French LEFAUCHEUX Revolver

[steven58]

Both the single and double action is smooth and the cylinder locks up tight on all 6. The bbl is clean and bright. Lands are sharp. All screws are clean and un-buggered. All moving parts seem tight and like new. There is virtually no finish left on the surface but it seems unpitted and clean of rust.

There is what appears to be a stylized anchor stamped into the steel cap just forward of the lanyard loop. The cylinder, right side of the frame and both stocks have the number “1854” stamped into them. The cylinder side has a “G” and its face has a “P”
The right side of the bbl has a “G” stamp. The right side of the trigger has a “P” stamp. The right side of the frame has “5164” over a “G” stamp. The front of the frame has a “E” stamp. The top-strap is marked “LEFAUCHEUX” on the right and some other worn markings on the right that I can’t make out.

If any of you could give me more information as to the exact model, caliber and perhaps value of this arm I would be exceedingly grateful.

 

[armoredman]

Interesting! Oleg would like to take pictures of it! 11mm?

 

[steven58]

If we can work out the logistics Oleg can take all the pictures he wants. I am in the Philadelphia area. I don't think the owner will mind.

I'm not sure of the caliber. I think it might be 12 mm. The closest looking I have seen to this revolver is the French naval version of the 1873 LEFAUCHEUX but there are still enough differences that I don't think that's the one.

 

[barman]

Hi, this is a civilian version of the 1870 Navy Lefaucheux, 1st model.
Caliber is 12mm Mle 70 although it is known under different names such as 11mm Navy for example.
That round was a good manstopper in its day, and possibly the best handgun cartridge in Europe.
Powder charge was 0.8 grams of extra-fine BP and the bullet weight was 12.8grams. Speed was 220 meter/second and the round developped an energy of 30 kilograms/meter at the muzzle.


In France where I live, these are highly sought after revolvers. They carry an image of prestige as they were part of the colonial conquest era. Yours in its condition would fetch at least 2200 euros.

Also, it's likely that there wasn't any blueing on the gun to start with. Most of them were left "in the white" like official Navy issues.

 

[barman]

Here's the 1870 Navy issue:

Here's the older Brother, the 1858NT (a 1858 model modified in 1863), also a gun of the French Navy:

BTW, as another poster said on another thread, in the mid-19th century the French Navy did lead the world in small arms technology. They already had metallic pin-fire cartridges handguns in 1858 when Americans were shooting cap n' ball revolvers and the French army was equipped with single shot muzzle-loading pistols.
In 1870 they had this wonderful revolver of yours which was both shooting central percussion cartridges and was a double-action design. The mechanism was also extremely reliable, very solid, unlike the Colt SAA 1873 (came out 3 years later) which was single action and had very fragile springs. On the other hand, the SAA had the HUGE advantage of firing an extremely powerful round.

 

[steven58]

Hi Barman,

Thanks for the information on the Lefaucheux revolver. Yes, France has been on the cutting edge of firearms development for a long time. Anyone on this forum who would deny it is probably pulling your leg.

The owner of this pistol will probably be posting it on "Gunbroker" in the near future. Would you know, what are the requirements for shipping this revolver to France if someone there were to purchase it?

 

[barman]

That revolver is completely free of any licence in France. Anybody over 18 can buy it. It is classified as being in category 8, which represents antique firearms.
So I guess you can just send it through Fedex if they accept shipping firearms. It may get held at customs for a while (French custom officers are sometimes not knowlegable enough on firearms laws, sad but true) and the buyer may have to show them this official document:

http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affic...Texte=JORFTEXT000000188767&dateTexte=20081029

Arrêté du 7 septembre 1995 fixant le régime des armes et des munitions historiques et de collection

Sont classées en 8e catégorie (paragraphe 1) les armes qui figurent dans les tableaux suivants :

a) Dénomination, modèle, calibre :


Fusils, carabines et mousquetons Gras, 1874, 11 mm.


Fusils Kropatchek, 1878, 11 mm.


Revolvers de marine, 1870, 11 mm.

Revolvers d'ordonnance, 1873-1874, 11 mm.


b) Pays d'origine, dénomination, marque, modèle, calibre métrique :


Allemagne :


Revolver dit "Zig-Zag" : Mauser, 1878 7,6, 9 et 10,6 mm.


