Clamshell Revolvers by Jean Mathieu Despres-Joassard

Despres-Joassard Jean Mathieu's revolver unfolded, but with cartridges inserted into the drum chambers. Now it remains only to fold it ...

Black rubber pads
Fasten with a Phillips screw,
Feed him machine oil
And with the finest lead.

Adam Lindsay Gordon

History firearms weapons. Today we continue the story about clamshell revolvers, that is, about those that broke, and even unfolded for unloading and reloading. Usually their creators wanted to kill two or even three birds with one stone with one stone. Firstly, to circumvent the Smith and Wesson patent for a revolver-fracture with an extractor located along the axis of the drum, secondly, to achieve quick discharge and ease of handling of the revolver, and finally, thirdly, to create a design that is not too complicated and while laborious to manufacture. Of course, they also remembered the reliability and metal consumption of their products! And also about their beauty, that is, they also tried to decorate their weapons with carvings, and use ivory, mother-of-pearl and ebony to make plates for commercial models.

He began with the production of such cartridge (for Lefoshe hairpin cartridges) revolvers-peperboxes, loaded through the “Abadie door”

And those in which the axis of the block of trunks was unscrewed. By the way, the lining on the handle is made of ebony. Caliber 7 mm. Drum capacity - six charges, total length - 130 mm

The same paperbox, but with a bone handle! All metal parts are bronze-brown, very dark, almost black. The revolver is decorated with silver and gold inlays. The trigger and trigger are highly polished. The handle is made of ivory and has a rounded shape. At the end of the handle, a ramrod is screwed to extract the cartridge case. The perfect gift for any woman!

This one is even prettier. Not a weapon, but a work of art

Interestingly, the rifling of the barrels in the Despres paperboxes is very frequent and quite deep, which is why the muzzle of their barrels had a somewhat strange star-shaped appearance. It was believed that such a cut leads a bullet better in a short barrel, and besides, the barrel itself is less leaded!

Details that this paperbox was disassembled into

The ramrod at the bottom was screwed into the handle. Like this!

Door Abadi

And as we already talked about this in the previous material, many of the craftsmen who made such revolvers worked in the Belgian city of Liege, which became a kind of Mecca for all gunsmiths on a global scale, so to speak. But in reality there were just a lot of small workshops where weapons were made almost by hand. And a number of samples, very original and in their own way very good, were forgotten over time.

He also produced original capsule revolvers with a retractable trigger and a lever with a puffer (“a lever for tight bullet driving”)

But this revolver of his is different in that the barrel was attached to the frame with a special underbarrel lever

By lowering it down, it was possible to remove the barrel and open access to the drum chambers ...

And today we will just pull out a very interesting revolver from this “pool of oblivion” and its creator Despres-Joassard Jean Mathieu, who was also a caster of malleable and industrial iron, and in addition became famous for inserting the name of his wife in the middle of his names (Joassard), and all in order to distinguish himself from the other quite numerous Despres known at that time.

And this is his revolver chambered for "central battle"

Device layout

Thanks to the underbarrel lever, the revolver could be easily disassembled into three parts! By the way, the “lamb” on the screw under the barrel had to be unscrewed for this

Moreover, he was quite a prolific inventor. In any case, he is the author of ten Belgian weapons patents registered between 1857 and 1867, that is, one patent per year.

Despres revolver with lever-operated extractor

Close-up of the extractor lever. A spring-loaded pusher of the extractor is visible in the slot on the frame

Then the designer came up with the following idea: to make the revolver easy to unfold, and at the same time the extractor would immediately remove all spent cartridges. On the way to such a construction, like a granite slab, stood the patents of "Smith and Wesson" and a number of others. We needed elements of novelty in order to get a patent, in addition, it was necessary to make it so that something would act on the extractor pusher. And he thought, invented and in 1873 patented his own discharge mechanism! True, some believe that the author of this design is the Englishman Hill, but his revolver appeared only in 1878.

Partially decomposed revolver and cartridges for it

The result was a revolver with a closed frame and an upper hinge assembly. The frame latch with the barrel and drum was located on the bottom of the frame in front of the trigger guard. By clicking on it, the shooter “breaks” the revolver, lifting the barrel with the drum up. Such revolvers were produced both double and single action. Length - 260 mm, barrel length - 140 mm. Caliber - 11 mm. The drum had six chambers.

Well, how the mechanism he invented worked will now be shown in the following photographs. So…

Before us is a double-action Debre revolver. Right side view

In this photo, the frame lock key is pressed, after which the frame can be unfolded

We continue to expand...

