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Throughout World War I the regulation revolver ammunition used by British land forces was the .455 Mark II. Generating a muzzle velocity of only 620 fps, the Mark II round might seem to have been woefully inadequate for combat. But it proved effective in battle, delivering greater short-range stopping power than its modest ballistics would suggest.

While Britain’s military leadership had come to recognize the handgun’s value, there simply weren’t enough Webley revolvers available to supply those soldiers who required them. Compounding the problem, Webley & Scott was unable to manufacture them in sufficient numbers to satisfy the demand. Members of the Commonwealth found themselves turning to outside sources to meet their handgun needs. Anticipating her impending entry into the war that was already raging on the Continent, in the summer of 1914 England contacted Smith & Wesson, seeking a suitable double action revolver chambered for the .455 round.

THE .455 FIRST MODEL HAND EJECTOR

Smith & Wesson had been producing their .44 Hand Ejector model since 1908. Also referred to as the “New Century” model, this gun was the original N-frame revolver. A distinctive feature of the New Century was a third locking lug located at the front of the yoke, or crane, that engaged a spring-loaded pin in the ejector rod shroud. This engineering nicety earned the gun its popular title of “Triple Lock.”