French Modèle 1777 Cavalry Pistol
Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Etienne · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1777
Also known as: Modèle 1777, French M1777 Cavalry Pistol, St. Etienne Model 1777 Pistol
Overview
The French Modèle 1777 is a smoothbore, muzzle-loading flintlock cavalry pistol distinguished by its cast brass frame with an integral brass flash pan. Adopted by the French Royal Army to replace the Model 1763/1766 designs, it was produced at the Saint-Étienne, Charleville, and Maubeuge arsenals with a 7-inch round barrel in roughly .69 caliber. Thousands were shipped to the American military during the American Revolution, and its brass-framed layout directly inspired the North & Cheney M1799, the first officially adopted United States military pistol.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1400 g (49.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 330 mm (12.99") |
| Barrel Length | 178 mm (7.01") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Flintlock |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 200 m/s (656 fps) |
| Effective Range | 15 m (16 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Frame Material | Brass |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Brass |
Calibers
- .69 Caliber Musket Ball · primary — also known as 0.673 in, 17.1 mm ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzle Loading
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Brass Frame, Integral Brass Flash Pan, Iron Frizzen, Belt Hook, Iron Ramrod, Smoothbore Barrel
Variants
- Modèle 1777 corrigé An IX - Modernized
Service history
Operators
- French Royal Army · adopted 1777 · as Modèle 1777
- Continental Army
- Grande Armée
Conflicts
- American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
- French Revolutionary Wars (1792-1802)
- Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815)
Production
Production years: 1777-1801
Manufactured at the Saint-Étienne, Charleville, and Maubeuge national arsenals
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Honoré Blanc
Discontinued: 1801
Notes
Early examples carried an iron belt hook retained by a screw beneath the frame; many later pistols omitted it or had it removed in service. The design was later updated as the Modèle 1777 corrigé An IX around 1801.
Background
So influential was the brass-framed Modèle 1777 that when the young United States sought its first standardized service pistol, the firm of North & Cheney produced the M1799 as a near-direct copy, making a French cavalry sidearm the ancestor of the American military handgun.