The revolver is completely unfolded!

Now, as the barrel pivots away from the frame's top plate, two curved levers press on the pins of the spring-loaded extractor pusher and it pops out of the drum!

This figure shows one of the options for such a lever device.

And here is a revolver with a nipple release and a locking mechanism under the drum. Nipple descent such a device allowed ...

Revolver of Gerard Theophile, also from Liège

From 1870 to 1873, he received nine Belgian patents and, in particular, for a number of modifications of revolvers similar to Despres revolvers.

The 1873 revolver is very similar in design to the Despres revolver.

However, there are also differences. The lever is arranged somewhat differently, which is pivotally connected to the drum pusher. It seems that this device of a folding revolver is structurally simpler than that of Despres revolvers, and in addition, there are no protruding parts on the body of this revolver.

Hypothetical revolver of the "Price-Depre" system

Well, could you come up with a revolver that folds out for discharge of an even simpler device? It turns out that it is possible, because there is, indeed, an experimental British prototype of a double-action revolver of 11 mm caliber and with an octagonal barrel. Walnut wood grips.

Most likely, the creator of this revolver was Charles Price, who received patent No. 4421 from 1876 for an improvement in the mechanism of the revolver. This revolver had an articulated frame, a double-action mechanism and a removable drum axle. In general, it is believed that this is Charles Price, although the frame latch at the bottom is very similar to that used on the Despres revolver. That is, it could be a simplified copy of his revolver, why not? So maybe it's a Price-Despres revolver? In any case, this revolver was discharged in the simplest way that you can think of.

Handle with threaded pin

This is what it looked like when it was pulled out of the handle

But in this way it was inserted into the extractor shank to unload this revolver!

Yes, he had an extractor for all the shells, but he had no mechanical drive! But this revolver had a pin screwed into the handle, which had to be inserted into the hole on the drum shank, pulled towards you and in such a “manual” way to remove all the spent cartridges from the drum at the same time! And then insert the cartridges into it one at a time. It would be interesting to compare the speed of reloading this revolver with the speed of reloading the same Nagant. True, the hairpin screwed into the handle could easily be lost, but after all, a hole for a safety cord was provided on its head so that this trouble simply did not happen to the owner of this revolver!

Comments

[Kote Pan Kokhanka]

Good evening!
I looked, read, scratched my turnips looking at the wonderful mechanisms and came to the conclusion - copyright is evil !!! It’s better to sit at home than to go out with such multi-tools on hooligans. The only plus is if the bandits take away such a toy, in 50% they will shoot their own leg off while they figure out how to charge it.
Vyacheslav Olegovich, thanks for the interesting article!

[Catfish]

Hello Vladislav!

they shoot themselves in the foot

Well, it can happen to an experienced person too. My cousin (much older than me), immediately after the war he worked in the Nalchik UGRO, the situation was still the same and they didn’t go without weapons. He wore a TT behind his waist belt on his back, the cartridge was always in the chamber. So, he ran down the control stairs to the car, take the TT and fell out from behind the belt, immediately a shot. Wound in the leg, very bad, the bullet touched the bone. Well, he stayed in the hospital, the doctors corrected him and, thanks to them, he did not limp.
And how, when he came to visit us, he praised Makarov, or rather his "dead" fuse.

[Kote Pan Kokhanka]

Good evening Uncle Kostya!
PM is outrageously unpretentious machine from which both a professional and a neophyte can shoot. However, not only to shoot, but also to serve. In this regard, only Kalashnikov can argue with him.

[Catfish]

Unfortunately, the whole idea of ​​the gun does not belong to N.F. Makarov, and Fritz Walther in his model Walther PP. Only the fuse has been changed, and, it is not clear why, in his pistol, Makarov stuck a magazine latch from another model - Walter R.38, native to the RR was much more convenient.

[Victor Shershnev]

Well, that is, Makarov tore from Walter, Tokarev from Browning 1903, Shpagin from Suomi, Kalashnikov from Sturmgever with Garand, Degtyarev from Dreyse ...
Can you continue with anything else?
Have you studied USM PM? Did you see him in the eyes? It has such cardinal differences and advantages that in common there is only the principle of self-cocking, by the way, borrowed by Walter from the Little Tom pistol of Alois Tomishka of the 1918 model.
By the way, borrowing working technical solutions is a widespread and quite common practice. Although sometimes "ugly" from a "moral" point of view.