Revolver réglementaire de l'armée : Commission revolver, 1879-1883, 10,55 mm.


Pistolet à répétition Mauser : Waffen FBK Mauser, C. 1886, 7,6 mm.


Pistolet à répétition et magasin rotatif : Bittner, 1890, 7,7 mm.


Pistolet semi-automatique : Mieg-Heidelberg, 1895, 6,65 mm.


Pistolet semi-automatique : Bergmann, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896, 5, 6,5, 7, 8 mm.


Pistolet semi-automatique Schwarzlose "Standart et Perfekt" :

Schwarzlose, 1894-1896, 7,65 mm.


Pistolet semi-automatique : Borchardt, 1894, 7,65 mm.


Pistolet semi-automatique Mannlicher : DWM Steyr, 1894, 6,5 mm R.


Carabine semi-automatique d'origine : Mauser, 1896-1900, 7,63 mm.


Revolver Bâr à 4 coups, 2 canons superposés : Sauer-Sohn, 1897, 7 mm.


Pistolet semi-automatique Bergmann "Bayard" : Bergmann, 1898-1899, 7,5 mm.


Pistolet semi-automatique Bergmann : Simplex, 1901, 8 mm.


Carabine semi-automatique d'origine : Luger (Parabellum), 1900-1902, 7,65 mm.


Pistolet semi-automatique Adler : Waf-Hermsdorff, 1905, 7,25 mm.


Pistolet semi-automatique Mann : F. Mann-Werk, 1919, 6,33 mm.


Pistolet semi-automatique Liliput : Waffen FBK Menz Suhl, 1927, 4,25 mm Liliput.


Autriche :


Pistolet à répétition Passler-Seidl : Passler, 1887, 7 mm.


Pistolet semi-automatique "Mannlicher" : O.W.G. Steyr, 1894, 8 mm.


Pistolet semi-automatique "Mannlicher" : O.W.G. Steyr, 1894, 6,5 mm R, 7,6 mm R.


Pistolet semi-automatique "Mannlicher" : O.W.G. Steyr, 1896, 7,6 mm R.


Pistolet semi-automatique "Mannlicher" : O.W.G. Steyr, 1896, 8 mm spécial.


Pistolet semi-automatique "Mannlicher" : Schwarzlose et Männlicher, 1896, 7,63 mm.


Pistolet semi-automatique "Mannlicher" : Schwarzlose et Männlicher, 1900, 7,63 mm Mannlicher.


Pistolet semi-automatique Erika (petit et grand modèle) :

F-Pfannl, 1910-1913, 4,25 mm Liliput.


Pistolet semi-automatique Kolibri : F-Grâbner, 1913-1920, 2,7, 3 mm.


Belgique :


Pistolet double de gendarmerie Rolling Block : Nagant, 1877, 9,4 mm.


Revolver d'ordonnance : Nagant, 1878, 8, 9,4 mm.


Pistolet à répétition Francotte : Francotte, 1896, 7,65, 8 mm Francotte.


Pistolet semi-automatique Clément : Clément, 1903, 5 mm Clément.


Espagne :


Pistolet semi-automatique Charola Anitua : Garaté Anitua, 1897, 5 mm Clément.


Revolver semi-automatique Zulaica : Zulaica, 1910, 5,5 mm Velodog.


France :


Tous pistolets à répétition tels que Rouchouse, Merveilleux, Gaulois : Manufrance Saint-Etienne, 1880 à 1890, 8 mm.


Pistolet à répétition Berger : Berger, 1881, 7 et 8 mm.


Pistolet à répétition Protector : Turbiaux, 1882, 6 et 8 mm.


Revolver d'ordonnance : Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Etienne (M.A.S.), 1885, 11 mm.


Revolver d'ordonnance : Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Etienne (M.A.S.), 1887, 8 mm.


Pistolet semi-automatique des frères Clair : Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Etienne (M.A.S.), 1888, 8 mm.


Revolver à 12 coups dit "Explorateur mitraille" 2 canons juxtaposés : Manufacture Saint-Etienne, 1888, 6 mm Vélodog.


Revolver à 16 coups dit "Le Terrible" 2 canons superposés :

Manufacture Saint-Etienne, 1888, 7,65 mm.


