Devisme Percussion Target Pistol
Devisme · Pistol · Discontinued · 1850
Also known as: Devisme a Paris Target Pistol, Devisme Percussion Duelling Pistol, Devisme Cased Target Pistol
Overview
The Devisme Percussion Target Pistol is a single-shot, muzzleloading percussion pistol built in Paris by the celebrated French gunmaker Devisme around the 1850s and 1860s. Chambered for a .44 caliber patched lead ball, it exemplifies the finest mid-19th-century French target and duelling work: a heavy octagonal rifled barrel signed 'Devisme a Paris' in silver inlay, a fluted ebony grip, a single set trigger for a light deliberate release, and a dovetailed blade front sight paired with a fixed notch rear sight. Sold in cased matched pairs to European royalty and gentry, these pistols combined exhibition-grade engraving with genuine target accuracy.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1050 g (37.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 400 mm (15.75") |
| Barrel Length | 260 mm (10.24") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Set Trigger |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 250 m/s (820 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 291 J (215 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Barrel Material | Damascus Steel |
| Stock Material | Ebony |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .44 Caliber Percussion · primary — also known as .44 cal, .44 ball, .44 patched round ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzleloaded
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Octagonal Barrel, Rifled Barrel, Single Set Trigger, Fluted Grip, Silver Inlay, Blade Front Sight, Fixed Notch Rear Sight, Engraved Lock, Cased Matched Pair
Production
Production years: circa 1850-1865
Hand-built in small numbers as cased matched pairs; no series production figures survive.
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Jean-Louis Francois Devisme
Discontinued: 1865
Notes
Devisme's target and duelling pistols were made in small numbers as luxury cased pairs; bore diameters varied between individual guns, with .44 caliber representative of the rifled target examples. Barrels are typically signed 'Devisme a Paris' and the locks finely engraved. Many surviving examples feature elaborate silver inlay and dark ebony furniture.
Background
Louis-Francois (Jean-Louis Francois) Devisme (c.1806-1873) opened his Paris workshop at 36 Boulevard des Italiens in 1834 and rose to become one of the most acclaimed gunmakers of 19th-century France, taking his first award at the 1834 Paris Exhibition of Industry and later silver medals in 1839 and 1841 plus honors at the 1851 London Great Exhibition and the 1855, 1862 and 1867 fairs. His arms were acquired by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, King Louis-Philippe of France, and members of the Russian imperial household. Devisme was also an inventor, patenting an unusual percussion revolver in 1854 and, later, some of the earliest centerfire cartridge revolvers.