[Catfish]

Have you seen any of the above, with the exception of Makar?

[Victor Shershnev]

You don't have to worry about this. I've seen a lot.
The thing is different.
With your comment, you spat at N.F. Makarov - our talented domestic gunsmith, who created an excellent pistol, which has become a true classic in its "class".
And due to this, they showed their "coolness".
I meet a lot of people like that who, while scolding everything domestic, exalt the Western with a breath. Thinking it's "cool".
But I worked in science, in 88 after graduating from Voenmekh. And I know very well how many intelligent people we have, capable of creating things "on the level." And we are no more stupid than the West. And we have some advantages.
The trouble is in our mentality - we, Russia, alas, are impervious to progress - I was personally convinced of this over 6 years of correspondence in all directions, up to the Government.
And the subject of correspondence is a new pistol principle that can bring our domestic pistol, no less, to the first place in the world.
You can read my article on this topic: https://topwar.ru/190569-koncepcija-pistoleta-vzgljad-v-novom-rakurse.html
Although your reaction, I'm afraid, I foresee in advance ...

[Repellent]

Quote: Victor Shershnev

Although your reaction, I'm afraid, I foresee in advance ...

Spit on this "Cat". A vile selfish animal. Here he was fed, it is found here ...

[Catfish]

Golovan, but you are a dishonorable person and break your own word. Although, what am I talking about, the concept of decency is completely unfamiliar to you.

[Repellent]

Quote: Sea Cat

breaking your own word

I didn't touch you personally. Not to express my opinion about you - I did not promise.

Quote: Sea Cat

the concept of decency is completely unfamiliar to you

Unlike you, I'm still an officer in the Soviet Army. What I know, you don't know.

back off.

[Catfish]

What I know, you don't know.

Yes, Golovan, you have always suffered from self-delusion. I don’t know what you were like at that time, but the current army clearly benefited from your absence from it.

[Repellent]

Quote: Sea Cat

the current army clearly benefited from your non-presence in it

Well, given that I'm 60, osteochondrosis and other arthrosis - more likely yes than no.

But, by the way, my acquaintances from the 4th Guards are now engaged in ukroxoxls there ... judging by their words, not without success.

What pleases

[Catfish]

I would like your age, I was born in the 47th, was called up in the 66th, from the last three years. And it’s better not to talk about sores, there are no less of them every year.
.

[Repellent]

Quote: Sea Cat

better not to talk about sores, there are no less of them every year

Not everyone is friends with the head of the hospital

Last time I repaired for money, I am still paying ...

Okay, we have nothing to share, I'm sorry if I said something wrong. good luck

[Catfish]

Good luck to you too.

[Catfish]

Although your reaction, I'm afraid, I foresee in advance ...

You are a happy person, you always know everything in advance.

[Catfish]

You can read my article on this topic:

I once read your article, there, in the comments, people spoke specifically.

[Victor Shershnev]

there, in the comments, the people spoke specifically.

I specifically wrote this article in the most simple way possible.
Namely, he cited a number of well-known closest analogues that convincingly proved their efficiency (!!!).
Based on this, I explained the viability and validity of the principle.
But this, as you said, "people" was not able to understand the most elementary things and make the most primitive conclusions.
Mind is not necessary only for the simplest thing - to pour mud.
This is what they did diligently. (In addition, "warmed up" at the New Year's table...))
Do not call these miserable pseudo-experts who spit on the honor and glory of the national weapons school with the word "people".
This "national trouble" of ours is called by another, well-known word ...

[Catfish]

Don't call those poor pseudo-experts

Well, not all of them are like that, and it’s not worth judging people by brief comments.
You are passionate about your work, and this is excellent, God bless you in this.
But I still don’t agree about Makar, he dealt with systems much better than him, but released much earlier.

[kalibr]

And thank you! Glad you liked it. However, I myself am very interested in understanding all these "miracles" and writing about them.

[Catfish]

Vyacheslav, thank you for "pulling" these most interesting fruits of human thought out of oblivion. Reading is always interesting.

The Webley company in 1877 began production of a revolver with a new type of hinge patented by Charles Price. Weapon caliber - .577

Revolver Blend Price.
Here the trunk seems to lean back "humanly" - downwards.

