Watson's Gun
"An Eley's No. 2 is an excellent argument with gentlemen who can twist steel poker's into knots. That and a tooth-brush are, I think, all that we need." So Holmes said to Watson before they set out for Stoke Moran. Holmes also brought up another important thing, the fireplace poker, which he unbent (although it is of course not perfeclty straight). In any case the revolver Holmes asks Watson to slip into his pocket is not Watson's old service revolver. It is not exactly "an Eley's No. 2 either. The gun is actualy a Webley's No. 2, .320 bore, a small, heavy, but relatively effective weapon; the smallest really practable weapon of it's time. The cartridges for it were the Eley part (which was often printed on the barrel to differentiate it from the Smith and Wesson .32). Holmes and Watson both knew this of course, that is in fact why Holmes used the sort of shorthand expression- because they were both more than well enough versed in guns to know exactly what Holmes was talking about. (Baring-Gould 252)