Latest Acquisition: .455 Eley/Webley Colt New Service

[Lee Enfield]

Does anyone know the history of these WW1 dated Colt revolvers in .455? I'm assuming that it was a British government contract because we couldn't make enough Webley revolvers of our own.

I thought that British officers in WW1 purchased their own revolvers or sometimes did?

There were approximately 100,000 New Services manufactured from 1914 thru 1917 and most were chambered in .455.
Most were British and Canadian orders, probably more than 1/2 were "commercial sales".

During the same period approx 79,000 S&W First ("Triple Lock") and Second Model Hand Ejectors .455s were manufactured with probably a higher ratio to Gov't sales.

So roughly 160-180,000 Colt and S&W .455s into the storm.