[depressant]

I missed this article
And you know what doesn't stick in my head? Vyacheslav Olegovich with Vyacheslav Olegovich. The one who writes articles about the Neolithic, with the one who writes articles about pistols)))
And he writes well!
But time goes by, and I still can’t overcome the idea of ​​​​the author of multidirectional articles as an intellectual who, at the sight of a rifle, says: “Oh, what are you talking about! I won’t take this muck in my hands!” ))))

[Catfish]

The one who writes articles about the Neolithic, with the one who writes articles about pistols)))

And here is where it all comes together. At least Ancient Rome with a machine gun.

[depressant]

Well, yes. Romans, terms, machine guns - it's so natural! )))

[Catfish]

There is our film "New Yankee Adventures in King Arthur's Court", and so, there the main character went out with a machine gun to fight ALL the knights of the round table. And you say...

[depressant]

What am I saying? Only that superiority in weapons systems makes it possible to defeat a numerically superior enemy with small forces. For example, two gopniks and one passer-by with a firearm. And then it turns out that the passerby is to blame. That's why so?

[Catfish]

"Oh, you are a joyless person, Nekrasov! And very harmful. You need to spit in every pot." (c)

[depressant]

And not because "That's why so?"
But because the passer-by runs badly )))
Output. While training accuracy, train your legs. Otherwise, you will gather witnesses.

[kalibr]

Quote: depressant

That is why so?

If the gun is not registered to a passerby, if the street is dark, and the time is late, and his nerves are strong, then this is done: one gopnik is shot, then the second, the first is finished, then the magazine is removed, which must be inserted into such a weapon only with gloves, invested into the fingers of the second, then again into the pistol, then the second is shot at point-blank range, into the head, then the pistol is put into the hand of the second, and the passer-by leaves. There is an obvious fight. First the first of the second, then the second of the first, then the second shot himself, and the fingerprints will show it. The police will not dig when everything is already clear. The main thing is to always serve your weapon only with gloves on. Simple, right?

[depressant]

By no means simple!
No matter how dark and unvisited the alley is, some curious passer-by will always be attracted by the sounds of a shot, because the law of meanness always works. And, dissolving into the shadows, he carefully observes the signs of the escaping. For example, clothes, height, complexion, etc. And in our time, there are also surveillance cameras everywhere.
One can be removed, but very often the other, located almost nearby, goes unnoticed.
This is the first.
And the second - it's a pity that the gun was left behind!
Output. No need to walk down dark alleys! )))

[kalibr]

Quote: depressant

very sorry for the abandoned gun!
Output. No need to walk down dark alleys!

Quite logical. But where one is, there is another.

[kalibr]

Quote: depressant

But time goes by, and I still can’t overcome the idea of ​​​​the author of multidirectional articles as an intellectual who, at the sight of a rifle, says: “Oh, what are you talking about! I won’t take this muck in my hands!”

Alas, Lyudmila Yakovlevna, what would you say when you saw me with a chicken in my hands, with which I unscrewed my head alive? So he pulled over and she went limp. By the way, you can do the same with a human. Well, and he chopped off the heads of dozens of chickens and ducks with an ax. And then the blood in a container and on the black pudding, on the fried blood with potatoes and on the boil - duck blood soup is very tasty. Both wife and daughter ate and approved. Neolithic is one thing, but a pistol and a rifle are completely different. But in general, both are information. So the question is only in the filing, and this is a matter of technology. Have you read my novel about the cat Barsya? But in vain - you will also find the "third" there!

[depressant]

No, well, I can cut off the head of a chicken, no problem!
But the man ... yes, I don’t have enough strength even if I have the desire. Believe me, my humanity does not apply to scoundrels, it is limited only by my physical capabilities. I am by no means an air creature, I just do not thirst for blood where it can be dispensed with.

[kalibr]

Quote: depressant

where you can do without it.

You have a professional look at things, congratulations!

[kalibr]

Quote: depressant

What's not sticking in my head? Vyacheslav Olegovich with Vyacheslav Olegovich.

Watch the series "Visitors". Maybe I'm one of them?

[depressant]

Oh, the series ... I have a series - telegram. Tried to get out but couldn't. I must be a witness to the time. It is greedy to watch, read, remember firmly, as I remembered 2014.
I remember a lot of things from there that no one else remembers. I remember. And my anger is great. But I don't force it on anyone.

[kalibr]

Quote: depressant

And my anger is great.

It's good. But is your mind cold? When a person is overwhelmed by emotions, he loses the ability to act rationally. Like with chicken... If you think that it is God's, then... And if you think about it as meat, then you pulled it by the neck and... that's it. This is how you should be angry!

[depressant]

And my mind is cold, but furious.
I accumulate malice. But the time to publish its origins will come, apparently, not soon.