Lawrence of Arabia's revolver donated to National Army Museum

[josquin]

I posted this on the S&W Forum as well. No one there is questioning its provenance - but there is a lot of interest Interestingly, Roy Jinks is a member of that Forum as there is a separate section for the S & W Collectors Assoc. (You have to be a member of the SWCA to gain access, to that area, though, which I am not. Pity, as there is a "Questions for Roy Jinks" thread.)

 

[dan belisle]

Not ever a 38special! The large frame S&W & Colt revolvers were designed for 45 Colt. S&W & Colt wanted to get away from 36 caliber revolvers...wanted the big bore stuff.

Again, the standard length Colt & S&W revolvers, large frames, were 6", not shorter. Plus Webley in Britain could not turn out enough top break 455 MK 5 & 6 revolvers for their WW1 army Officers. There are a plethora amount of questions to be satisfied to assert the genuineness of a short barrelled S&W revolver in 1916 that somehow found its way to the Arab Middle East in 1916.
Please provide more details .....

S&W made them in various lengths, and they were sold all over the world. I'd like to see who S&W sold it to, but the trail from Bey to Lawrence to this officer is about as sure as wartime allows for. - dan

 

[josquin]

...but the trail from Bey to Lawrence to this officer is about as sure as wartime allows for. - dan

Well put. A trail as tortuous as the deserts where this all played out, no doubt.

 

[Matt74]

If someone was trying to pull a fast one here with this provenance, it would be at one of large US auction houses with someone trying to make a mint off it, not being donated to a museum.
Very interesting, thanks for sharing.
Matt

 

[josquin]

If someone was trying to pull a fast one here with this provenance, it would be at one of large US auction houses with someone trying to make a mint off it, not being donated to a museum.
Very interesting, thanks for sharing.
Matt

I doubt that anyone is trying to delilberately mislead anyone on this, but as Dan said, in wartime the paths these things can take can be pretty murky. And any deception (which seems unlikely) would have originated many decades ago with the man to whom TEL gave the revolver.

Now if someone comes up with a .45 cal. Luger "that was given to Wilhelm II"...