Original French MAS Modèle 1874 Chamelot-Delvigne 11mm Officer’s Revolver dated 1876 – Serial N 4737 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good service used condition example of the revolver Modèle 1874 d’Officier Chamelot-Delvigne, which was the first double-action revolver design used by the French Army. It was produced by Manufacture d’armes de Saint-Étienne 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.

Although 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.

This very good mechanically sound example is in the original blued finish, however it has seen long service, so oxidation and cleaning has removed most of this finish. It now has a polished gray patina, with the original finish present in the recessed areas. It is marked M’re d’Armes / S’t Étienne on the right side of the frame and features matching serial number N 4737 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 X / 37. Definitely a very nice “ALL MATCHING” example, with no parts swapped out over the years. The top of the barrel is marked Mle 1874 and the side of the barrel is marked S. 1876, indicating the revolver was manufactured in 1876.

The checkered wooden grips are original and the overall condition of the revolver is very good, though it definitely shows that it saw a lot of service. The bore is in very good condition, with clear lands and grooves and a mostly bright finish, showing signs of light use. The lanyard ring is still present, though it is somewhat oxidized.

The action works well in double and single action, with good cylinder lockup and indexing. However, the hammer itself has a lot of slop in its movement, either due to wear, or more likely an out of place spring. The loading gate is present and fully functional, and the ejector rod is present as well, though most of the original spring and the screw that retains it are missing. The revolver breaks down correctly for cleaning as well.

You 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”.

A great chance to own a very nice service used example of a late 19th century French Officer’s Revolver, ready to display!

Specifications of MAS model 74

Year of Manufacture: 1876
Length: 240 mm (9.5 inches)
Barrel length: 110 mm (4.33 inches)
Finish: Bright Steel
Weight (empty): 1.04 kg
Cylinder: 6 cartridges
Ammunition: 11 mm Mle 1873 (11x17mmR)
Rifling: 4 right-hand grooves
Operation: Double Action / Single Action

History of the MAS 1873

The 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.

The 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.

The 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.

The caliber of these French pistols was 11×17.8mmR. 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.

The 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.

The 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.

NOTE: 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.