US Major Reno Markus' revolver
It is
about a revolver with central percussion and six shots. The calibre is 442. The
barrel is with eight sides with a front sight in barley grain. Under this one is
placed a metal rod with head of sliding nail in a guide contiguous to the
console and maintained by a small leaf spring. The loading is practiced by a
right side door opening by gripping two plates with spring. The unloading of the
casings is done in opposite direction. The cylinder with six rooms is smooth.
The metal stick is covered with two smooth plates out of wood of walnut. This
stick ends in a ring of cap and its screw-pivot.
The whole
is presented in a box out of wooden of which the compartmentalized interior is
furnished with underlined baize Bordeaux wine of a gilded edging. This box
contains in addition to the weapon, a cleaning-rod out of brass, a blade
screwdriver, a box marked in the name of the owner and who contains a oil-can
with white metal oil. Concurrently to this box, are six empty residences for the
cartridges.
The weapon carries the lawful punches of the proofhouse of Liège (Belgium), namely:
ELG* in a vertical oval: final acceptance, of use of 1846 to 1893.
Z*: countermark of the controller, of use of 1877 to 1968.
The weapon also carries the following marks:
2 in three places: it could be a question of the serial number.
JR and HV on the amounts of stick: they are probably marks of subcontractors of Liège.
RENO: name of the owner probably added by itself.
The internal face of
the box carries one escutcheon surrounded by a Phrygian cap, two cross
axes and
two cross American flags also! Its origin is unknown for me.
The
weapon, as that was often the case for the weapons of exports, does not bear the
name of the manufacturer!
It thus
belonged to major U.S. RENO Marcus, which would have bought it after the famous
battle of Little Big Horn in 1876. Indeed the Z* punch indicates a date going
from 1877 to 1968.
The unit
is well in “its juice”, it does not seem to me to be a counterfeit, this subject
to an examination other than in photographs.
GG
