Question about older British pistols

The ring is for a lanyard that is hung around the neck in case you drop the gun during combat more than likely if you are shooting from the back of a horse. Reloading a revolver from the back of a running horse during combat is pretty conducive to accidental drops.

Wasnt just the Brits that have the lanyard loops, and the revolvers arent the only guns to have them. The 1911's and most military autos have one too.

They are handy even today, especially if you're active. Canoeing/kayaking, ATV's, etc.

Officer, by long tradition, were mounted. This allowed them to be seen on the battlefield, and to see across the battlefield, as well. The horse gave them the mobility to traverse their entire "line" of troops. (This is also why so many officer uniforms include riding boots.)

Having a horse is convenient. Unless you drop something. So many things carried while horseback are fitted up with lanyards and retention straps and the like. Swords and sabers has knots, tassels and the like, that retained at the wrist. The first pistols used were single-shot ML, once shot, they needed time that not might be available just now to reload. So, they were left to dangle on a lanyard from the neck (or looped under a shoulder epaulet).

Even after repeating arms became common, keeping the firearm "attached" with a lanyard was still desirable. (Recall, riding a charging horse is slightly complicated as is, if you need one had for a pistol, one hand for a sword, lance, etc., and one hand for the reins. So, the tradition survived. (As did a tradition of only using one hand to shoot, so the lanyard and ring did not interfere with a support hand.)

Even after officers were generally dismounted, the "fashion" of having a lanyard had become tradition. As did the Sam Brown (also Browne) belt with its cross-strap to carry a sword, then, later, a pistol.

US Army model 1917 S&W.

Another example of a lanyard ring on a S&W M&P, Model 1905 Fourth Change, made during WWII.

Some Police Mounted and Highway Units still use the lanyards and rings. Looks funny on a Glock but it has a purpose.

While I was ik the US Army, MPs wore a white pistol belt, white magazine pouch, and had a white braided lanyard. The lanyard loped around the near (right) shoulder and was held in place by the epaulet, then hung down to clip to the lanyard loop on the .45 pistol. With white accessories, including a white helmet liner, it looke dpretty sharp with the OD (olive drab) uniform.

Bob Wright

British issue lanyards were quite specific, with their coarse weave and "Turk's Head" keepers.

Here is my Enfield No. 2 revolver showing the lanyard and how it's supposed to be installed. Also shown are the original prewar wooden grips and the wartime plastic grips.

jar said:

US Army model 1917 S&W.
View attachment 1077488

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That's it, I'm doing that to my model 10.

@gonoles_1980 , many military pistols have this. Tokarev, Makarovs, 1911's, Beretta 1951's. And six irons mentioned above.

Cavalrymen mostly, but there are images of (not limited to, only in my humble opinion experience) a soviet soldier holding a Tokarev attached to a load bearing system.

Navy pistols make sense, I'd hate to get chewed out for dropping my iron into the briny blue deep abyss.

And if I'm not mistaken, some auto magazines have lanyard loops too.

Soviet system with the Tok, had a clip on/near the holster, and was meant to be pulled taut to help support the weapon when firing one-handed.

Many modern handguns have some sort of lanyard attachment, it's just not readily visible sometimes - Glock full size and compact frames, S&W scandium J-frame revolvers, Beretta 92FS, HK P30...

CapnMac said:

Soviet system with the Tok, had a clip on/near the holster, and was meant to be pulled taut to help support the weapon when firing one-handed.

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That might be an "urban myth" because I don't remember it being mentioned in the original Soviet army manual for the pistol.

S&W alloy frames often have a pin recessed into the butt for a lanyard.
The pin will inevitably sneak out and be lost, unnoticed, when you remove the grips.
No need asking how I know this.
Moon

All my revolvers have lanyard screws, a thing which used to be easy to add to Rugers because the replacement Hogue grips have a bottom screw to secure them. Hogue used to sell the lanyard-style screws, but I don't see them anymore. A lanyard is real handy while canoeing, bike riding and other activities. If I ever got an additional revolver I would make that screw if I couldn't find one.

British cartridge revolvers had lanyard rings from the beginning, but its interesting that the US didn't really that using them until some of the later variants of the .38 Colt New Army platform (1901 & 1903). The classic SAA did not have them, even though there was extensive horseback usage.

Navy Seals , at least 20 or more years ago, I have no idea today , used coiled plastic coated woven stainless wire lanyards on their pistols. They are kind of handy and don't restrict the draw really if properly set up.

We used lanyards on our M9s extensively.

This is my 1992 Sig Sauer 226 9mm and integral lanyard loop. Never wore a lanyard but I have seen them used.

The 105mm howitzer had a lanyard. Never worried abut dropping one, though.

Bob Wright

LOL. Id say you were dropping something.

The color of the lanyard had significance. For instance WWII RAF was blue.

Mizar said:

That might be an "urban myth" because I don't remember it being mentioned in the original Soviet army manual for the pistol.

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Hmm, I could be confusing Mak with Tok, too.
And hanged if I can find a photo of the technique, either.

The owner of this London Navy evidently felt the need for a lanyard ring.

Who knew, Glock even sells them...

https://eu.glock.com/en/products/glock-accessories/lanyard