Strangest Revolver You'll Ever See.

Vilkata · July 3, 2005, 03:25 AM

I found this pic a while ago, and it has to be the strangest revolver you'll ever see in your life. I have absolutely no idea what it is.

Octagon barrel... Drop down trigger...

And can anyone fathom how your supposed to hold it...?

Anyone ever seen a stranger one?

---

SCCop · July 3, 2005, 04:34 AM

I think you've found a winner. I wouldn't want to shoot it, for that matter I don't think I'd know how to shoot it.

Gabby Hayes · July 3, 2005, 05:13 AM

Photo most likely came from here: http://www.cwslagleantiques.com/web/...s/handguns.htm

Lots of strange guns, especially older one, out there that most of us have never seen or heard of.

Hal · July 3, 2005, 07:52 AM

That my friend is a "palm pistol" or "muff pistol".

I've held one but couldn't fire it because there was no ammunition for it.
Your thumb and forefinger fit very comfortably into those grooves, and provide a much more stable grip than a Derringer of roughly the same size. You work the trigger with your middle finger.

Another odd "palm/muff pistol" is the small round one with the squeeze cock device on the back of it. I can't find a picture of it right now,,,but not to worry,,someone will since it's really odd looking..

seed · July 3, 2005, 07:59 AM

It looks evolutionary....right around the time when gun ancestors were about to climb out of the water and crawl on land.

XavierBreath · July 3, 2005, 08:20 AM

wayneinFL · July 3, 2005, 08:50 AM

XB:They ever ban high caps outright, I'm gonna have me one of them.

Seriously,that is a neat gun. One of the dealers who frequents our gun shows here has one of those, I think it's a LeFaucheaux (sp.?).

The other neat ones he has, IMO, are the ones with the knife attached like a bayonet. And the ones that double as brass knuckles.

BillCA · July 3, 2005, 11:24 AM

Your revolver is probably a French or Belgian pistol. See the photo #7319 attached. Note the similarities in design, especially the extractor rod & mechanisms.

Also attached is the circular "palm" pistol Hal mentioned (#7379). This was produced by Chicago Firearms Co. These typically used the .32 Rimfire cartridge.

Vilkata · July 3, 2005, 04:50 PM

Thanks Bill! I think your right, it has to be a French or Belgian design.

Hal described how your supposed to hold it, but it still doesnt seem natural to me. I think I'd just have to hold one myself, and get a knack for it. Can you still easily pull back the hammer with your thumb?

If it really is an effective grip style for small awkward handguns, why isn't it more popular? Maybe North American Arms should make their revolvers like that?

Oh, and would it be legal to own a high capacity revolver, where it wouldn't be legal to own a high capacity semi-auto? There are so many people that prefer revolvers over semi-autos, and so many people that live in areas where high capacity semi-auto handguns are illegal. A company could make an absolute fortune marketing high capacity 20-30 round revolvers for home defence!! They'd be too big for conceal carry, but as a nightstand gun? Nothing better! It would have to be a fairly small caliber... .32 H&R? 38 Special? 38 might be a hair too big. The revolver might get enormous.

At any rate!

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Pezo · July 3, 2005, 04:52 PM

looks concealible beyond all heck but how would you hold on to well during recoil?

SCCop · July 3, 2005, 08:39 PM

I'm glad I'm not into antiques and curios, I'd be broke buying $2,000 derringers.

Sir William · July 3, 2005, 10:41 PM

IIRC, most of those odd muff revolvers were Belgian and produced by Pieper. They really were anemic and produced little recoil. The muzzleblast, noise and the cartridges were a deterrent to unwanted advances. They weren't designed to kill. A lady would pick her target and fire and the unwanted suitor was marked and burned, tattoed and injured in more than pride. You really have to think of these small firearms as the mace of old. The Chicago palm pistols were often carried by gamblers and conmen. They were usually carried in pairs. The purpose was to be armed with a deep concealment firearm. Their power was also anemic. They were brandished with one in each hand. They weren't a always fatal wound but, there weren't anti-septics, triple anti-biotic ointments or anti-biotics in the day. Most wounds became infected, the person shot became septic and died, often weeks after they were shot. Noone wanted to take a shot from any firearm back in the day.

mec · July 3, 2005, 11:17 PM

Ive seen those with normal looking grips on them. There was one around here about 38 years ago that seemed to be a .32 s&W. Probably wasn't but people were shooting those in them. Looks like somebody crossed a revolver with a push dagger.

Ozzieman · July 3, 2005, 11:27 PM

And you win, its the strangest I have ever seen

Hal · July 3, 2005, 11:45 PM

Vilkata,
I probably wasn't too clear about how to hold the thing.
Take your left hand and "make a gun" - point you first two fingers out like a kid making a gun. Now take your right hand, and form an "L" with your index finger and your thumb. If you push the fingertips of your left hand, into the area of your right hand between the thumb and forefinger, and let your right forefinger and thumb kind of pinch down on the "barrel of your gun".

You middle finger drops naturally underneath - right where the trigger would be.

The problem is that if you look at where your thumb and your forefinger are resting and look at the picture and envision where they would be in relation to the cylinder gap. Actually shooting one would burn the daylights out of your thumb and finger. That's probably why that design never caught on.

