[mrent1]

Just picked this up today.

I read somewhere online that the "snub nose" modification of the Enfield no.2 mk1* was done by an American import company trying to garner more interest in the large shipment of enfield revolvers, calling this modification things like a "Commando model" or Police issue. Is this true?

Also, the wooden grips look like they don't belong originally, but I could be wrong. I haven't seen any that look like these.


Thanks,

Matt

 

[eddeck]

Really cool. Never saw one before. Looks like a professional job in redoing the barrel. My tanker no2 has the bobbed hammer, but a 4" barrel. I have seen webleys' with 3" barrels. But never a snubby like yours.

does it have import marks?

 

[mrent1]

No import marks. It is a pretty cool little piece. Should be fun to shoot. It came with 40 rounds of ammo, so I'll have to get out to the range sometime and see how it does. I was told it shoots a little low because the front sight is high.

Upon doing more research, I see the marking is a D superimposed over an E and followed by an I, for 1, with a single star, all of this denoting a no.2 mk1*

 

[breakeyp]

Golden State Arms was one of the companies cutting back the barrels of No.2 revolvers for the US market. Ads for the 2inch were in many magazines during the late 50's and early 60"s. The wood grips are original but heavily sanded to remove normal grooves in the wood. It may have some collector interest like the sporterized .303 rifles done by Golden State but they are not legitimate issued items.

 

[mrent1]

Thanks for the info, breayeyp. Pig-looking as it is (at least says my wife), I like it. Feels good in the hand even as short as it is. I wonder how well these sold back in the 50's and 60's, as I believe they cut the barrels down to increase interest.

I don't see very many of them for sale.

 

[free1954]

Golden State Arms was one of the companies cutting back the barrels of No.2 revolvers for the US market. Ads for the 2inch were in many magazines during the late 50's and early 60"s. The wood grips are original but heavily sanded to remove normal grooves in the wood. It may have some collector interest like the sporterized .303 rifles done by Golden State but they are not legitimate issued items.

I seen one of these for sale a few years ago at a gun show, the seller had it advertised as a rare experimental model and wanted $1000.00 for it. when I told him the story about these being done for the civilian market, he told me I didn't know what I was talking about.

 

[mrent1]

I wonder how "rare" these little buggers really are, as I don't see them for sale very often. Anyone know how many were modified to snub configuration?

 

[breakeyp]

Bill Rogers at Springfield Sporters made a wise comment one time. He said if you import 1000 guns, that is only 20 per state on average.

The "Tankers" were cheap and concealable. Some would have gravitated towards the criminal element where the police would eventually find and destroy them. A few would be lost, improved and modified to the point of having no collector value and some are buried in collects to surface on the passing of the current custodian.

 

[Beerhunter]

As is hasn't been said yet. The so-called "tanker" models are nothing of the sort. (BTW we say "tankie", not tanker.) The Mk.1* was introduced to save on manufacturing, as was the Mk.1**. They have less parts but more importantly less machining. Additionally, they were issued to all arms, not just to the Royal Armoured Corps.

I suspect that the term (as was "Jungle Carbine"), and reason for, was coined by US importers in the 1950s in order to sell more guns. As has been said, that is also where the snub-nosed versions were bobbed.

 

[mrent1]

Interesting, I've heard before that the bobbed hammer really wouldn't have made much of a difference to a tank operator, and it makes much more sense that it would have been done to cut costs/time.

 

[mrent1]

Any idea as to value? I got this in a trade (a guitar set for the Enfield) and I really have only a small idea of the snub nose modification's value (I'm thinking $300 tops?). And there aren't a lot of examples from online auctions that are current or even very many that are recent.

I appreciate the help.

-Matt

 

[25-5]

Nice to see such pics. An interesting and informative thread. Thanks.

 

[mrent1]

Nice to see such pics. An interesting and informative thread. Thanks.

Glad you found it interesting!

 

[mrent1]

Just curious about the value as I'm wondering if it's worth putting a regular length no.2 barrel on it (found one for sale, $117), just to have it fit the holster, improve accuracy, and look the way it was originally designed to.

 

[John Sukey In Memoriam]

I do have to laugh at the term "tanker" When you are climbing out of the hatch, its NOT the barrel that could get caught, but rather the grip. Even saying that, the British holster just about swallows the entire revolver!

I also have to agree that the grips are original, since commercial grips would NOT have that brass ID disc.

 

[koala]

The ones I have are MK1 single action,Mk2 Tank with no hammer but modified to double action,and the stubby 2'' barrel modified post 1944 for a RAF aircrew contract.

 

[Ivan Ivanovich]

If you add a barrel @ $117 plus grips plus lanyard loop to restore it you might have spent close to the cost of a complete revolver !
Would suggest you enjoy it as it is !

These "tanker" models do show up from time to time and yes gun show bandits usually attach "rare" or experimental" to price tag and ask too much money for a sporterised military arm.

AFAIK there were no Enfield revolvers made with the short barrel. US importers bobbed the barrels to make the guns sell. Same as shaving Webley cylinders from .455 to work with .45ACP and .45 Auto Rim. Lots of ads in pre 1968 US gun magazines for the Enfield tankers. $19.95 or less !

$300 is probably an upper end value. But you do have a handy, sturdy .38 pocket cannon. The .38 S&W cartridge is factory loaded to Black Powder pressure. If you hand load you can stoke it up a bit to about .38 Special .

 

[mikesm44]

Just curious about the value as I'm wondering if it's worth putting a regular length no.2 barrel on it (found one for sale, $117), just to have it fit the holster, improve accuracy, and look the way it was originally designed to.

These things only sell for about $300 max and it will never be "original". It is an Enfield produced gun, so not even one of the rarer manufacturers. I would assume that since most shoot extremely low with most commercial ammo it would not help too much with accuracy either. They were designed for .38/200 grain bullet and most you can find now is in the 158 gr range. I personally have about 11 of these things and a number of Webley's as well so I would just keep it for the "oddity" of it's existence, and since I do have some replacement grips lying around I would probably put the barrel on it, but I do not know if you have that kind of sentiment for these pistols, or what you paid for it originally.

Also, I've always wondered, is it extremely difficult to open since you do not have as much barrel to grab onto now?

 

[mikesm44]

AFAIK there were no Enfield revolvers made with the short barrel. US importers bobbed the barrels to make the guns sell. Same as shaving Webley cylinders from .455 to work with .45ACP and .45 Auto Rim. Lots of ads in pre 1968 US gun magazines for the Enfield tankers. $19.95 or less !

I have a Webley Mark VI that I took to a gunsmith. It had been missing parts and when I put in the replacements for some reason it froze up and I could not get it open. Anyway, upon seeing it he immediately said, "Oh, you want me to shave down the cylinder?" and this was only about 2 years ago, so apparently it still happens.

 

[Beerhunter]

The ones I have are MK1 single action,Mk2 Tank with no hammer but modified to double action,and the stubby 2'' barrel modified post 1944 for a RAF aircrew contract.

RAF air crew carried standard revolvers, if they wished; there was no need for bobbed version. If such model existed it would need a designation so as not to be confused with the standard barrelled models and (as far as I know) Pistol Revolver No.2 Mk,1, Mk.1* and Mk.1** are the only models recorded.

BTW, I think that you have got your models mixed up. A Pistol, Revolver No.2 with no hammer spur is a Mk.1* or Mk.1**. (BTW, see my post above for the "tankers model" myth.)