Description

c.1870s 6 shot, 12 mm Pinfire revolver (NOT 11 mm French Ordnance - blame a quirk of this website!). PRICE REDUCED! A well-made revolver in very good condition, typical of the Liege trade, with deep, attractive engraving to the frame, cylinder and barrel and with very few, minor, blemishes. Finely checkered, undamaged wood grips. This gun is original with little evidence of wear - in particular the bore is excellent with sharp rifling and the SA/DA action works correctly. At some point during its life the appropriate fittings have been professionally re-blued. Technically an ‘orphan’ gun, there is no obvious maker’s stamp or Liege proof mark, suggesting it was produced by a small shop for export, proofing and sale abroad. That said there appears to be very feint lettering on the rear face of the cylinder, plus a probable, but unidentified, proof mark on the front face of the cylinder (see pictures). The stamp “NM” also appears on the grip frame, which is likely the individual gunsmith’s initials - the 3 neat notches which are repeated on the frame, cylinder and barrel assembly also suggest small-batch production, with the marks there to ensure the hand fitted parts were not mixed up with others in the batch. The large “12 mm” calibre was the typical military choice for a Pinfire revolver, although interestingly the patterns of revolver using this cartridge officially adopted, e.g., by Norway and Sweden, were actually designated 11 mm, and the bore of this gun looks to measure approximately 11 mm. A bit of promotional licence maybe by the canny arms manufacturers of Belgium? In the mid 19th century the officers of many armies were expected to purchase their own sidearms, although this revolver with its elaborate decoration and slender frame looks to be aimed more at the private gentleman than the soldier. Price includes delivery within the UK by Royal Mail 48 hr service. No offers please.