July 3, 2005, 11:27 PM	#14
Ozzieman Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 6,117	Its threads like this that makes this forum so much fun And you win, its the strangest I have ever seen

July 3, 2005, 04:34 AM	#2
SCCop Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2005 Posts: 239	I think you've found a winner. I wouldn't want to shoot it, for that matter I don't think I'd know how to shoot it.

July 3, 2005, 05:13 AM	#3
Gabby Hayes Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2001 Location: Ohio Posts: 119	Photo most likely came from here: http://www.cwslagleantiques.com/web/...s/handguns.htm Lots of strange guns, especially older one, out there that most of us have never seen or heard of.

July 3, 2005, 07:52 AM	#4
Hal Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 1998 Location: Ohio USA Posts: 8,565	That my friend is a "palm pistol" or "muff pistol". I've held one but couldn't fire it because there was no ammunition for it. Your thumb and forefinger fit very comfortably into those grooves, and provide a much more stable grip than a Derringer of roughly the same size. You work the trigger with your middle finger. Another odd "palm/muff pistol" is the small round one with the squeeze cock device on the back of it. I can't find a picture of it right now,,,but not to worry,,someone will since it's really odd looking..

July 3, 2005, 07:59 AM	#5
seed Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2004 Posts: 411	It looks evolutionary....right around the time when gun ancestors were about to climb out of the water and crawl on land.

July 3, 2005, 08:20 AM	#6
XavierBreath Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2002 Location: North Louisiana Posts: 2,800

July 3, 2005, 08:50 AM	#7
wayneinFL Senior Member Join Date: December 18, 2004 Posts: 1,944	XB:They ever ban high caps outright, I'm gonna have me one of them. Seriously,that is a neat gun. One of the dealers who frequents our gun shows here has one of those, I think it's a LeFaucheaux (sp.?). The other neat ones he has, IMO, are the ones with the knife attached like a bayonet. And the ones that double as brass knuckles.

July 3, 2005, 04:50 PM	#9
Vilkata Senior Member Join Date: February 26, 2005 Posts: 123	Thanks Bill! I think your right, it has to be a French or Belgian design. Hal described how your supposed to hold it, but it still doesnt seem natural to me. I think I'd just have to hold one myself, and get a knack for it. Can you still easily pull back the hammer with your thumb? If it really is an effective grip style for small awkward handguns, why isn't it more popular? Maybe North American Arms should make their revolvers like that? Oh, and would it be legal to own a high capacity revolver, where it wouldn't be legal to own a high capacity semi-auto? There are so many people that prefer revolvers over semi-autos, and so many people that live in areas where high capacity semi-auto handguns are illegal. A company could make an absolute fortune marketing high capacity 20-30 round revolvers for home defence!! They'd be too big for conceal carry, but as a nightstand gun? Nothing better! It would have to be a fairly small caliber... .32 H&R? 38 Special? 38 might be a hair too big. The revolver might get enormous. At any rate! ---

July 3, 2005, 04:52 PM	#10
Pezo Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2005 Location: Vernors and orange barrels. Posts: 661	looks concealible beyond all heck but how would you hold on to well during recoil?

July 3, 2005, 08:39 PM	#11
SCCop Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2005 Posts: 239	I'm glad I'm not into antiques and curios, I'd be broke buying $2,000 derringers.

July 3, 2005, 10:41 PM	#12
Sir William Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 2004 Posts: 3,261	IIRC, most of those odd muff revolvers were Belgian and produced by Pieper. They really were anemic and produced little recoil. The muzzleblast, noise and the cartridges were a deterrent to unwanted advances. They weren't designed to kill. A lady would pick her target and fire and the unwanted suitor was marked and burned, tattoed and injured in more than pride. You really have to think of these small firearms as the mace of old. The Chicago palm pistols were often carried by gamblers and conmen. They were usually carried in pairs. The purpose was to be armed with a deep concealment firearm. Their power was also anemic. They were brandished with one in each hand. They weren't a always fatal wound but, there weren't anti-septics, triple anti-biotic ointments or anti-biotics in the day. Most wounds became infected, the person shot became septic and died, often weeks after they were shot. Noone wanted to take a shot from any firearm back in the day.

July 3, 2005, 11:17 PM	#13
mec Junior member Join Date: December 6, 2001 Posts: 1,536	Ive seen those with normal looking grips on them. There was one around here about 38 years ago that seemed to be a .32 s&W. Probably wasn't but people were shooting those in them. Looks like somebody crossed a revolver with a push dagger.

July 3, 2005, 11:45 PM	#15
Hal Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 1998 Location: Ohio USA Posts: 8,565	Vilkata, I probably wasn't too clear about how to hold the thing. Take your left hand and "make a gun" - point you first two fingers out like a kid making a gun. Now take your right hand, and form an "L" with your index finger and your thumb. If you push the fingertips of your left hand, into the area of your right hand between the thumb and forefinger, and let your right forefinger and thumb kind of pinch down on the "barrel of your gun". You middle finger drops naturally underneath - right where the trigger would be. The problem is that if you look at where your thumb and your forefinger are resting and look at the picture and envision where they would be in relation to the cylinder gap. Actually shooting one would burn the daylights out of your thumb and finger. That's probably why that design never caught on.