Some of the most beautiful work of this craftsman, and many others, are in this book “Liège Gunmakers through their Work. 1800 - 1950”.

For more detail see: LIEGE GUNMAKERS

DELHAXHE Joseph

7mm pinfire pistol with "American fist" and retractable blade manufactured by Joseph DELHAXHE according to his patent 27819 filed on June 28, 1870.

Joseph DELHAXHE has filed several patents for this type of extravagant weapon, including a pepperbox made on the same principle.

It has an ejection rod of the casing screwed into the frame under the barrel and a "blade" of 7cm.

All his creations have had strange names such as "pistolet de sortie de bal", or "pistolet assommoir" or "Apache" (originally of Dolne).

DELHAXHE Joseph

Regarded as a weapon with system, the invention of Joseph DELHAXHE or DELEAXHE following the fluctuating orthography of the time, arms manufacturer of Liège (according to CLERGEAU and BASTIE), or Parisian arquebusier (according to his Belgian patents) about 1870-1880, was judicious to fulfill three functions: revolver or pepperbox considering which it does not comprise of barrel, dagger and American fist! It for denominations "gun had evening wrap - gun headache dagger and gun revolver pole-axe"! It is later than our Anglo-Saxon friends gave him fictionalized name "APACHE".

The pepperbox is of type with pin comprising six rooms for the cartridge 7 mm pinfire.

This weapon existed also in 5 mm pinfire.

In 7 mm, the weapon has an overall length of 70 mm for a 130 mm height, it weighs 350 grams. It functions in double action and the hammer is without peak.

The blade never measures more than 80 mm following the model and is folded up under the carcass.

It is blocked or released by means of a pushbutton placed near the rod.

The effectiveness of this blade is more random.

Only the "American fist" or headache closing the carcass could be prided on a certain effectiveness.

A rod of ejection of the casings is aimed in the carcass but not on all the models.

Usual markings of the bench of tests of LIEGE are reproduced on the weapon as well as the mark patented J DELEAXHE. The figure which is joined there, never the same one, has nothing to do with the number of the patent, it most probably acts of the number of the weapon.

 

Joseph DELHAXHE, towards 1870/71, had domiciled in PARIS 8, street Thévenot, which poses the problem of its nationality, was it Belgian or French. Its name with Walloon consonance gives us a small indication but without more. Its weapons all are apparently manufactured in LIEGE, a current practice at the time among French harquebusiers because of the more moderate cost price. The manufacturer of Liège is unknown.

Joseph DELHAXHE does not appear to be registered with the bench of tests of LIEGE.

 

It is depositing it via a “sieur” CLAESEN in LIEGE, of the seven Belgian patents mentioned below:

N° 027818 du 28/06/1870, pistolet-revolver "evening wrap".

N° 027819 du 28/06.1870, pistol headache dagger.

N° 027820 du 26/06/1870, modifications to the headache dagger, system DOLNE-BAR (bvt ppal n° 027818 du 26.06.1870.

N° 0286696 du 24.04.1871 for a riffle and a pistol type FLOBERT with annular percussion.

N° 028697 du 24/04/1871 Modifications to the "pistol headache dagger".

N° 028909 du 20/06/1871 Modifications to the riffleand the pistol type FLOBERT with annular percussion.

N° 029717 du 05/12/1871 additions to a riffle-pistol (br. Ppal n° 028696 du 2404/1871).

 

The commercial success of this weapon was mitigated, which currently makes a rather rare collector's item of it and high value.

GG & M.D.

Delhaxhe Joseph

The same but in calibre 5 mm, rare !

Photos Littlegun

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