ALBION No. 2 Mk I**

Item Description

FIREARM HISTORY AND FEATURES:

The Enfield No. 2 was a British top-break revolver using the .38 S&W round manufactured from 1930 to 1957.
It was the standard British/Commonwealth sidearm in the Second World War, alongside the Webley Mk IV and Smith & Wesson Victory Model revolvers chambered in the same calibre.

After the First World War, it was decided by the British Government that a smaller and lighter .38 calibre sidearm firing a long, heavy 200 grn soft lead bullet would be preferable to the large Webley service revolvers using the .455 round.
Consequently, the British firm of Webley & Scott tendered their Webley Mk IV revolver in .38 calibre, but rather than adopting it, the British authorities took the design to the Government-run Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield, and the Enfield factory developed a revolver that was very similar to the Webley but internally slightly different.

The Enfield revolver was quickly accepted under the designation “Revolver, No. 2 Mk I” (single/double action, with a hammer spur), and was adopted in 1931.
It was followed in 1938 by the Mk I* (lightened trigger pull, spurless hammer, double-action only), and finally the Mk I** (simplified for wartime production) in 1942.

The vast majority of Enfield No 2 revolvers were made by RSAF (Royal Small Arms Factory) Enfield, but wartime necessities meant that numbers were produced elsewhere. Albion Motors in Scotland manufactured the Enfield No. 2 Mk I* from 1941 to 1943, whereupon the contract for production was passed onto Coventry Gauge & Tool Co. until 1945, although these revolvers maintained the same Albion markings.
Albion/CG&T models account for roughly 20% of total No. 2 revolver production.

Other manufacturers of the No. 2 included The Singer Sewing Machine Company, and The Howard Auto Cultivator Company (HAC) in New South Wales, Australia.

YOUTUBE VIDEO: FORGOTTEN WEAPONS – SCOTLAND’S ONLY WW2 MILITARY FIREARM: ALBION MOTORS NO.2 MK I** REVOLVER

FIREARM CONDITION:

This gun is in fair to good (more on the good side), used condition (for an old gun). It is mechanically good and functional.
I cannot tell if it has been refinished or not, but it has a dull grey, almost Parkerized finish that is still in fairly good condition, with a few, small, light patches of wear in some places on the frame, and some very small patches of wear or ‘flaking’ of the finish on the sides of the barrel.
The original plastic grips are still in good condition with a few, small, light scratches in places, but nothing significant.
The manufacturing date stamped on the frame is ‘1943’.

FIREARM SUITABILITY:

While this firearm could technically be used for self-defense and some shooting sports, it would be quite impractical due to the old, uncommon caliber that it is chambered in.
If not for this issue, I would imagine that it is actually quite fun to shoot, and fairly rugged and reliable being a wartime gun.

This gun perhaps has more value as a collector piece due to its heritage and historical attributes.