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S&W rectified these problems by the simple expedient of removing the offending parts. The Modified revolver, dubbed the .455 Hand Ejector, Second Model or .455 Hand Ejector, Mark II, went into production in 1915. All British issue Mark IIs had 6.5-inch barrels and boasted a commercial-grade blued finish. The big Smith proved popular and by 1918 more than 68,000 had been supplied to British and Canadian forces.

S&W pioneered the “half-moon” clip with their famed .45 caliber M1917 revolver (right). The new Performance Center M625 revolver continues this tradition with “full-moon” clip loading.

As it became obvious that the United States would soon be entering the conflict on the Allied side, the U.S. Army began casting about for additional adverse to using revolvers they insisted upon one precondition: any substitute standard handgun MUST use the issue .45 ACP cartridge! This presented a problem as the rimless ACP cartridge would not function with the standard revolver ejector system. Working in conjunction with Springfield Armory, S&W’s engineers developed what has become known as the “half moon clip,” a semicircular piece of flat stamped steel with cutouts into which three rimless .45 weapons and while they were committed to the 1911 Colt pistol, it soon became obvious that not enough could be produced to meet demand. In 1916, the Army approached S&W about a “substitute standard” handgun and were offered the Hand Ejector, Second Model. But while the Army was not ACP cartridges could be snapped. This allowed the rimless cases to be ejected by the extractor bearing on the clip and had the secondary advantage of allowing very fast reloading.