My new .455 HE 2nd Model

[S&WsRsweet]

All of the mark's on the OP's revolver are indeed British. A Canadian Military Acceptance mark is shown on the following .455 Mk II (2nd model) and is struck heavily at 12:00. This revolver was accepted into British service at the Royal Arms Factory at Enfield. It was then resubmitted to Enfield for inspection and marked by a different inspector with a different set of stamps and issued to The Argyle Light Infantry (Canadian), the 34th .455 Mk II to be so issued. When deassessioned from the A.L.I., the Mark's were struck and it was issued to The Royal Military College (Canada). At some point (probably 75 years or so ago), it walked away from the R.M.C., rack #4, revolver #23 never to return. After its exit from the R.M.C., some knowledgeable gunsmith correctly recessed the cylinder chambers allowing it fire .45 LC and remain chambered for the original British .455 Eley. That's the best I can put it together at this point.

I also own and have seen several examples that were shipped to the Canadian Government in Ottawa (not necessarily to the military) with only one mark on the butt. It's a Crown over 30 mark and no other markings. These seem to be in excellent condition, almost without exception.

Crown over 30 butt mark only, almost new with only a partial cylinder ring:

Wow jebstuart you got some nice guns there. Just wondering about your name,are you a Civil War buff or a Haunted Tank fan or like myself both. Reading The Haunted Tank got me looking to find out more about the original JEB Stuart .

 

[CptCurl]

Well done! A fine .455. You will enjoy shooting it.

Curl

 

[pd1964]

Thanks for all the great info. I was ordering letters for a couple of other guns so I ordered one for this one as well. But I’m sure it won’t tell me much other than it was shipped to an agent for the British in NY before being shipped overseas from what I understand. I’m new to the old gun scene looking to pickup a few more.

 

[jebstuart]

Wow jebstuart you got some nice guns there. Just wondering about your name,are you a Civil War buff or a Haunted Tank fan or like myself both. Reading The Haunted Tank got me looking to find out more about the original JEB Stuart .

S&WsRsweet,
In researching my family history many years ago, I found that my Great Great Grandfather was a cavalry soldier under JEB Stuart. I started to study American cavalry officers and tactics, and found that Stuart and Forrest were two of the best, if not THE best in American history. I took a fancy to Stuart in particular and he's been rather a hero of mine ever since. Working backward, my GG Grandfather is the first ancestor that I don't own at least one firearm from. I have certainly done due diligence, but to no avail. I'm glad to have the ones that I do from the others down the line.

 

[Muley Gil]

S&WsRsweet,
In researching my family history many years ago, I found that my Great Great Grandfather was a cavalry soldier under JEB Stuart. I started to study American cavalry officers and tactics, and found that Stuart and Forrest were two of the best, if not THE best in American history. I took a fancy to Stuart in particular and he's been rather a hero of mine ever since. Working backward, my GG Grandfather is the first ancestor that I don't own at least one firearm from. I have certainly done due diligence, but to no avail. I'm glad to have the ones that I do from the others down the line.

If you know what unit your GGGranddaddy served in, you may be able to look up the weapons that that unit was issued. Very likely, he carried a 1860 cavalry saber and a Colt 1860 Army .44 or a Colt 1851 Navy .36.

 

[jebstuart]

If you know what unit your GGGranddaddy served in, you may be able to look up the weapons that that unit was issued. Very likely, he carried a 1860 cavalry saber and a Colt 1860 Army .44 or a Colt 1851 Navy .36.

My paternal Grandfather remembered he and the other kids playing with the saber on visits. He also remembered a "brace" of "horse pistol" revolvers, but never knew what happened to any of them. I made the rounds to the great uncle's, aunts & other relatives, but never got a whiff. I was always at all of the local shooting matches (that's how I acquired my Great Grandfather's shotgun from an uncle), but not a single clue. I don't know how to interpret the brace of pistols, but I do know it was common practice for Stuart's cavalry to posses a belt mounted cross draw revolver in addition to two saddle mounted revolvers - it was a very effective close combat tactic. If my Grandfather overheard one of the men-folk describe them as "horse pistols", that implies large framed, heavily charged .44's. Alas, I'm afraid I'll never know.

 

[Absalom]

...... I don't know how to interpret the brace of pistols, but I do know it was common practice for Stuart's cavalry to posses a belt mounted cross draw revolver in addition to two saddle mounted revolvers - it was a very effective close combat tactic. If my Grandfather overheard one of the men-folk describe them as "horse pistols", that implies large framed, heavily charged .44's. Alas, I'm afraid I'll never know.

It’s been some years, but based on my studies and readings while I was a CW reenactor, looking for any uniformity of “issue” weapons especially with Confederate units is a fool’s errand

Even with regular line infantry, you’d have one regiment with Federal Springfields, the next with British 1853 Enfields, another with Austrian Lorenz muskets, and another with old .69 US muskets. In the cavalry, every trooper did indeed pack himself and his horse with pistols like the Outlaw Josey Wales, plus sabre and carbine, but in contrast to the Federals, Southern industry never caught up to the point where “standard issue” really was a thing.