Enfield revolver
| Enfield Mk II Revolver | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | Service revolver |
| Place of origin | British Empire |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1880–1911 |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | British colonial conflicts |
| Production history | |
| Designer | RSAF Enfield |
| Designed | 1879 |
| Manufacturer | RSAF Enfield |
| Produced | 1880 – 1889 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 11.5 in (292 mm) |
| Barrel length | 5.75 in (146 mm) |
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| Cartridge | .476" Revolver Mk II |
| Calibre | .476 Enfield |
| Action | Double-action revolver |
| Rate of fire | 18 rounds/minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 600 ft/s |
| Effective firing range | 25 yd (22 m) |
| Maximum firing range | 200 yd |
| Feed system | 6-round cylinder |
| Sights | fixed front post and rear notch |
The Enfield Revolver was a self-extracting British handgun designed and manufactured at the government-owned Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield; initially in the .476 calibre (actually 11.6 mm)
The .476 calibre Enfield Mk I and Mk II revolvers were the official sidearm of both the British Army and the North-West Mounted Police, as well as being issued to many other Colonial units throughout the British Empire. The term "Enfield Revolver" is not applied to Webley Mk VI revolvers built by RSAF Enfield between 1923 and 1926.
The Enfield No. 2 is an unrelated .38 calibre revolver that was the standard sidearm of British and Commonwealth forces during World War II.
The first models of Enfield revolver—the Mark I and Mark II—were official British military sidearms from 1880 through 1887, and issue sidearms of the North-West Mounted Police in Canada from 1883 until 1911.
NWMP Commissioner Acheson G. Irvine ordered 200 Mark IIs in 1882, priced at C$15.75 each, which were shipped by London's Montgomery and Workman in November that year, arriving in December. They replaced the Adams. Irvine liked them so much that, in one of his final acts as Commissioner, he ordered another 600, which were delivered in September 1885. His replacement, Lawrence W. Herchmer, reported the force was entirely outfitted with Enfields (in all 1,079 were provided) and was pleased with them, but concerned about the .476 round being too potent. The first batch was stamped NWMP-CANADA (issue number between) after delivery; later purchases were not. They were top-break single- or double-action, and fitted with lanyard rings. Worn spindle arms would fail to hold empty cases on ejection, and worn pivot pins could cause barrels to become loose, resulting in inaccuracy. Its deep rifling would allow firing of slugs of between .449 and .476 in (11.4 and 12.1 mm) diameter. Complaints began arising as early as 1887, influenced in part by the British switching to Webleys, and by 1896, hinge wear and barrel loosening were a real issue.
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Wikipedia