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
MANUFACTURE LIEGEOISE D’ARMES À FEU.
REVOLVELO
Here is a small .320 caliber revolver, whose distinctive
feature comes from its ring trigger. While not rare, this device is clearly a
minority in the teeming world of late 19th-century pocket guns compared to
trigger guards, retractable, or built-in triggers. For example, the famous
distributor of various products, Manufrance, offered them in its catalog under
the name "Revolvelo," as a weapon designed for cyclists' pockets and intended to
protect them from stray dogs eager for their muscular calves, similar to the
"Velodogs" pistols. Until proven otherwise, we can assume that the revolvers in
question were imported from Belgium.
The example examined here, which is otherwise based on
the concept of Webley's British Bull Dog revolvers introduced in the mid-1870s,
appears to be of very good quality: oval-fluted cylinder, sliding button at the
rear of the grip likely acting as a safety, finely checkered grips (probably
walnut). While not a luxury weapon, careful craftsmanship is evident, resulting
in a robust and reliable revolver.
Markings:
Cal.320, left side of frame, caliber indication.
R crowned at the base of the barrel, Verification mark
for rifled handguns: from January 30, 1894 to February 26, 1968.
W under a star at the base of the barrel, inspector's
mark from January 27, 1877.
3842, right side of frame, serial number.
Unfortunately, the markings on the front and rear of the
cylinder are not shown in the provided photos. We can reasonably expect at least
an ELG marking over a star in a crowned oval.
However, a marking allows us to identify the manufacturer
of this revolver: ML Bté under a crown, left side of the frame, signature of the
Manufacture Liégeoise d’Armes à Feu, clearly listed on the website.
This company, which operated from 1866 to 1929, produced
a large number of shoulder and handguns, including a varied assortment of pocket
revolvers, some of which are identified via the previous link and in the catalog
excerpt below.
In conclusion, this .320 caliber "Revolvelo" revolver with a ring
trigger was produced by the Manufacture Liégeoise d’Armes à Feu after January
1894, and most likely before the First World War. Indeed, these revolvers,
designed for black powder ammunition, were supplanted by semi-automatic
smokeless powder pistols in the early 20th century.
Chris, HPH
