{"product_id":"original-french-mas-modele-1874-chamelot-delvigne-11mm-officers-named-shooting-prize-revolver-dated-1887-serial-n-35989","title":"Original French MAS Modèle 1874 Chamelot-Delvigne 11mm Officer's Named Shooting Prize Revolver Dated 1887 - Serial N 35989","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely and very interesting example of the revolver \u003cem\u003eModèle 1874 d'Officier Chamelot-Delvigne\u003c\/em\u003e, which looks to have been presented as a shooting prize to Gerald Merlin, as indicated on an engraved silver plaque on the left grip scale, which reads:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOFFERT PAR LE MINISTRE DE LA GUERRE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRIX DE TIR\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGERALD MERLIN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis roughly translates to \"\u003cem\u003ePresented by the Minister of War, Marksmanship Prize\u003c\/em\u003e\", over the name of the winner, Gerald Merlin. We have not been able to locate any information on this competition, but there is a known British marksman named Gerald Merlin, who lived 3 August 1884 – 7 April 1945. We could very well see this example being an unissued example presented as a prize in an early 20th Century shooting competition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUsually referred to as the MAS 1874 revolver, this was the first double-action revolver design used by the French Army. It was produced by \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eManufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e from 1874 to 1887, starting one year after the standard Mle 1873. The main differences between the are the fluted cylinder, which is inlet a bit more on the rear, and the barrel was 5mm shorter. The officer model was also blued, compared to the bright finish on the service revolver. Otherwise the two models are more or less identical.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough 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. Both the 1873 and the 1874 use a 11mm cartridge which proved to have an insufficient velocity. The weapons themselves were very reliable and resistant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis very good mechanically sound example is in the original blued finish, which is still very well retained everywhere except on the barrel and sides of the trunion, most likely from being kept in a holster. There are just a few spots of oxidation, and no major damage from misuse or storage. It is marked \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eM're d'Armes \/ S't Étienne\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e on the right side of the frame and features matching serial number \u003cstrong\u003eN 35989\u003c\/strong\u003e on the barrel, frame, trigger guard, trigger, hammer, cylinder and cylinder arbor pin. Many of the small parts of the revolver as well as the front of the cylinder are also marked with assembly number \u003cstrong\u003eJ \/ 89\u003c\/strong\u003e. Definitely a very nice \u003cstrong\u003e\"ALL MATCHING\"\u003c\/strong\u003e example, with no parts swapped out over the years. The top of the barrel is marked \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMle 1874\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e and the side of the barrel is marked \u003cstrong\u003eS. 1887\u003c\/strong\u003e, indicating the revolver was manufactured in \u003cstrong\u003e1887\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe checkered wooden grips are original and still retain strong checkering with little damage, and feature the previously mentioned prize plaque on the left. Overall condition is really very nice, and we rarely see MAS 1874 revolvers with this much of the original bluing. It looks to have seen little to no use, and the wear is completely from age and storage, as well as probably a good amount of dry firing. The bore is in excellent condition, showing a bright finish with crisp lands and grooves. There are just a few spots of oxidation, which are more likely from exposure and storage than from use. The lanyard ring is still present, showing wear to the finish. The action works well, with good cylinder lockup and indexing. The only issue noted is that the trigger spring is weak, so it often does not return to the fully forward position after dry firing. The cylinder arbor pin can be removed and the cylinder removed for cleaning. The loading gate is present, and the ejector rod works perfectly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou may recall that a pair of this type of revolver was carried in shoulder holsters by Brendan Fraser in his 1999 adventure film \"THE MUMMY\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA great chance to own a fantastic named example of a late 19th century French Officer's Revolver, given as a shooting prize at some point in the early 20th century. Ready to research and display!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications of MAS model 74\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYear of Manufacture: 1887\u003cbr\u003eLength: 240 mm (9.5 inches)\u003cbr\u003eBarrel length: 110 mm (4.33 inches)\u003cbr\u003eFinish: Bright Steel\u003cbr\u003eWeight (empty): 1.04 kg\u003cbr\u003eCylinder: 6 cartridges\u003cbr\u003eAmmunition: 11 mm Mle 1873 (11x17mmR)\u003cbr\u003eRifling: 4 right-hand grooves\u003cbr\u003eOperation: Double Action \/ Single Action\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistory of the MAS 1873\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\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":44941403717701,"sku":"ONSV26NCS168","price":2695.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/24E98330-3A52-4649-976E-39E86729D801.jpg?v=1777483177","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-french-mas-modele-1874-chamelot-delvigne-11mm-officers-named-shooting-prize-revolver-dated-1887-serial-n-35989","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}