Gastinne-Renette Breechloading Target Pistol
Gastinne-Renette · Pistol · Discontinued · 1850
Also known as: Gastinne-Renette Target Pistol, Pistolet de tir Gastinne-Renette
Overview
The Gastinne-Renette Breechloading Target Pistol is a single-shot breechloading target pistol produced by the celebrated Parisian gunmaking house of Gastinne-Renette in the second half of the 19th century. Built around a falling-block breech operated by the trigger guard (a system patented by the firm in 1847), it features a heavy octagonal rifled barrel, a single-action external hammer, and finely adjustable target sights. These pistols were prized precision arms used in the firm's famous Paris shooting gallery, where they served both formal target practice and pistol-dueling instruction.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1200 g (42.3 oz) |
| Overall Length | 400 mm (15.75") |
| Barrel Length | 250 mm (9.84") |
| Height | 140 mm (5.51") |
| Width | 40 mm (1.57") |
| Sight Radius | 260 mm (10.24") |
| Action Type | Falling Block |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 210 m/s (689 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 121 J (89 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 7 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued And Engraved |
Calibers
- .30 Caliber Target · primary — also known as .30 cal, 7.5mm target
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Octagonal Rifled Barrel, Trigger Guard Operated Breech, Adjustable Target Sights, Checkered Grip, Hand Engraved
Service history
Operators
- European target and dueling shooters
Production
Production years: c. 1850-1900
Made in small numbers as bespoke and cased target/dueling arms rather than in series production.
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Louis-Julien Gastinne-Renette
Discontinued: 1900
Notes
Gastinne-Renette also built breechloading target pistols using a right-side lever double-bite system (known in France as the 'systeme Gastinne-Renette'). Individual examples were bespoke, so exact chambering, caliber and dimensions vary between guns; the figures here are representative of a small-bore .30-caliber target model.
Background
Louis-Julien Gastinne-Renette (1812-1885) was gunmaker to Emperor Napoleon III and the King of Spain, and by the mid-19th century his house was regarded as the finest source of dueling and target pistols in Paris. The firm ran a celebrated shooting gallery in central Paris where it rented pistols and taught duelists their craft, operating until the First World War.