Revolver à 20 coups dit "Le Redoutable" 2 canons superposés :

Manufacture Saint-Etienne, 1888, 6,35 mm. Revolver d'ordonnance dit "A pompe" : Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Etienne (M.A.S.), 1892, 8 mm.


Grande-Bretagne :


Revolver d'ordonnance MK 1 et 2, calibre 476 : Enfield, 1880, 12,4 mm.


Pistolet réglementaire d'officier à 2 et 4 canons, calibre 455 et 476 : Lancaster, 1881, 11,5 et 12,4 mm.


Revolver Webley Ric, calibre 450 ou 455 : Webley & Scott, 1, 2, 3 et 4 modèle 1868-1876, n° 1 modèle 1883, 11,4 ou 11,5 mm.


Revolver Webley Ric, calibre 320, 380 ou 450 : Webley & Scott, British Bulldog (anglais ou belge), 1869-1900, 8, 12 ou 9,6 ou 11,4 mm.


Pistolet semi-automatique Gabbett-Fairfax "Mars", calibre 455 :

Webley-Mars, 1895, 11,5 mm.


Pistolet semi-automatique Gabbett-Fairfax "Mars", calibre 45 :

Webley-Mars, 1900, 11,5 mm.


Revolver automatique réglementaire Fosberry, calibre 455 : Webley, 1902, 11,5 mm.


Italie :


Revolver d'ordonnance Glisenti : Glisenti, 1878, 10,35 mm.


Norvège :


Revolver à éjecteur automatique Landstad à 6 coups : H.F. Landstad, 1889, 7,5 mm Nagant.


Suède :


Pistolet semi-automatique Hamilton : Torrsin Sons Alingsas, 1901, 6,5 mm Bergmann.


Suisse :


Revolver d'ordonnance Schmidt-Rubin : Schmidt-Rubin, 1872, 10,4 mm.


Revolver d'ordonnance Schmidt-Rubin : Schmidt-Rubin, 1878, 10,4 mm.


U.S.A.


Revolver à piston à poudre noire transformé pour le tir de cartouches métalliques suivant les brevets Tuher, Mason, Mason-Richard : Colt, 1849-1851, 1855-1860 à 1862, sans distinction.


Revolver n° 3 First Model American, calibre 44 S.W. et 44 Henry :

Smith and Wesson, 1869, 10,55 et 11,28 mm.


Revolver n° 3 Second Model American, calibre 44 S.W. et 44 Henry :

Smith and Wesson, 1869, 10,55 et 11,28 mm.


Revolver Russian 1er modèle, calibre 44 S.W. et 44 Henry : Smith and Wesson, 1869, 10,55 et 11,28 mm.


Revolver Russian 2e modèle, calibre 44 S.W. et 44 Henry : Smith and Wesson, 1869 à 1878, 10,55 et 11,28 mm.


Revolver Russian 3e modèle, calibre 44 S.W. et 44 Henry : Smith and Wesson, 1869 à 1878, 10,55 et 11,28 mm.


Revolver New model n° 3 Turkish Model, calibre 44 R.F : Smith and Wesson, 1869, 11,15 mm.


Pistolet semi-automatique de poche "Rider", magasin tubulaire à 5 cartouches, calibre 32 R.F : Remington, 1871, 8 mm.


Revolver "Open Top Frontier", calibre 44 R.F : Colt, 1872, 11,2 mm.


Revolver Schofield, 1er et 2e type, calibre 45 S.W : Smith and Wesson, 1875, 11,4 mm.


Revolver-carabine 320 S.W : Smith and Wesson, 1879, 8 mm.


Revolver "Navy", calibre 38 et 41 long et court : Colt, 1889, 9 et 10,3 mm.


Pistolet semi-automatique, calibre 38 : Colt, 1900, 9 mm.


Revolver "Lady Smith", calibre 22 : Smith and Wesson, 1902, 5,6 mm.

 

[Beagle-zebub]

Revolver dit "Zig-Zag" : Mauser, 1878 7,6, 9 et 10,6 mm.

That one put a smile on my face.

 

[steven58]

Thanks Barman, you have been very helpful! I will post here when this is up for sale.

 

[rdrancher]

You gotta love that grip adapter built into the trigger guard. Very nice.

rd