Devisme Model 1855/57 parlor revolver

Black powder revolver with percussion caps, Model 1855/57, 6-shot, single-action, with an internal hammer. It was produced between 1857 and 1858 by Louis François Devisme. This elegant weapon is part of a long line that established its creator's reputation. The model shown is a parlor version, a reduced scale of the combat model.

Octagonal 6mm caliber barrel, 10.5 cm long, with four deep grooves, engraved "Devisme à Paris". It is stamped DV under a crown in an oval and numbered 1329. Fixed rear sight. Windage-adjustable front sight. The barrel can be removed using a lever fixed to its left side, allowing it to be detached from the frame and thus freeing the cylinder for loading.

The frame is integral with the grip strap, trigger guard, and trigger guard. It serves as the cylinder axis, housing for the hammer and the mechanism.

The percussion cylinder has six chambers with nipples and studs for ogival bullets. It is stamped DV under a crown. The studs inside the cylinder chambers cause the ogival bullet to expand under the force of the ramrod, allowing it to better engage the rifling in the barrel. The ramrod is screwed into the butt of the grip.

Finely checkered walnut grips are attached to the frame by two eye screws. The right grip is numbered 9196. The flat oval butt cap is engraved "Devisme Bté".

This example is in perfect condition. The barrel, cylinder, frame, trigger guard, and butt cap are all engraved with a series of exquisitely executed scrollwork. Its gray bluing and the walnut finish give it great elegance.

History: The first model in 1855 had an external hammer. It was replaced in 1857 by an internal hammer. In 1858, Devisme filed a new patent protecting the conversion of his revolver to metallic cartridges. The Devisme company had its revolvers manufactured in Belgium. They were finished and marked in a workshop in Paris, which explains the difference in the numbering system.

Louis François Devisme: born in 1806, he established himself in Paris at 36 Boulevard des Italiens. He left his mark on French gunmaking for half a century. Trained by Master Deboubert, he acquired international renown thanks to his luxurious, elegant, and understated firearms. An innovator, he created pistols and revolvers that distinguished themselves both in duels and on the battlefield, notably during the Crimean War and the Franco-Prussian War.

Ref: 8Y2L6TB73J