Walnut Gun
Can anyone identify this small hand gun?
Due to a death in the family we have been clearing out some sheds at my uncles house and have come accross a lot of war items that belonged to my grandfather. He fought in the first world war and was lucky enough to survive and live through the Somme. During the second world war he was an officer in the home guard. Among all the medals and scriptures that he got is a small 8 shot revolver. It has a fold down trigger and a saftey catch with what appears to be a Walnut grip. The calibre is very small I would say about 5mm. There are no markings on the gun to say a makers name. I have been led to believe that officers where issued with these in the home guard along with a 303 rifle ( which we still have but has been dissarmed). Can anyone throw a bit of light on the small hand gun as I have searched the internet to no avail. Many thanks in advance.
Thanks for the link telmac. Yes its simmilar but the one I have has no trigger guard and the trigger folds away up towards the hand grip.
Judging from your description, it is not a Service issue pistol. None of those had folding triggers because they were meant to be carried in a pouch or holster. It is most likely what we call a “salon pistol”, designed to be carried in a trouser pocket or in a lady’s handbag. That’s why the trigger folds away – otherwise there would be a danger of its being pulled accidentally.
Now, about the calibre and number of chambers. If it is 5 or 6 mm, then it is almost certainly a salon pistol and there were dozens of makers in France around 1880 to the time of the Great War. Two famous makers were Breguet and Sancerre (like the wine!). Five or six chambers was common; 8 was rare but not unknown.
Now look at the hammer. Does it have a pointed striker to explode the back of the cartridge, or a flat front that settled down on top of a little slot on each chamber? If the former, then there is just the possibility that the pistol was issued to a member of the Secret Service and it is known as “security issue”. The barrel will be not more than 3 or 3.5 inches long. They had no marking so that nationality and date would not give away a spy if caught. These are extremely rare since only a few hundred were made and it is thought that all were recalled in 1919.
If the hammer has no pointed striker, and each chamber has a little slot under the hammer face, then the pistol is much older; possibly from about 1840-1880. It is of a type called “pin fire” because the cartridges included a little side pin that was positioned in the slot, which was then struck by the falling hammer. These were made by the millions and used for self defence all over Europe until small calibre cheap centre-fire and rim-fire cartridges became available in the 1880s. Again, the barrel will be no more than about 3 inches long and the trigger will fold flat against the bottom frame. They are normally unmarked except for a small star sometimes on the underside of the barrel, which showed that the barrel had passed the proofing test in Paris. Does it look like the first link below at Weapons 233, 235 and 236 half way down the page? Have a look at Weapon 239; it’s a lady’s pin fire pistol. Beautifully made.
Go to the second link below and see if your pistol looks like that one by Lefaucheux. I think that one has 10 chambers and was issued to Parisian policemen for a time. There was also a folding-trigger version for personal protection. If you have a Lefaucheux pistol, then it’s worth a LOT of money so don’t part with it too easily.
Does this help?
7453 Walnut Lane Robbery Point of Gun 10-14-079628
|
|
Grace 24 inch Traditional Graduated Bakers Rack, 4 Wood Shelves, Brass Tips, Gun Metal, Walnut $784.80 This Traditional Graduated Baker’s Rack from the Grace Collection is a great accent piece for any room in your home. Made from solid wrought iron, the baker’s rack features four tempered glass or wood shelves. Extra height between the first and second shelves provides room for larger and taller items. The baker’s rack is available in an array of metal finishes and with four wood options to match a… |
|
|
Grace 24 inch Traditional Graduated Bakers Rack, 4 Wood Shelves, Plain Tips, Gun Metal, Walnut $733.32 This Traditional Graduated Baker’s Rack from the Grace Collection is a great accent piece for any room in your home. Made from solid wrought iron, the baker’s rack features four tempered glass or wood shelves. Extra height between the first and second shelves provides room for larger and taller items. The baker’s rack is available in an array of metal finishes and with four wood options to match a… |
|
|
Grace 24 inch Traditional Style Bakers Rack, 4 Wood Shelves, Brass Tips, Gun Metal, Walnut $555.77 This Classic French-Style Baker’s Rack from the Grace Collection is available with either tempered safety glass shelves or wood shelves. Made of solid wrought iron, this functional and stylish rack provides a stable display for heavier items. With a variety of metal finishes and four wood options to choose from, this baker’s rack can be customized to match your furnishings. The baker’s rack comes … |
|
|
Campbell Hausfeld AT1226 Sandblasting Kit $14.49 This sandblasting kit will have you removing unwanted rust, paint and scale in no time. The siphon feed design sprays most abrasives including glass beads, aluminum oxide, steel grit, silicon carbide, walnut shells and more. Easily removes rust, scale, and paint from parts and small equipment leaving a satin finish that will allow for further painting preparations or applying the final coat. Be… |
|
|
Bostitch MIIIFN 1-1/2- to 2-Inch Pneumatic Flooring Nailer $404.75 The Bostitch MIIIFN Pneumatic Flooring Cleat Nailer lets you create professional-looking floors quickly and comfortably. Its high-speed pneumatic operation rapidly drives nails into both unfinished and pre-finished hardwood flooring, and its long-grip handle allows you to maintain a comfortable posture when working. Tackling prefinished flooring is no problem with the included adapter foot and the… |
|
|
Howard RF4016 Restor-A-Finish, 16-Ounces Walnut $5.77 Restor A Finish is a unique finish penetrating formula that restores the original color and luster to your finish while blending out blemishes, minor scratches, white heat rings, water marks, smoke damage, sunfade, and oxidation. Restor A Finish cleans the surface and restores the finish in 1 step, without removing any of the existing finish. Simply wipe on, wipe off. Before going to the extreme o… |
|
|
Howard Feed-N-Wax Wood Preserver … |
|
|
Carex Folding Adjustable Handle Cane with Walnut Pistol Handle $9.50 CANE FOLDING BLACK CAREX Size: ADJ… |
|
|
Howard Restor-A-Finish, 16-Ounces … |
|
|
Photo Jigsaw Puzzle of Boat gun from National Maritime Museum $24.99 Photo Puzzle, Boat gun. The stock is possibly made of walnut and fitted with a brass butt plate and brass trigger guard. It had a flintlock which is now missing. The barrel is a brass cannonbarrel. The calibre is 1.5in. The swivel is also missing. Chosen by National Maritime Museum. 10×14 Photo Puzzle with 252 pieces. Packed in black cardboard box of dimensions 5 5/8 x 7 5/8 x 1 1/5. Puzzle image … |