Devisme Model 1859
Devisme · Revolver · Discontinued · 1859
Also known as: Devisme a Paris Model 1859, Devisme Central-Percussion Revolver
Overview
The Devisme Model 1859 is a six-shot, single-action central-percussion revolver built by the celebrated Parisian gunmaker Devisme. It fires an 11mm ball from a 150mm rifled barrel and uses a distinctive barrel-and-cylinder assembly that swivels downward for loading, retained by a leaf spring. Roughly 890 grams and 310mm overall, it was offered in plain service form and as a lavishly gold-inlaid presentation grade, and examples saw use in the American Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 before self-contained metallic cartridges rendered the design obsolete.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 890 g (31.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 310 mm (12.20") |
| Barrel Length | 150 mm (5.91") |
| Action Type | Single Action Revolver |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Revolving Cylinder |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Engraved |
Calibers
- .44 Caliber Percussion · primary — also known as 11mm ball, 11mm central percussion, .44 cal
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Revolving Cylinder
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Central Percussion, Six Shot Cylinder, Rifled Barrel, Tip Down Barrel Cylinder Unit, Leaf Spring Cylinder Retention, Engraved Frame, Gold Inlaid Luxury Variant
Service history
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
- Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)
Production
Production years: circa 1859-1870
Luxury-grade Parisian revolver built in small numbers; no series production figures survive.
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Jean-Louis Francois Devisme
Discontinued: 1870
Notes
Documented in both a plain 11mm service configuration (890g, 310mm overall, 150mm barrel) and a 9mm gold-inlaid luxury grade. A transitional central-percussion design bridging the percussion-cap and metallic-cartridge eras; specifications derive primarily from a single French collector reference.
Background
Louis-Francois Devisme ran an acclaimed Paris workshop whose arms were prized by European royalty; his central-percussion Model 1859 could be had in a gold-incrusted presentation grade, yet the whole line was overtaken within a decade by self-contained cartridge revolvers.