|
|
| |
|
|
Condition: Antique - Relic - Display Piece
Manufacturer: Liege - Lefacheaux
WE ASK YOU TO PLEASE NOTE: WE CAN NOT ACCEPT PAYMENTS THROUGH PAYPAL FOR ANY OF OUR ANTIQUE FIREARMS.
|
|
 |
PLEASE PAY BY CHECK OR MONEY ORDER ONLY. THANK YOU. JM
Here is a no frills cavalry model pin fire revolver that may well have been used during the Civil War. The grips are tight and fit well and the gun functions partially, but does not lock up or return the trigger to DA, it needs a push. Overall this is a real good looking gun and will make a fine display, but the really neat thing about this gun is that it not only bears the marking remnants of the famed French gun makers, Lefacheux, it also bears what is left by age and time of the equally famous Belgium gun makers, Liege of Belgium. I've included a close-up to show you both of these partial markings. It may seem odd at first that the maker marks of two different gun makers, in two different countries are found on this old Civil War era revolver, but it is not so very unusual at all. In the period of our Civil War, Liege of Belgium; who used the letters ELG inside a circle as their maker mark, was the leading manufacturer of firearms in the entire world. They perfected the double action pin fire revolver almost two decades before any American company was willing to venture beyond the pepperbox pistol, when it came to double action handguns. Lefacheux was almost as large a supplier of guns during that time as was Liege, but Lefacheux did not have the capability to produce anywhere near the volume of pin fires in double action as Liege. This led to a very profitable example of the old, "If you can't Beat um, Join um!" saying and just like that, Lefacheux became one of Liege of Belgium's largest customers. Depending on the size of a particular order, Lefacheux would buy parts, or even entire pistols directly from Liege. This gun was likely one where Lefacheux made the frame and bought the barrel and cylinder from Liege.
In any case this old pin fire is a 10mm or approximately 40-caliber six shot cartridge pistol. The lanyard ring is gone, but the mount for it is still firmly set into the grip frame and that is the easiest way to tell the difference between a cavalry model and a standard holstered version. This gun has been stripped down to fighting weight in the same way most pin fires that were used by cavalry soldiers typically would modify their sidearm. The ejector rod was removed; because they too often worked loose and wound up jammed in the cylinder just when they should have been trading fire. The loading gate is also gone; this was done to make it easier to holster and to load the pistol while riding a fast moving horse. The rest of the parts are intact, but the gun has some broken springs or levers causing the cylinder to spin free and requiring a little help in returning the trigger back to its engaged position. The grips are tight and fit great and overall this is a real good example of what most regular cavalry soldiers would have had strapped to their hip as they rode into battle in the days of the Civil War
PLEASE NOTE: This is a true antique, pre 1898 black powder firearm and as such is considered a collectible antique under Federal Law. Please be aware that some states have differing laws pertaining to old firearms. You are responsible to know the laws of your state of residence before purchasing this or any other antique weapon. Thank you.
|
|
|
