Bodeo 1889

[rudmanj]

I have a Bodeo 1889 officer model that my father picked up during the Battle of the Bulge. It has no serial number (pre-1920) but is engraved on the barrel in French "Military Revolver" (English translation). As far as I can tell it was produced for the police department from a factory in Liege, Belgium under the authority of the Company in Italy.

It is in pretty poor shape, the wafer pistol grip is cracked on one side, the firing pin is sheared off, the grip screw is missing, and the spring that holds the hammer back is broken.

Anyone know where I could get parts for this to try to put it in some kind of presentable condition? I don't want or need to fire it, that's why I have a S&W 626 .357 and a 1911 .45.
Any help would be deeply appreciated.

 

[Mike Irwin]

OK... first off, I'm not sure that you've actually identified what you have.

The Bodeo 1889 was an Italian revolver, made by a number of companies over the years in Italy and also contracted out to Spain.

Bodeos were never made in Belgium, and they wouldn't be inscribed on the barrel in French.

I'm not 100% certain, but I don't think there was much inscribed on the barrels of the Bodeos at all.

And, while certainly possible that an Italian revolver made its way to France and was captured during the Battle of the Bulge, it's not all that likely.

My guess is what you actually have is either an 11mm French Ordnance Revolver, Model of 1873 in 11mm, or a French Ordnance Revolver, Model of 1892, in 8mm.

Any chance of providing a picture of what you have?