{"product_id":"original-crimean-war-battle-of-chernaya-engraved-french-capture-russian-model-1843-luttich-percussion-carbine-by-p-j-malherbe-of-liege-serial-no-725","title":"Original Crimean War Battle of Chernaya Engraved French Capture Russian Model 1843 Luttich Percussion Carbine by P.J. Malherbe of Liège Serial No. 725","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: One of a Kind. Here we have a fantastic Battlefield Captured example of a rare Russian Model 1843 Luttich Percussion Carbine from the\u003cstrong\u003e Battle of Chernaya\u003c\/strong\u003e, part of the Crimean War of October 1853 to March 1856. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe outside of the patch box was engraved with a dedication after capture:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSOUVENIR DE TRAKTIR\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e16 AOUT 1855\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCLERC À SON AMI PAILLARD\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis translates to \"\u003cem\u003eSouvenir of Traktir, 16 August 1855, Clerc to his friend Paillard\u003c\/em\u003e\", a presentation dedication that could possibly be researched. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Battle of the Chernaya \u003c\/strong\u003e(also Tchernaïa; Russian: Сражение у Черной речки, Сражение у реки Черной, literally: Battle of the Black River) was fought at the \u003cstrong\u003eTraktir Bridge\u003c\/strong\u003e on the Chernaya River during the Crimean War on August 16, 1855. The battle was fought between Russian, French, Piedmontese and Ottoman troops. The Chernaya River is on the outskirts of Sevastopol, near the line of the allies' siege of the city. In the battle, the Russians were the attacking side. It ended in a Russian retreat and a victory for the French, Piedmontese, and Ottomans.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe battle was a disaster for the Russians. Even with numerical superiority, the Russians had managed to lose the battle and suffer almost five times as many casualties as the Allies. Tsar Alexander had hoped for a Russian victory so that he could negotiate a peace with favorable terms. That hope was now lost. As a result of the slaughter that took place at the battle, the Russian soldiers had lost their trust in the Russian commanders and it was now only a question of time before the Russian army would be forced to surrender Sevastopol.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring the 19th Century, Imperial Russia based their arms designs mostly on those from Western Europe, with most of their pistols based on the French designs, while their long arms generally looked to Britain for inspiration. When looking to arm specialized rifleman in the army with a more accurate long arm, they chose the British P-1837 Brunswick to base their Model 1843 rifle on. Then instead of having it produced by one of the state arsenals in Russia, they chose maker PJ Malherbe \u0026amp; Cie of Liège, Belgium to produce them. \"Luttich\" is the spelling of Liège in German, which is why they are referred to as \"Luttich Carbines\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis lovely short rifle has a lovely aged patina, with past peppered oxidation on much of the iron and steel metalwork, so it may have been laying out for a bit of time before it was captured, or maybe it was simply not possible to protect it. It measures just over 46 inches in overall length, with a 30 inch 0.69\" caliber barrel. It still shows the two U-shaped inlets in the end of the barrel where the two-groove rifling starts, so this has not been shortened. The lock plate indicates that this Brunswick Two-Groove Rifle was made under contract to the Russian Empire in Liège, Belgium:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eP.J. MALHERBE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA LIÈGE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a known maker from the period, who also made many guns under contract to various German states, which were then very often imported for use in the U.S. Civil War. There is also some type of marking or cartouche towards the tail of the lock plate, which we were not able to identify. There are also some proof marks on the breech end of the barrel. The brass butt plate of the rifle bears an intricate \u003cstrong\u003eCROWN\u003c\/strong\u003e over the Russian Imperrial \u003cstrong\u003eDOUBLE HEADED EAGLE\u003c\/strong\u003e, which is definitely executed with a high level of artistry. Next to this is \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e№ 725\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, which looks to be the serial or rack number of the rifle. This number is also marked on the cap nipple cone bolster, on the brass end of the ramrod, and on the leaf of the rear sight, which is a very advanced design for the time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe back of the wrist has a brass escutcheon, which is marked with another \u003cstrong\u003eCROWN\u003c\/strong\u003e marking, and under this is what looks to be \u003cstrong\u003eH \/ 1\u003c\/strong\u003e, or possibly some cyrillic letter, and we believe this is most likely the company designation of the rifle. There are additional small single letter proofs on various components, typical for guns produced in Belgium during the mid 19th century. The inside of the brass patch box looks to be marked with \u003cstrong\u003e6881\u003c\/strong\u003e, which is probably from when these were cast in bulk.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOverall condition is very nice, with a great aged patina and no signs of major restoration. The rear sight is fully functional, as is the lock, which holds correctly at half cock, firing at full. Both sling swivels are still present, and the brass tipped ramrod is stored under the barrel. The large brass end can actually be unthreaded from the front, and smaller end is also brass tipped, with what looks like an area where a tool could be installed, however it is clogged with dirt and rust.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA great piece of history from the Crimean War, ready to research and display!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYear of Manufacture: Circa 1850\u003cbr\u003eCaliber: about .69\" with two-groove rifling\u003cbr\u003eAmmunition Type: \"Winged\" Lead Bullet \u0026amp; Powder\u003cbr\u003eBarrel Length: 30 inches\u003cbr\u003eOverall Length: 46 1\/4 inches\u003cbr\u003eAction: Side Action Percussion Lock\u003cbr\u003eFeed System: Muzzle-Loaded\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43430936477765,"sku":"ONJR25JUGCW13","price":5995.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONJR25JUGCW13__1A.jpg?v=1755342633","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-crimean-war-battle-of-chernaya-engraved-french-capture-russian-model-1843-luttich-percussion-carbine-by-p-j-malherbe-of-liege-serial-no-725","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}