Curious revolver

M

Mule27

Inactive
This is my first post, so if I'm missing protocol on posting an intro or something, please school me and I'll correct my bad behavior. ;)

A friend asked me for info on this revolver. I have not seen the piece and have no info beyond what she gave me, which I'll detail below the pic:

Revolver.jpg


It's about 14 1/2" oal, they gave me the weight at approx. 9 lbs and it's a smoothbore barrel, approx. .45 caliber. Cylinder held 12 rounds. German manufacture allegedly, pre WWI (deduced from the proof markings). The markings were given to me as:

2 ga NGP. M/7m

on the cylinder. No markings reported on either the frame or the barrel. The trigger looks like it should fold but it doesn't.

Any info would be hugely appreciated...thanks in advance.
 
I don't know the decorum here...could a moderator or admin move the thread to "Curios and Relics" if that's the more appropriate place for it, please?
 
Some kind of tripwire gun or something? It doesn't look like it has any grips or even a crude handle, and the non-folding trigger with that little loop on the end of it. Looks like you could tie some sort of cord to it. I don't understand why it holds 12 shots though. If I had set it off and realized why I had heard a shot all of a sudden. I sure as heck wouldn't pull the darn cord 11 more times.
 
I doubt you see many of these much on the lines at Camp Perry and it probably wasn't made by Smith & Wesson :). Other than that little bit of insight, I haven't a clue-though, I do agree with aarondhgraham in that I suspect it was made in Belgium or France or some such place. Gary, Indiana comes to mind. :p In any event, welcome to TFL, Mule27. You'll get the right answer soon enough, I'll bet.
 
hmmmmmmm this IS an od bird.

My unqualified 2 cents its eather a gun used grape and orchard farmers to scare birds away (such a thing is still used today but more along the lines of an automatic shotgun), and shot blank loads or its an old "alarm system" if you will, if a poacher stepped on a wire connected to the trigger, the resulting (and hopefully harmless) bang would have alerted the game warden.

Im almost 100 percent sure it was made in europe whatever the hell it is.
 
I thought some sort of warning device too, but why the long barrel then? Another gentleman at another forum suggested a type of vehicle mounted flare gun, which would fit the smoothbore, but again why the barrel length? And as 4INCHSMITH said, weren't most "warning" devices like this single shot?

Plus the lack of military markings on it throws me...if it were a ship's "sounding" pistol, or vehicle mounted flare gun, or something, you'd think you'd find a military stamp on it somewhere.

Thanks for all the brainstorming folks, it's all helpful, really.
 
Have you looked at the rear of the cylinder? Being French, Belgian, or German, the cylinder would almost certainly bear proof marks on the back of the cylinder.
 
I am going to go way out on this one and suggest a small bore artillery simulator. The round barrel, without sights, would fit a bushing in the chamber of the artillery piece, and the trigger would be pulled by the normal lanyard. There would be a bang and a bullet would hit a target. Better for training than just hollering "bang" and it could be used on an indoor range in bad weather.

Jim
 
Belgian ???

I looked through one of my gun books and found that a lot of Belgian VELO-DOG revolvers had that type of trigger, however they folded under the frame. At least it got us interested. Sorry I could not be of much help.





d
 
I would guess that it COULD be some kind of sub-caliber training device, but the few of those that I have seen were usually mounted ON the barrel (and there doesn't seem to be a way to do that with this gun.) The ones that go in the chamber or bore were usually rifle caliber, and had flanges of about the bore size so that when the device was fired it would not strike the side of the bore. I don't see a reason to use a repeater in training either, since the crew would be doing the full exercise of the firing cycle. They would simply reach into the chamber and cycle the action of the sub-cal instead of inserting a shell.

It looks like there are some kind of possible block mounts on the frame below the front of the cylinder, and about where the rear sight would be.
 
All true, Avenger, but loading the sub-caliber usually didn't involve reaching into the chamber. Remember the M1903A2, with the action sticking out the back of the tube?

One thing for sure about that gun. It is interesting and puzzling.

Jim
 
I think Alloy has it right, it looks like the barrel goes into WHATEVER, then the blocks I mentioned are used to secure it in place. SO...maybe a sub-cal that goes in place of the igniter assembly in the breech piece?

Or some kind of gas boiler igniter, using the flash from the cartridge to light the flame? <---seems an odd way to do it, but...
 
The weight would seem to rule out the Velo Dog, too. Not too many bicycle riders want a nine pound gun to "discourage" dogs!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top