Revolvers and pistols from H to J
Black rubber pads
Fasten with a Phillips screw,
Feed him machine oil
And with the finest lead.
Adam Lindsay Gordon
(October 19, 1833 – June 24, 1870).
Fasten with a Phillips screw,
Feed him machine oil
And with the finest lead.
Adam Lindsay Gordon
(October 19, 1833 – June 24, 1870).
Little-known revolvers and pistols from A to Z. Today we continue our journey into the world of Belgian (and only Belgian!) revolvers and pistols, of which there were... countless manufacturers in this country! Therefore, it is impossible to show them all. And that’s why we show the most original, unusual and beautiful.
Today we have two letters H and J on our turn, and for each of them there is something to show. Although even Belgian historians know nothing about some samples weapons, and there is practically no information about the people who produced them.
But then there are the revolvers and pistols themselves. A fusion, so to speak, of human thought and skill. All photographs courtesy of Belgian weapons historian Alain Daubresse.
Revolver by Charles Haaken
Everything is relative. Charles Haaken's revolver and next to it a self-cocking (double action) Smith & Wesson .44 caliber revolver
Well, the first at our opening day will be a certain Charles Haaken, who produced revolvers like these with the marking “CH” in a circle.
And - look, despite the fact that it is already more than 100 years old, much more, its nickel coating has also been preserved, and most of it is covered by metal engraving, although it was done rather crudely.
Original ebony handle grips. Both single and double action. It has a folding trigger and a side extractor on the right side of the barrel. Caliber 7 mm. The barrel has a length of 54 mm, the total length of the revolver is 127 mm. Was released in 1877.
It's nice when your children inherit your business. Apparently, Charles Haaken's son grew up, so his company became known as Charles Haaken and Son. And they released a police-style pocket revolver, clearly inspired by RIC revolvers ("Ireland Police Revolver").
The drum is designed for 6 shots. The barrel is octagonal with a small crescent-shaped front sight. Loading is carried out through the “Abadi door”, which is raised by an internal spring. Discharge - using a cleaning rod with a cap, sliding in a guide integrated into the frame and held by a small leaf spring.
The wooden handle plates are most likely walnut wood. The handle ends in a suspension ring held in place by a screw. Acceptance mark after 1893.
Revolver of the company "Haaken and Son"
Some revolvers produced by Europeans (as opposed to American ones) were initially very similar in design to traditional percussion cap and even flintlock pistols.
But what to do if the inertia of thinking is so strong in people?
Charles Haaken-Plomder revolver
Here, for example, is the Haaken-Plomder Charles revolver. Side trigger. Ignition is capsule. Apparently it's 31 gauge.
Built in an original way. There is a lock under the barrel that releases the barrel and allows it to be lifted to remove the cylinder. The original engraving is made in a floral style.
The weapon has an oval with the letters “ELG” on it, confirming its Belgian origin. It also has the initials "HP" on it, which are Haaken-Plomder's initials.
And this is how the drum was removed from it in an unusual way...
All that is known about the Belgian arms manufacturer Heinen Jean is that he was registered at the Liege testing laboratory from 1894 to 1897. In 1897, he filed a patent for improvements he made to the design of the Martini Henry rifle mechanism. That's all this man has glorified himself for.
But he also produced Galan revolvers...
Galan Heinen revolver 1868. It differs from the standard Galan revolver only in the shape of the trigger guard lever and the 12 mm caliber!
Patent for the pistol "Enrar Jean and Discri A."
Jean Enrard, started the gunsmithing business around 1913 while living in Herstal. In the same year, he received his first patents and created the company Enrard J. and Co., which operated after its registration in the Liege testing laboratory from 1914 to 1919.
In 1920, Jean Enrard joined forces with Alphonse Discri and created the new company Enrar Jean et Discri A. However, they did not work together for long, until 1925.
The pistol they produced was extremely simple in design and could easily be taken apart
Pistol "Enrar Jean and Discri A." Left view
Pistol "Enrar Jean and Discri A." Right view
A very interesting revolver of the transition period from single-barreled pistols to pererboxes and single-barrel drum revolvers was proposed in 1853 by Hermann Jean-Jacques. The engraving of hunting scenes on it is a clear anachronism, since this revolver could not have been intended for hunting.
It is interesting to compare this European 11mm revolver with Colt revolvers, which were produced in the USA at the same time.
Revolver by Jean-Jacques Herman
Revolver of 7 mm caliber by Hermann-Ledoux Joseph. The design feature is a folding barrel. By pressing a button on the barrel frame, the barrel was disengaged from the frame, the barrel was folded down, and the drum was removed for unloading and loading... And it has neither a ramrod nor an “Abadi door.” Approximate production period, 1853 to 1877
Pierre Hermine-Thiry produced Velodog revolvers in 6 mm caliber. Their feature was a drum that tilted to the right, while the lever that controlled it was located on the left of the frame
“Velodog” by Pierre Herminy-Thiry and “Colt Special”, as well as their cartridges, in comparison
Revolver by Joseph Hillebrandt. Total length: 285 mm. Barrel length: 157 mm, 6 chambers .450 caliber
The rear part of the barrel with locking notches is reinforced. The rear sight and front sight are at the end of the barrel, secured using a dovetail system. This revolver has an original lever system that moves the barrel forward. The differences from the Galan revolver are undeniable.
Revolver by Joseph Hillebrandt. The lever pushing the barrel with the drum forward is lowered all the way down
Some of the XNUMXth century revolvers are ordinary in almost every way, except for some of their creations, giving it an unusual appearance.
Here, for example, is Joseph Gaspard's revolver, which is a regular open-frame revolver chambered for centerfire cartridges. Abadi door, cleaning rod - everything is in place.
But just look at how fancy the cast brass handle is!
Joseph Gaspard's revolver, left view
Joseph Gaspard's revolver, right view
Revolver of the Jongen brothers company. All covered with engraving
It's him. The drum has been removed. There is a drum lock on the left side
The same revolver without engraving
And this is how it unfolded
J. Julien from Liege made revolvers chambered for pin cartridges, which were copies of the Lefauchet-Jansen model, but with an innovation patented by Julien. Apparently, he really wanted to enter history firearms, and he succeeded!
Revolver by J. Julien from Liege
The same revolver with the lock raised
Instead of the usual “Abadi door,” he proposed an L-shaped lock attached to the vertical rib of the barrel. Being raised, it opened the holes in the drum on the right, and if it was lowered, it closed them and at the same time increased the rigidity of the system with an open frame. That is, it can also be called a “locking top frame” revolver!
Caliber 12 mm. Ebony handle grips. Markings indicate that such revolvers were produced from 1853 to 1877.
To be continued ...
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