dating French M1892 revolvers

C

cie

Regular
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
20   0   0
Location
Calgary
I have a revolver that has an 1894 date on the barrel. The CFC is telling me that the serial number puts it at a post 1898 production date. Does anyone know where I might be able to research production dates and serial numbers for the St Etienne revolvers?
 
check the cylinder and frame for small letters; S or J indicates proof with type S or J powder and started in March 30 1896. It can also be PJ or PS. PM indicates types R or M powders and after 14 May 1898. My gun had a small T on the cylinder for type T powder and indicated some time after 1900.

cheers mooncoon
 
Cylinder has an E with a crown on top on the rear face. No other marks other than the cylinder holes are numbered. Barrel has an M in a circle and an L in a circle. The right side of the frame has a stylized B in a circle and what appears to be a g in a circle.
 
My guess is someone screwed in and 1894 dated barrel into a modern made frame.
Go to Google and Type in
1892 French revolver FAQ.
Theres one web site listed its pretty good shows all the serial numbers with the years they were made.
 
Does the serial number start with an F or a G? All the F serial numbers are antique, but only a few of the G. I saw a photo of a 1898 dated one with serial G26### so IF your serial number is that high or over it would not likely be antique.
 
fiscus said:
Does the serial number start with an F or a G? All the F serial numbers are antique, but only a few of the G. I saw a photo of a 1898 dated one with serial G26### so IF your serial number is that high or over it would not likely be antique.
Click to expand...

F345xx CFC says non antique.
 
Is there a source reference I can quote? I was quite certain the tech was wrong, but without any available info it is difficult to argue.
 
I had ser# F28### dated 1893, so that sn and the 1894 date look about right to me. It's definitely pre-1898.

I think you need to talk to an actual RCMP firearms tech.

PM on the way.
 
Last edited:
fiscus said:
If you call back and ask for a tech who know antiques it should be no problem, that gun is antique with an F serial number. The gunsworld website posted above seems to be down but there is an archive of it here:

http://web.archive.org/web/20071027030307/www.gunsworld.com/french/18xx/1892_marks_us.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20071027030427/www.gunsworld.com/french/18xx/1892_ser_us.html

There is a book in print that might have the info, maybe some member here has it.
Click to expand...

Thanks that should help. I have an emailed determination that states they will revisit their decision if I can provide documentation.
 
cie said:
Thanks that should help. I have an emailed determination that states they will revisit their decision if I can provide documentation.
Click to expand...

What revision of decision, what proof? It is a clear cut case of the gun being an antique (hell, I have an F24### that's an antique, I have the letter too). Is yours currently registered? Is it possible that it is a Belgian copy and not an authentic french version (therefore the serial numbers might be off)?

I hope they're not tightening the screws to us right now, because that would really suck. The last time I called the techs, the guy didn't even ask questions - all he wanted was the serial and the make/model. He then instantly stated that a letter for each gun (I called in for 3) would be sent ASAP and asked if any of the guns needed de-registration (damn, I loved the sound of that question!). :D No hassles whatsoever, like it should be. Letters came in a week or so later.

Please keep us posted. This seems to be an interesting "anomaly" and may become another example of how they're trying to screw around with the system. But let's hope it is simply a clerical error...


P.S. The French 1892 is one heck of a handgun and I really like mine. But this is yet another example of how RIDICULOUS our gun laws are... Wtf happened in 1898 that made one 1892 model so much more dangerous than another one that it requires mandatory registration? It's the same freakin gun with the same parts, lol! (this is why, in a perfect and logical world, antique status should be based on the first year of production of a certain model.. because the current regulations are just too confusing for everyone, including the CFC).

:mad:
 
It would be interesting to know why the RCMP firearms tech originally disallowed antique status. Was there a gap in their knowledge base, or was it a simple mistake.
 
Last edited:
Theres only Two tecs left there now doing the antique letters & deregistration Ect and ones on holidays.
I guess with all the cutbacks there getting rid of the only people that help out Canadian gun collectors.:rolleyes:
There overloaded and so mistakes get made.
To bad the Tecs have been the one part of the CFC i like and the people working with them doing up the letters.
 
All the techs that I've dealt with have been straight forward professionals. I'm inclined to think it was a clerical error, an unintentional misunderstanding. At least it was resolved in the end.
 
jethunter said:
All the techs that I've dealt with have been straight forward professionals. I'm inclined to think it was a clerical error, an unintentional misunderstanding. At least it was resolved in the end.
Click to expand...

One who I gather might be gone now, seemed to feel that the world would end on Thurdsay if even one modern flintlock pistol was mistaken for an antique. The two who are currently are there have been pleasant, very knowledgeable and do not appear to be anti gun

cheers mooncoon
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom