BEYOND THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR
After the Sedan disaster of September 2, 1870, which saw the capitulation of the Emperor Napoleon III, the National Defence Government, which became in charge of the war effort, was in urgent need of war materiel. Therefore it purchased, among others, many surplus guns of the American Civil War, resulting in the import of excellent, but obsolescent, single action muzzle-loading revolvers. When the peace was restored, most European Armies realized therefore that, for properly arming horsemen, it was time to adopt modern double action metallic cartridge revolvers.
So, in France, a Military Commission was placed in charge of selecting a new service model for general distribution, which was required to feature a solid frame. Among the miscellaneous guns tested were the new central fire Lefaucheux adopted by the Navy in 1870, together with special Galand and Chamelot-Delvigne prototypes. (See L’aristocratie du pistolet by Raymond Caranta and Pierre Cantegrit. Crépin-Leblond, Paris. 1997.) In the end, it was the Chamelot-Delvigne product that was selected.
Belgian J. Chamelot was a gunsmith residing in Liège and Henri Gustave Delvigne, a French Captain residing in Paris, was well known for his activity in the field of ballistics. The two united their efforts in 1862 and designed several revolvers covered by twelve patents by June of 1873. Most of these were pinfire guns, the double action Model 9 of 1864 having already being tested by the military in 1867.
THE CHAMELOT-DELVIGNE FOREIGN SERVICE REVOLVERS
The first successful revolver of the new solid-frame Chamelot-Delvigne line was the 10.4mm rimfire model, adopted by Switzerland on April 24, 1872. These guns were first made in Belgium for the Swiss Army by Pirlot Frères in Liège, in 1873. Later, they were converted into centerfire in 1878, at the Bern Waffenfabrik facilities in Switzerland.
After the French, the Italian Army adopted also a similar Chamelot-Delvigne design as their model of 1874, in service up to 1889. It was chambered in 10.35 mm centerfire, now called the “Italian service caliber” with a 177-gr. lead bullet at 735 fps).
THE 1873 CHAMELOT-DELVIGNE FRENCH CAVALRY MODEL
This is a superb solid-frame fixed-barrel revolver 9.68 inches long, weighing 43.7 oz. with a 6-shot cylinder and a 4.48-inch barrel of .44 caliber. Rifling is four right hand lands and grooves at a 13.78:1 pitch. The oval trigger guard is nicely shaped, the rod ejector being protected by a housing parallel to the barrel’s right side. The grip butt features a steel round cap fitted with a swivelling lanyard ring.
All components are individually marked with the revolver serial number, which is not a mere luxury, as they are not interchangeable without fitting. The gun can be entirely disassembled by hand, using the beak of the cylinder axis head as a key for releasing the side-plate lock screw.
In our opinion, the models of 1873 and 1874 are, from a mechanical standpoint, the finest of our French service revolvers.
THE FRENCH 11MM SERVICE AMMUNITION
The original loading consisted of a centerfire rimmed cartridge featuring a hollow base 179-gr. sharp pointed pure lead bullet propelled by 10 grains of black powder at a laughable 426 fps muzzle velocity for a muzzle energy of only 72 ft./lbs. If we compare with the .44 SW American loading of 1871 (180 grains bullet at 649 fps) intended for shooting in a top-break revolver, one wonders why a “solid frame” was required!
The hammer at the safety notch.
To remove the cylinder, depress the field stripping latch, with the ejector rod unlocked, and pull out the rod. With the loading door opened and hammer at the safety notch, the cylinder can be easily removed.
In front of the hammer, at the frame rear end, the rear sight “V” notch.
In the frame rear hump, on the left side, the side-plate slotted attachment screw.
On this detail view, above the cylinder pin, the ejector rod end fitting unlocked for extracting empty cases or removing the cylinder.
Obviously, French military engineers were later ashamed of such performance, as they increased the muzzle velocity to 623 fps in 1890! As a matter of fact, it is this later improved loading that was used during both World Wars.
SHOOTING THE 1873 SERVICE MODEL
With its circular grip, the gun – which balances at 42% of its overall length, under the cylinder rim, i.e. above the trigger with the hammer lowered – is very comfortable in the hand, as it is slightly muzzle-heavy, and points naturally.
The trigger lies a bit too far forward for double action shooting but is adequate for single action. However, the sights are too high at 1.57 inches above the hand and the “V” notch is quite narrow in relation with the bead for slow fire shooting at 25 meters.
Thanks to the grip rear hump, the gentle recoil is easily controlled. In fact, the only problem with this gun is its trigger pull (8.8 lbs. in single action and 15.4 lbs. in double).
Thanks to the fact that these Chamelot-Delvigne revolvers are now legally considered in France to be “antiques,” many people are using them, without licence, for competitive shooting, off-hand, at 25 meters (about 28 yards). As their only flimsy component is the trigger return spring, we now have French craftsmen who make spares, and as our modern shooters do not use their guns on horseback, such springs can be lighter than the originals, bringing the single action pull down to about 5 pounds, which is quite perfect!
THE ACCURACY REQUIREMENTS OF THE TIME
According to the “Shooting Regulations for Cavalry” of 1894 (“Règlement sur l’instruction du tir des troupes de cavalerie,” dated september 15, 1894), the shooting distances were 15 and 30 meters (49 and 98 feet) at circular targets of respectively 20 and 40 centimeters in diameter (8 and 16 inches). The larger target featured an internal 8-inch-diameter ring counting for two points and an outer one for one point.
At 30 meters, shooting was performed single action only (12 rounds) and, at 15 meters, both in single and double action (12 rounds each) for a total of 36 rounds. The larger targets were used at 30 meters only and the smaller ones, at 15 meters.
With scores reaching or exceeding 24/36, shooters were rated first class; at 12/36, they rated second class; and, under 12/36, third class. (Now, 115 years later, we shoot at 25 meters single action only, at the ISU international circular target featuring a 2-inch ten ring.)
JAMS AND COMPONENT FAILURES
The French 1873 cavalry revolver was quite a rugged gun for its time. Using the regular 1890 service ammunition, misfires were rare in single action, but return trigger spring breakages were quite common. In double action, to the contrary, firing pin spikes could occur and, more rarely, cylinder jams. The Cavalry manual instructions concerning combat use of the 1873 revolver gave the following advice (Manuel du cavalier – 15ème régiment des chasseurs. Belfort, 1876):
The Revolver: Its Use In Mêlée
Same maintenance than for the Rifle; daily check of lock and ratchet. The revolver is a very efficient weapon in mêlée, but its use should be limited to very close range. Accordingly, the cavalryman armed with it must hold the saber in his bridle hand and use his revolver against a threatening opponent, an enemy out of reach, or gunners sheltered behind their cannons. Moreover if he is unhorsed, he can defend himself from infantry men…