 PM

Yessir. That is indeed the SN. There is no way to tell the year by that number, except that it was made after 1941. ZG is late in the sequence, so is likely late war, perhaps 1944 or 45.
Because the piece is a Mk I* or Mk I** and should not have a spur hammer, it is likely that at some point someone restored the SA function.
JT

doubleaes2 · July 15, 2005, 01:57 PM

I thought that the hammer appeared on the guns before they got sent back in to be re-arsenalled and converted to DAO? The date looks like it could be 44, the nimbers are a little tough to read though.

jacobtowne · July 16, 2005, 09:40 AM

The Mark I* DAO was adopted in March, 1939. The Mark I SA/DA was made obsolescent by this change, and Mark I revolvers were to be converted to Mk I* whenever passing through ordnance factories for repair.
Obviously not all were converted, since I have in my collection an unmodified Mk. I made in 1931.
JT

doubleaes2 · July 16, 2005, 11:02 AM

Cool,

Thanks for the info.

Adam

jacobtowne · July 16, 2005, 11:26 AM

BTW: The maker's mark should be stamped on the right side of the frame. If it's not there, it has probably been buffed off during refinish.
JT

doubleaes2 · July 16, 2005, 01:18 PM

There is a mark on that side of the frame, but it is not a crest or anyhting like that. It seems to be an inverted D with a line through it and the letter " I " followed by an *

jacobtowne · July 16, 2005, 01:36 PM

That's a 'D' superimposed over an 'E', which is a logo for EnfielD. The revolver was thus made at the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock, Middlesex.
The I* is the model, Mk I*.
JT

doubleaes2 · July 16, 2005, 09:11 PM

Wow, You are the man

. Thanks for all the help.

June 29, 2005, 05:23 PM	#1
doubleaes2 Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Posts: 282	Enfield revolver Hey everyone, I just acquired a new revolver. I can't make heads or tails of this thing. There are no manufacturers marks, and I really can't find a serial number. The only thing that I can decipher is the marking "CAL.38" on the top of the barrel. It is a break open double action with a five inch barrel. 38 S&W seems to fit the cylinder well. Can anyone help? I would post pics, but my brother has my camera. Adam __________________ The best index to a person's character is (a) How he treats people who can't do him any good, and (b), How he treats people who can't fight back. Abigail Van Buren Last edited by doubleaes2; June 29, 2005 at 05:58 PM.

July 8, 2005, 09:02 PM	#3
doubleaes2 Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Posts: 282	Yep, Thats it. Except mine has a hammer spur and the finish is much nicer. It is missing the lanyard loop though. Thanks for the info. __________________ The best index to a person's character is (a) How he treats people who can't do him any good, and (b), How he treats people who can't fight back. Abigail Van Buren

July 11, 2005, 12:00 AM	#5
doubleaes2 Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Posts: 282	Thanks Jim. __________________ The best index to a person's character is (a) How he treats people who can't do him any good, and (b), How he treats people who can't fight back. Abigail Van Buren

July 15, 2005, 10:52 AM	#7
doubleaes2 Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Posts: 282	There are some numbers stamped on the top of the barrel, but I cannot make out what the stamping is. Would it be 4 digits or 2? __________________ The best index to a person's character is (a) How he treats people who can't do him any good, and (b), How he treats people who can't fight back. Abigail Van Buren

July 15, 2005, 11:57 AM	#9
doubleaes2 Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Posts: 282	Could the serial be stamped under the barrel near the hinge assembly? Does ZG 6263 sound correct? This is also stamped on the cylinder. adam __________________ The best index to a person's character is (a) How he treats people who can't do him any good, and (b), How he treats people who can't fight back. Abigail Van Buren

July 6, 2005, 01:31 PM	#2
Rail Member Join Date: June 23, 2005 Posts: 36	Posted is an ad for an Enfield on Gunbroker - the pics should help. I have a couple of the .38's at home but no pics right now... http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...?Item=34384971 Cheers.

July 10, 2005, 09:54 PM	#4
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	The original Enfield revolver (Pistol, revolver, No. 2 Mk 1) has a hammer spur. The later No. 2 Mk 1* does not. The spur was reportedly removed because tank crewmen who carried the gun in a shoulder or hip holster found the hammer spur snagged on the tank when they tried to get out through the hatch. Given the quality of many British and American tanks in WWII, a rapid exit from a tank was all too often required, so that complaint was taken seriously. Jim

July 15, 2005, 09:59 AM	#6
jacobtowne Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2005 Location: New England Posts: 277	There should also be a date stamped on the top of the barrel, the year the barrel was proved. JT

July 15, 2005, 11:35 AM	#8
jacobtowne Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2005 Location: New England Posts: 277	Two digits. The SN on my No. 2 Mk. I is stamped on the outside of the cylinder, and on the barrel and frame on either side of the hinge (you have to turn the gun upside down to see these.) It may be that your revolver lacks stamps because they were buffed off during refinish, but that's just guessing. JT

July 15, 2005, 12:34 PM	#10
jacobtowne Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2005 Location: New England Posts: 277	Yessir. That is indeed the SN. There is no way to tell the year by that number, except that it was made after 1941. ZG is late in the sequence, so is likely late war, perhaps 1944 or 45. Because the piece is a Mk I* or Mk I** and should not have a spur hammer, it is likely that at some point someone restored the SA function. JT

July 15, 2005, 01:57 PM	#11
doubleaes2 Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Posts: 282	I thought that the hammer appeared on the guns before they got sent back in to be re-arsenalled and converted to DAO? The date looks like it could be 44, the nimbers are a little tough to read though. __________________ The best index to a person's character is (a) How he treats people who can't do him any good, and (b), How he treats people who can't fight back. Abigail Van Buren

July 16, 2005, 09:40 AM	#12
jacobtowne Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2005 Location: New England Posts: 277	The Mark I* DAO was adopted in March, 1939. The Mark I SA/DA was made obsolescent by this change, and Mark I revolvers were to be converted to Mk I* whenever passing through ordnance factories for repair. Obviously not all were converted, since I have in my collection an unmodified Mk. I made in 1931. JT

July 16, 2005, 11:02 AM	#13
doubleaes2 Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Posts: 282	Cool, Thanks for the info. Adam __________________ The best index to a person's character is (a) How he treats people who can't do him any good, and (b), How he treats people who can't fight back. Abigail Van Buren

July 16, 2005, 11:26 AM	#14
jacobtowne Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2005 Location: New England Posts: 277	BTW: The maker's mark should be stamped on the right side of the frame. If it's not there, it has probably been buffed off during refinish. JT

July 16, 2005, 01:18 PM	#15
doubleaes2 Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Posts: 282	There is a mark on that side of the frame, but it is not a crest or anyhting like that. It seems to be an inverted D with a line through it and the letter " I " followed by an * __________________ The best index to a person's character is (a) How he treats people who can't do him any good, and (b), How he treats people who can't fight back. Abigail Van Buren

July 16, 2005, 01:36 PM	#16
jacobtowne Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2005 Location: New England Posts: 277	That's a 'D' superimposed over an 'E', which is a logo for EnfielD. The revolver was thus made at the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock, Middlesex. The I* is the model, Mk I*. JT

July 16, 2005, 09:11 PM	#17
doubleaes2 Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Posts: 282	Wow, You are the man . Thanks for all the help. __________________ The best index to a person's character is (a) How he treats people who can't do him any good, and (b), How he treats people who can't fight back. Abigail Van Buren