Some of the most beautiful work of this craftsman are in this book “The Francotte Dynasty”.
For more detail see: The Francotte Dynasty
Auguste FRANCOTTE
Here's one of Prince Jerome Bonaparte's revolvers.
This Revolver was made by Auguste
FRANCOTTE and inspired by a Lefaucheux model and a Gasser in calibre 11 mm
(Gasser). The crowned AF punch
appears on the frame, cylinder and barrel. It indicates a beautiful manufacture
of a single and double action weapon numbered 402.
The history of this revolver is out of the ordinary because it is signed in gold
letters on the barrel by: "DEVISME ŕ PARIS" in English letters and it bears an
inscription on the barrel with stick letters :
"Pair of pistols of Prince Napoleon (Jerome) nephew of Emperor Napoleon I ".
At the back of the bridge the "N" surmounted by the Imperial crown
All the inscriptions in Gold are inlaid in the steel.
It is a pair of revolvers mentioned in an article in the Gazette des Armes N°
256 pages 39 but we are aware of only one copy of this pair.
This 28 cm long revolver is made of polished steel of a past blue.
It is very likely that originally the barrel and cylinder had to be blue to
highlight the Gold markings.
Cylinder length: 35 mm
Cylinder caliber: cartridge side: 11.9 mm barrel side: 10.9 mm
Caliber of the barrel on the stripes: 10. 8 mm
The French cartridge of the 1873 regulatory revolver goes well for the
thickness.
Brief history
Born in 1822 Napoleon Joseph Charles Bonaparte known as "Prince Jerome" had
great political influence from 1848 under the protection of President Louis
Napoleon Bonaparte.
In the Second Empire Napoleon III was the nominee of the colonies and in 1858 he
worked for the unification of Italy. His political career ended in 1879 with the
death of Napoleon III.
It was during the active period of his life that he acquired or received this
pair of revolvers , but when exactly ?
And why this "Austro-Hungarian" model that resembles the Danish naval revolver
(1871-1881) converted by regulation into a central percussion 11 mm caliber?
Reference: A.W.F. TALERSON "The Revolver" 1889-1914 page 83 plate 18a, and pages
56 and 96.
Book by Alain Daubresse "La dynastie Francotte" Le revolver militaire
page 222.
Adrien B.
I am very sorry that it seems that the pair of revolvers is no longer one of
them... and that the box that supposedly contained that pair has disappeared.
"It's worse than a crime, it's a fault...".
I am very sorry that Daniel Casanova did not mention the numbers of the pair (in
1995). The copy mentioned by Adrien bears the number 402.
I wonder what the initials are in front of the
crowned AF on the right... and who they belong to...
GP
