Nastiest Lefaucheux I have ever seen

[Papabyrd]

Got a 12mm LEFAUCHEUX BREVETE off of Gun Broker. It came in today. Nastiest gun I have ever seen. I think it had been burned a little in a fire especially
the right grip. The seller said the action did not work right and with the gunk on it I got it at a good price. When I started cleaning this thing up I sprayed it down with degreaser and WD40. Black gunk was just running off of it. With steel wool and a little brass bristle brush (looks like a toothbrush) I was able to clean her up. I sprayed the degreaser then the WD40 into the action and she works just fine. It had so much gunk in it could not push the cylinder into place. After I got her cleaned up, I found several Belgium proof marks on it. It's now a good-looking copy of a LEFAUCHEUX 12mm that may have been in the holster of some Confederate calvary trooper or Officer's side arm. We will never know.

 

[scooter748driver]

Wow! Quite the difference. Great job!

 

[UCVRelics]

Got a 12mm LEFAUCHEUX BREVETE off of Gun Broker. It came in today. Nastiest gun I have ever seen. I think it had been burned a little in a fire especially
the right grip. The seller said the action did not work right and with the gunk on it I got it at a good price. When I started cleaning this thing up I sprayed it down with degreaser and WD40. Black gunk was just running off of it. With steel wool and a little brass bristle brush (looks like a toothbrush) I was able to clean her up. I sprayed the degreaser then the WD40 into the action and she works just fine. It had so much gunk in it could not push the cylinder into place. After I got her cleaned up, I found several Belgium proof marks on it. It's now a good-looking copy of a LEFAUCHEUX 12mm that may have been in the holster of some Confederate calvary trooper or Officer's side arm. We will never know.View attachment 461998View attachment 461999View attachment 462000View attachment 462001View attachment 462002View attachment 462004

Great Job. From the first photo I was going WOOF

 

[rebracer]

Looks great!

 

[Miker91]

Got a 12mm LEFAUCHEUX BREVETE off of Gun Broker. It came in today. Nastiest gun I have ever seen. I think it had been burned a little in a fire especially
the right grip. The seller said the action did not work right and with the gunk on it I got it at a good price. When I started cleaning this thing up I sprayed it down with degreaser and WD40. Black gunk was just running off of it. With steel wool and a little brass bristle brush (looks like a toothbrush) I was able to clean her up. I sprayed the degreaser then the WD40 into the action and she works just fine. It had so much gunk in it could not push the cylinder into place. After I got her cleaned up, I found several Belgium proof marks on it. It's now a good-looking copy of a LEFAUCHEUX 12mm that may have been in the holster of some Confederate calvary trooper or Officer's side arm. We will never know.View attachment 461998View attachment 461999View attachment 462000View attachment 462001View attachment 462002View attachment 462004

I have a book on Casmir Lefaucheux and the guns he designed. Tonight or tomorrow I'll lookup the range of serial numbers sent to the States and let you know.

 

[Papabyrd]

I have a book on Casmir Lefaucheux and the guns he designed. Tonight or tomorrow I'll lookup the range of serial numbers sent to the States and let you know.

thank you

 

[JOHN42768]

Got a 12mm LEFAUCHEUX BREVETE off of Gun Broker. It came in today. Nastiest gun I have ever seen. I think it had been burned a little in a fire especially
the right grip. The seller said the action did not work right and with the gunk on it I got it at a good price. When I started cleaning this thing up I sprayed it down with degreaser and WD40. Black gunk was just running off of it. With steel wool and a little brass bristle brush (looks like a toothbrush) I was able to clean her up. I sprayed the degreaser then the WD40 into the action and she works just fine. It had so much gunk in it could not push the cylinder into place. After I got her cleaned up, I found several Belgium proof marks on it. It's now a good-looking copy of a LEFAUCHEUX 12mm that may have been in the holster of some Confederate calvary trooper or Officer's side arm. We will never know.View attachment 461998View attachment 461999View attachment 462000View attachment 462001View attachment 462002View attachment 462004

Great transformation.

 

[Miker91]

I have a book on Casmir Lefaucheux and the guns he designed. Tonight or tomorrow I'll lookup the range of serial numbers sent to the States and let you know.

Serial numbers LF22400 through LF37400 were sent to the US Ordance dept shortly after July 1861. This is in fact a Model 1854. There were other groups of this model gun thay may have made their way to the US but without better records it's almost impossible to verify that a given gun made it to either to the Union or Confederate states. For instance in any range of serial numbers some guns may have been sent to an intervening purchaser. The book I am quoting was originally written in French and recently made available in small numbers in English by an expert on the Lefaucheux family of the 19th century and guns. Hope this helps.

 

[Miker91]

Serial numbers LF22400 through LF37400 were sent to the US Ordance dept shortly after July 1861. This is in fact a Model 1854. There were other groups of this model gun thay may have made their way to the US but without better records it's almost impossible to verify that a given gun made it to either to the Union or Confederate states. For instance in any range of serial numbers some guns may have been sent to an intervening purchaser. The book I am quoting was originally written in French and recently made available in small numbers in English by an expert on the Lefaucheux family of the 19th century and guns. Hope this helps.

Sorry I forgot to mention that man named Godillot, with offices in Paris and New York purchased approximately 2,056 Model 1854 guns that were delivered to the US Army Ordnance dept in May 1862.

 

[Papabyrd]

Sorry I forgot to mention that man named Godillot, with offices in Paris and New York purchased approximately 2,056 Model 1854 guns that were delivered to the US Army Ordnance dept in May 1862.

Thank you so much for the info

 

[Aaron]

This isn't a Lefaucheux-made gun. It is a Belgian licensed example. So those numbers and dates in that book do not apply.

 

[Papabyrd]

This isn't a Lefaucheux-made gun. It is a Belgian licensed example. So those numbers and dates in that book do not apply.

Yes I know it is a Brevete which means copy. and this gun never had a serial number. Other than Belgum proof marks there are no other markings on the gun except for a D F under the grips.

 

[Aaron]

breveté means patented.

Also that looks like a serial number on the left side at the bottom front of the frame?

 

[Papabyrd]

breveté means patented.

Also that looks like a serial number on the left side at the bottom front of the frame?

nope no numbers on the gun at all

 

[Miker91]

This isn't a Lefaucheux-made gun. It is a Belgian licensed example. So those numbers and dates in that book do not apply.

Hi Aaron, what's the giveaway that it's not a Lefaucheux made gun ?

 

[Papabyrd]

Hi Aaron, what's the giveaway that it's not a Lefaucheux made gun ?

The word Bervete and the Belgum proof marks. Lefaucheux were made in France.

 

[Miker91]

The word Bervete and the Belgum proof marks. Lefaucheux were made in France.

I'm sorry I didn't see Belgian proof marks like the crown.
Aaron - can you confirm that no Lefaucheux made revolvers have the Brevete word on them ? Thanks.

Mike

 

[Aaron]

Here is the serial number I was talking about:

 

[Aaron]

I'm sorry I didn't see Belgian proof marks like the crown.
Aaron - can you confirm that no Lefaucheux made revolvers have the Brevete word on them ? Thanks.

Mike

The French ones made by Lefaucheux also do but it is different:

And the main give-away is the LF {serial number}:

 

[Aaron]

The word Bervete and the Belgum proof marks. Lefaucheux were made in France.

Now Lefaucheux ALSO had a factory in Belgium. I don't have a model 1854 he made there, but here is a Chamelot & Delvigne model his factory made.

The Lefaucheux mark in Belgium is the crowned EL as seen on the barrel: