Can anyone help identify this old revolver?

[DDGator]

A family member got this from a widow...

He has asked me what this is, and I have no idea. It has no external markings, other than the scrollwork.

It is a small caliber -- .32-ish? It has an octagonal barrel. It is not a Single-Action, although it loads from a side gate. It may be SA/DA (with a broken cocking notch) or DAO. It appears that the trigger return spring is bad. It will cock and drop the hammer when you pull the trigger, but you then have to push the trigger forward.

Anybody have any clue what this might be?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/daiker/5974491520/

And, no -- I don't intend to shoot it!

Thanks for any info!

 

[GCBurner]

It's an old European pinfire revolver, maybe French or Belgian. Could be a 6mm to 9mm pinfire calibre, can't say from the picture. There should be some proof marks somewhere that would give more information. It's strictly decorative; nowadays pinfire ammunition is rare and difficult to reload for.

 

[DDGator]

Thanks! Someone else clued me in to that too. It is definitely a pinfire of some sort.

There is a U with 2 crowns proofmark on the cylinder and under the barrel that I am told indicates the gun was sold in Germany, which means it was likely of Belgian manufacture.

 

[SGTB802]

it kinda looks like a 1800's folding trigger pinfire

 

[DDGator]

It does, but in this case, the trigger does not fold. I have seen pics of some that are similar and had an articulated trigger.

 

[Jim Watson]

There were a blue million of these things from the late 1850s right on up until WW I.
The Lefaucheux pinfire system originated in France but was made all over Europe and exported/imported widely.
Zhuk says: "Manufacturers of Lefaucheux revolvers were often reluctant to mark their wares, hindering identification and accurate dating of pinfires."
Yours is unusual only in that it has a fixed unguarded trigger, the ones in Zhuk and Alfa like that have folding triggers.

 

[DDGator]

Interesting. Thanks, Jim.

 

[Jim K]

The proof marks are German and mean the pistol was made in Germany; Germany recognized Belgian proof and didn't require reproof. The crown/U is the defininitve black powder proof; the crown alone is a separate proof mark for revolvers and muzzle loading pistols.

Jim