DESCRIPTION: Very scarce Chamelot & Delvigne M.1865 pinfire revolver. Caliber: 9 mm pinfire. Joseph Chamelot of St. Giles was a Belgian inventor. Henri-Gustave Delvigne of Paris was a French inventor. Together, between 1862 and 1873, they patented twelve designs related to the double action revolver and its lock. M.1865 pinfire revolver manufactured in Liege was their first commercially successful revolver. It had a very good reputation due to its strong lock and great reliability. Single and double action. Medium frame, open-top design. Six shot cylinder. Folding trigger. The cylinder rotates counter-clockwise. In contrast to the Lefaucheux design, the Chamelot Delvigne revolver features the loading gate located on the left side of the frame. The gate swings to the back, rather than to the side as in Lefaucheux revolver. Unusual design of the frame with an off center hammer (located to the right of the frame). Very nice ebony two-piece grips with diamond checkering. Five inch long octagonal barrel. Simple front and rear sights. Maker/inventor markings are present on the left side of the barrel, "Inv. Chamelot & Delvigne B-te". House of Liege proof is present on the cylinder. The frame, barrel and cylinder shows some geometrical style engraving with silver inlays. Very high quality of machining and assembly. Blue finish on the frame, cylinder and barrel. Case coloring on the hammer and trigger. Complete with a lanyard ring. CONDITION: Revolver is in fine, all original condition. 50% of blue finish mixed with brown patina is still present on the metal. Most of the blue finish wear is on the barrel. Fading case coloring on the hammer and trigger. Fine+ bore with strong and shiny rifling. Cylinder chambers are in excellent condition. Mechanically the revolver is in excellent condition as well, with a very crisp and strong action. All the markings and numbers are clearly visible on the metal. All the internal parts of the revolver are in excellent condition, with no visible wear. Ebony grips are in fine condition, with only light wear and minor handling marks. All complete and in original configuration. Scarce Chamelot Delvigne pinfire revolver in very collectible condition! Antique. (Ref.: "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Handguns" by A.B. Zhuk, p.40/215, "Systeme Lefaucheux" by Chris C. Curtis, pp. 103-104 and 175-177, also in "Pistolets et Revolvers de poche au XIX-eme siecle" by Dimitri Singer, p.91).
