World War I S&W Canadian Air Corp. Revolver

[Hammer Down]

Hello
I Picked up this revolver last December. It was Once owned by a friend of mine that lives in new Hampshire and he Purchased it out of an estate sale. It is a second series Hand eject Mark II British Issue revolver. He shared with me that the Dealer he bought it from had told him it once belonged to a Air Plane Pilot who was In World War I and carried it as a sidearm while flying Missions over Britian. I have Tracked some of it's History and found that the owner belonged to the Canadian Royal Air Corp. which was before Canada had an Airforce. Below is the story I got with it and a Poster that is period Correct. I also found out this revolver was sold through Remington Arms in New York City May 12, 1916 as they exported all of S&W's weapons during World War I. Most of these revolver's were shipped to Britian and checked in through their Proof Houses but this one has far less Proof marks than a British issue revolver ,and also has TheCanadian Proof marks on it. Sometime in it's life, This revolver had adjustable sights added to it. I suspect sometime in the 1940's as it is Micro Brand sights and marked as such, and the King Gun Sight Corp. absorbed the Micro Sight Corp. in the Early 1950's and both are out of Business now. Regards, Hammerdown.





Hello
I went back to the dealer I got that big .455 from in an effort to come up with more history if possible. Everything he told me isn't written in stone as he got the history passed down from the family he bought it from.Having said that I will add that he is the dealer of choice up here for estate buys because he's fair and honest. He told me that your old Smith was indeed a Canadian revolver from the WW 1 era. All else he could say was that he had gotten it from a family who was very private, but who had a son in New Hampshire who joined the RCAF in the first days of War One and was in Canada for pilot training. He was issued the pistol there and spent some time in France before the end of the war. Apparently he went in the RCAF early in the war but this was the second revolver he was issued and it was converted, unlike his first which was truly a 455, to .45 Colt after it was issued at Smith & Wesson by the pilot's family who were afraid that he would have trouble with what they felt was the Anemic .455 Webley round.I asked the dealer if he could fix it to let me speak with the family and he said he wouldn't promise but he would try. He did tell me that he was willing to sell me the revolver at exactly what he paid the family for it, both because I was a customer and because they expressed a wish that the old Smith get in the hands of someone who would appreciate it. I paid around $380 for it and I assured him that the new owner was a man who already appreciated it. If I get anything more I'll email you.Looks to me as if that Smith has come full circle from a warrior to another warrior who respects what he has.Use it in good fortune.

[galleta loco]

By God i can't imagine a modern plastic gun in 80 or 90 years lookin that good or even functioning!Looks good