Help Identifying an old revolver

W

WORMDIRT

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It is chambered for .44 short (what I have been told), and the story behind it is that it is from the mid 1800's. It is single action.
I know nothing about it.
Here are all the identifying marks, and a fullsize shot.



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This is a Belgian revolver made by Jean-Baptiste Ronge (JBR), but it should be double-action, by the looks of the trigger and guard; maybe the hand is out of place, not allowing it to cycle properly? There should be several Belgian proofmarks elsewhere on the revolver, including on the rear of the cylinder, and if you can see an inspector's mark (usually a letter with a star over it), this may help to date it. Ronge was in business from the early 1800s up to 1929, but this style of revolver looks like it dates from the early 1900s.
 
Is it a script L, like it was handwritten, or more of a typed L? A script L shows that this revolver passed the initial proof of the Liege proofhouse, but each inspector in charge of the proofhouse would have used their own letter stamp.
 
The website I'm looking at shows that mark as being used after 1937, but by that time, Ronge was already out of business; have you got the cylinder out of the revolver, and do you see any other marks or letters on it?
 
A "5", a script "V" with a strange mark above it, and an "E" above a "LG" above a star, circled. Everything is in a type font, with an exception to the "V"
 
The "ELG" (Epreuve Libertas Gentis) in an oval is one way of dating this revolver; if there isn't a crown on the top of the oval (just ELG over a star), then that means it was proofed before July 11, 1893. After that date, a crown was added to the top of the oval.
 
Then, at the very least, you know it's an antique revolver, made in Belgium prior to July 1893, by JB Ronge. Hope this helps :-)

PS. This revolver is likely chambered for the 450 Revolver cartridge, and is commonly called an "RIC"-type, because the Royal Irish Constabulary bought lots of them; I wouldn't suggest firing it though, even if you could find some cartridges for it.
 
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