Can you identify this Mystery Revolver?

[CountryGent]

I'll be darned if I can. The closest thing I found in Spanish Handguns: The History of Spanish Pistols & Revolvers, by Gene Gangarosa, Jr., was a Nagant copy from that era. The overall profile is correct, but the loading mechanism is totally different. If it was made during the Great War, I'd say some long forgotten French contract, but it was proofed in 1931, so that isn't likely.

Thoughts?

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[Kruel J]

Hmmm, if FW can't identify it I'd be surprised if anyone here can. But tagged!

 

[CountryGent]

It looks like the illegitimate love child of a Nagant and Modèle 1892. Really an oddball. It makes me wonder if it wasn't a one-off experimental revolver that got out into the "wild" during the chaos of the Civil War (1936—1939).

 

[Andy54Hawken]

During our War of 1861-65...and even slightly before...
Many copies of Colt revolvers were made in Belgium....with some slight cosmetic changes to avoid patent infringements.
Maybe that is the case with the revolver in the OP...?
Andy

 

[tac]

The star and initials FA say that this is a later copy made by Francisco Arizmendi, one of the more prolific of the Arizmendi Brothers who operated in Eibar - the Basque region of North-East Spain and capital of gunmaking in the country for hundreds of years [fl. 1914 -1936.]


It appears to replicate all the details of the Belgian Pistolet Nagant Modele 1910 - seen here with the cylinder opened...

THIS image is a snapshot of the Spanish copy from A B Zhuk's book - The Illustrated Encyclopedia of HANDGUNS, page 92, and although it is not quite the same, the many similarities are obvious in the overall shape, the angular foresight, and even the cylinder latch, although the one that Mr M is showing actually operates a swing-out cylinder, whereas this one is the loading gate.

Please not that I am NOT saying that is the same, I'm suggesting that it was a later development of the same style of revolver that never made it, simply because by the early '30's the day of the older-style revolver was past. It looks like a typically Spanish screwed-up version of a Model 1910 Nagant revolver, but perhaps lacking the Nagant's spiffy gas-seal cylinder system.

Read all about the real thing here - The Belgian 1910 Swingout Cylinder Revolver

 

[Stomper]

The star and initials FA say that this is a later copy made by Francisco Arizmendi, one of the more prolific of the Arizmendi Brothers who operated in Eibar - the Basque region of North-East Spain and capital of gunmaking in the country for hundreds of years fl. 1914 -1936.]

View attachment 663640
It appears to replicate all the details of the Belgian Pistolet Nagant Modele 1910 - seen here with the cylinder opened...
View attachment 663643
THIS image is a snapshot of the Spanish copy from A B Zhuk's book - The Illustrated Encyclopedia of HANDGUNS, page 92, and although it is not quite the same, the many similarities are obvious in the overall shape, the angular foresight, and even the cylinder latch, although the one that Mr M is showing actually operates a swing-out cylinder, whereas this one is the loading gate.
View attachment 663641
Please not that I am NOT saying that is the same, I'm suggesting that it was a later development of the same style of revolver that never made it, simply because by the early '30's the day of the older-style revolver was past. It looks like a typically Spanish screwed-up version of a Model 1910 Nagant revolver, but perhaps lacking the Nagant's spiffy gas-seal cylinder system.

Read all about the real thing here - The Belgian 1910 Swingout Cylinder Revolver

... and this right here shows how & why your forebears sunk the Spanish navy.


Well done, good sir!

 

[tac]

Hey, Stomper, old flún, I'm very grateful and flattered by your comments, but I'm still not worthy. All those great things that were done before were the acts of far better men than I.

As ever, we stand on the shoulders of giants.

 

[CountryGent]

@tac, many thanks for all the details and photographs. Much appreciated!