Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original French Modèle 1874 Chamelot-Delvigne 11mm officer revolver manufactured by Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne and dated 1878. It retains approximately 90% of its original blued finish, has an excellent mirror bright bore, and is extensively matching with serial number N 19479 on the barrel, frame, trigger guard, trigger, hammer, cylinder, and cylinder base pin.

This is an antique black powder firearm manufactured before 1899. Under federal law, it may generally be owned within the United States without a special license or permit and does not require transfer through a Federal Firearms Licensee. However, state and local laws may vary. This firearm is sold solely as a historical collector’s item and has not been test fired or inspected for firing safety by a professional gunsmith. Any mechanical or bore observations provided below describe only its present condition and should not be interpreted as confirmation that the firearm is safe to load or fire. The purchaser is solely responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

The Chamelot-Delvigne Modèle 1873 was the first double action service revolver adopted on a large scale by the French Army, and was manufactured at Saint-Étienne from 1873 to 1887. Although replaced by the Model 1892 revolver, it was nevertheless widely used during the First World War, and issued to reserve units in 1940. The Resistance made widespread use of it during the Occupation. The weapons themselves were very reliable and resistant.

The Modèle 1874 was the officer version of the Chamelot-Delvigne revolver adopted by the French military. It was closely related to the earlier Modèle 1873 but featured several distinguishing characteristics, including a fluted cylinder, a slightly shorter barrel, and a blued exterior finish rather than the bright steel finish associated with the standard service model.

The top of the barrel is marked:

Mle 1874

The right side of the frame beneath the cylinder is marked:

M're d'Armes
S't Étienne

identifying manufacture by Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne.

The side of the barrel is marked:

S. 1878

indicating manufacture in 1878.

The revolver is extensively matching, with serial number:

N 19479

appearing on the barrel, frame, trigger guard, trigger, hammer, cylinder, and cylinder base pin. Numerous smaller components and the front face of the cylinder are also marked with assembly number:

T / 79

supporting the revolver’s highly consistent original assembly.

The revolver retains approximately 90% of its original blued finish, with localized wear concentrated near the muzzle and along exposed edges. The case colored components have faded largely toward gray, consistent with age. No obvious evidence of a complete modern refinish is noted. Several markings have been highlighted in white to improve legibility.

The original checkered wooden grips remain in very good condition with an attractive dark brown color. The checkering shows light wear and scattered scratches, but there are no major chips, cracks, or repairs. The left grip panel is slightly loose in the frame.

The lanyard ring at the base of the grip remains present and moves freely, showing only light finish wear.

The bore is excellent and mirror bright with crisp lands and grooves. There is little visible wear, and the rifling edges remain sharply defined. Any minor surface wear appears limited and may be attributable to normal cleaning and storage.

The revolver operates in both single and double action, with good cylinder indexing and lockup. The cylinder base pin can be removed and the cylinder taken out for cleaning. The loading gate remains present and functional, and the ejector rod operates correctly. The cylinder base pin requires some extra effort to withdraw because of dried old grease.

Overall condition is excellent for a service used 19th century French military revolver. The original blue remains strongly retained, the grips are sound, the action operates correctly, and the bore is exceptionally bright. The principal condition points are light muzzle wear, some fading to the case colors, white filled markings, slight looseness to the left grip, and dried grease around the cylinder base pin.

With its 1878 date, Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne markings, matching serial number N 19479, matching T / 79 assembly markings, strong original blue, and excellent mirror bright bore, this is a particularly well preserved example of the French Modèle 1874 officer revolver. It would fit especially well in a French military sidearm, Chamelot-Delvigne, late 19th century service revolver, or advanced European military arms collection.

Specifications of MAS model 74

Year of Manufacture: 1878
Maker: Saint-Étienne Arsenal (MAS)
Model: 1874 Chamelot-Delvigne Officer's Revolver
Serial No.: N 19479
Length: 240 mm (9.5 inches)
Barrel length: 110 mm (4.33 inches)
Finish: Blued Steel
Weight (empty): 1.04 kg
Cylinder: 6 cartridges
Ammunition: 11 mm Mle 1873 (11x17mmR)
Rifling: 4 right-hand grooves
Operation: Double Action / Single Action
Federal Classification: Pre-1899 Antique

History of the MAS 1873 and 1874

The Franco-Prussian War in 1870 clearly demonstrated the need for up-to-date equipment in war time. A great military tradition and esprit de corps can be defeated by superior training, and in the case of that war, artillery. After the war, both Germany and France continued to improve their military technology. However, neither side was convinced of the importance of pistols for field officers. The sword continued to be the symbol of authority for an officer on the battlefield all the way into World War I. European general staffs at that time were extremely conservative and pistols were sometimes grudgingly adopted as personal defense weapons with no practical offensive use. Even as pistols became more of a symbol of the officer, most preferred to privately purchase a smaller and more comfortable handgun instead of using a large standard issue revolver.

The Chamelot-Delvigne 11mm Modele 1873 was adopted by the French army as a service revolver for non-commissioned officers. The Modele 1874 Revolver d'Officier was the version issued to officers. The differences between the two models included the following: the 1873 was finished in the white, whereas the 1874 had a fluted cylinder and a blued finish. The 1873 and 1874 were the first center-fire cartridge revolvers adopted by the French army. They had solid-frame, side-ejection, double-action mechanisms. The pistols were manufactured by the St. Etienne armoury, which still continues to manufacture fine sporting arms.

The design of the Chamelot-Delvigne revolvers became so popular that versions were adopted by the Belgian in 1871, Dutch, Italian, and 1872 in Switzerland with the Model 1872 Revolver.

The caliber of these French pistols was 11x17.8mmR. The French round was actually 0.47 mm larger than its German counterpart. The German round could be loaded and used in the French pistol, but French rounds would not chamber in the German pistol. The cartridge had a pointed lead bullet weighing 11 grams. The case length was 17.8 mm, which was rather on the short side. Reloading this cartridge could take some patience due to the shortness of the case. Military specifications called for black powder loads, replaced by a mild smokeless powder in the early twentieth century. Standard muzzle velocity was around 550 feet per second.

The cylinder had a side-loading gate which pulled straight to the rear. The sight picture was a ball and v type and is easy to align. It could be difficult to stay on target double-action due to the stiffness of the action. There was certainly no danger of accidentally pulling the trigger double-action. Cleaning and disassembly were easy as the cylinder pin doubled as a screwdriver and all-purpose tool. Internal parts were finely machined and finished. The trigger, hammer, and several of the internal springs were straw-finished, a type of case-hardening hot oil finish.

The French pistols began their service with the French army in the late 19th Century and saw service all over the globe in French colonies. Many saw service in World War I when European armies finally realized how important pistols were in the trenches. The Chamelot-Delvigne finally ended its venerable service as a police sidearm in World War II.

NOTE: 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.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.