Devisme Model 1855/57 Parlor Revolver

6-shot Model 1855/57 black powder and percussion cap revolver with single-action mechanism and internal hammer. It was produced between 1857 and 1858 by LouisFrançois Devisme. This elegant firearm is part of a long line of weapons that established its creator’s reputation. The model shown here is a showpiece, a scaled-down version of the combat model.

Octagonal barrel in 6 mm caliber, 10.5 cm long, with 4 deep rifling, engraved “Devisme à Paris.” It is stamped “DV” beneath a crown within an oval and numbered 1329. Fixed rear sight. Adjustable windage sight. This barrel can be disassembled using a lever attached to its left side, which allows it to be separated from the frame, thereby freeing the cylinder for loading.

The frame is integral with the grip plate, the trigger guard, and the trigger guard. It serves as the axis for the cylinder and as a housing for the hammer and the mechanism.

The percussion cylinder has 6 chambers with flutes and pins for ogival bullets. It is stamped “DV” beneath a crown. The rods inside the cylinder chambers cause the ogival bullet to expand under the force of the rammer’s blows, allowing it to better engage the rifling of the barrel. The rammer is screwed into the heel of the stock.

Finely checkered walnut side plates attached to the frameby two eyelet screws. The right side plate bears the number 9196. Flat oval cap engraved “Devisme Bté.”

This specimen is in perfect condition. The barrel, cylinder, frame, trigger guard, and cap are all engraved with a continuous scroll pattern of great finesse. Its gray patina and the coloring of the walnut lend it great elegance.

History: The first model, from 1855, had an external hammer. It was replaced in 1857 by a model with an internal hammer. In 1858, Devisme filed a new patent protecting the conversion of his revolver to metal cartridges. The Devisme company had its revolvers manufactured in Belgium. They were finished and marked in a workshop in Paris, which explains the difference in the numbering system.

LouisFrançois Devisme: born in 1806, he established himself in Paris at 36 Boulevard des Italiens. He left his mark on the French firearms industry for half a century. Trained by Master Deboubert, he gained international renown thanks to his luxurious, elegant, and understated firearms. An innovator, he created pistols and revolvers that distinguished themselves both in duels and on the battlefield, notably during the Crimean War and the Franco-Prussian War.