Scotland's Only WW2 Military Firearm: Albion Motors No2 MkI** Revolver (ad-free)
Added 2022-11-16 12:01:00 +0000 UTCOne of the lessons the British military took from the Great War was that without extensive training and practice, most people were not very effective with a large-bore revolver. So in 1922, they undertook a program (via Webley) to develop a smaller sidearm that could be used with much less training. The result was the Revolver, No2 MkI, which went into production in 1931.
When World War Two began in 1939, the British government put out the call to civilian industry to take up war production. The Albion Motors company of Scotstoun (near Glasgow) was interested, and took a contract to make No2 revolvers. After a year of overcoming obstacles in tooling and skilled labor, the first Albion Motors revolver came off the production line in July, 1941. This was the first of 21,422 made by the company, and after the contract passed to the Coventry Tool & Die company in early 1943, another 21,094 would follow with the same Albion markings but assembled by Coventry.
Albion guns account for roughly 20% of total No2 revolver production, and they are the only example I can think of of modern Scottish military small arms production.
Comments
I heard they had to recall some of the earliest Scottish-made revolvers. Every time they were fired, the report sounded like "YEORORRAGGHH!" and that was found not to be sporting.
Pat Patterson
2022-11-16 22:23:33 +0000 UTCyep, sidearm when things goes south. would rather been issued a 455 than that 38 though!
Guido Schriewer
2022-11-16 19:02:57 +0000 UTCBe fun to compare this on the clock to the Smith and Wesson contract guns in the same caliber.
ViejoLobo
2022-11-16 18:37:27 +0000 UTCJust sold my 1917 .455 MkVI and a lovely 1932 Enfield No2 (very similar to your one in the video) to fund another firearm. Both lovely accurate shooters. Will be missed but needs must etc... Thanks again Ian for another great insight.
Mick Gillen
2022-11-16 16:49:04 +0000 UTCNo, that was a Webley-Fosbery
Forgotten Weapons
2022-11-16 15:57:21 +0000 UTCHave not checked... is this the model that Sean Connery used in Zardoz?
Matisse Enzer
2022-11-16 15:27:35 +0000 UTCAh, yes, the “Ian pulls a rare weapon out of the air to make a point move…and because he can.”
Terry
2022-11-16 13:49:44 +0000 UTC
