ffeng31,

That's a rare beauty in that condition as you indicated. Many, many have been converted to 45 Colt or 45 ACP/AR.

A little background:

That's a ".455 Mark II Hand Ejector - 2nd Model", 3rd Version.

There were several ways for these to make their way across the Big Pond to Britain, across the border to Canada, or originally sold here in the states and then immigrated somewhere else as evidenced by various assorted non - USA import, export, and/or proof stamps. Stamps also vary contingent upon the date any particular revolver made the "trip(s)".


There are three basic versions of .455 chambered Hand Ejector revolvers made by S&W under contract to the British for WW I. All three versions include some triple locks, but those in the 3rd group are actually 1st versions. When roll marked with the cal., they are roll marked with the cal., are roll marked only S&W 455 because all versions are actually reamed to also chamber the longer MK I cartridge per the British contract. Therefore the ‘book name’ references of 455 Mark II for all versions of S&W 455 chambered revolvers is a bit of a misnomer.

This is not be confused with the British revolver name “MK II” for the 455 Mark II HE – 2nd Model, which the British stamp MK II on the left rear frame of the revolvers and are known as such by them, as your friend's is stamped.
The WWI British contract Colt is marked ".455 ELEY", different than The S&W 455 marking.


3rd version: “.455 Mark II HE - 2nd Model” (sans extractor barrel shroud and 3rd lock), but with slightly larger cylinder/frame window dimensions from versions 1. and 2. above, the ".44 HE 1st Model Triple Lock" factory converted to .455, and the ".455 HE 1st Model TL" produced in .455, respectively.

The 2nd Model continued in the .455 1st Model TL Brit serial range beginning #5462 to #74755, shipped 1915-17.

By Feb 1916 724 were manufactured for the Canadians, chambered in 45 Colt, presumed for the RCMP [H of S&W, pg. 203].

Another 15 in 45 Colt were sold commercially in 1916.

The Canadian military also bought 14,500 .455 2nd Models.

And 1105 2nd Models were released for commercial sales in the US, shipped Dec 1917 to Shapleigh Hardware in St. Louis [S&W, N&J pg. 216].

“As the Brit contracts were finishing up in [April, H of S&W pg. 203] 1916, S&W found enough [44 HE frames and 455] parts to build 691 .455 HE 1st Model, Triple Lock frames [#2. above with .455 chambering]. These guns will be numbered in the .44 Spl serial number series. I have no idea why they were not just numbered in the .455 series. Perhaps it was .455 barrels and cylinders that the factory found, and they simply turned again to existing 44 HE 1st Model TL frames to use them up. They were sold commercially.” Lee Jarrett

__________________
Jim
S&WCA #819