Just got back from London where I made a visit to the Churchill War Rooms. You could spend a day in there as there's so much Churchilll history on display. But in my perusing a couple pistols caught my eye so I took these photos so my various forum members could see them.
The first pistol is indicated by the card but the second one didn't say what it was. Perhaps all you knowledgeable folk out there will know what it is. Enjoy.
The 2nd revolver is a pinfire, and that's about all I know about it. The point that should be made is that Winston Churchill (1874-1965) may not have used this gun, as the pinfire system should have been obsolete by the 1890's. There were so many other better choices.
I know that Churchill used a broomhandle Mauser at one time, as written up in an American Rifleman article years ago.
Well, don't forget he was in the military or reporting on active campaigns in Cuba, India and the Sudan from 1895-1900 so perhaps he carried this older pinfire at that time.
OK, drawing on the hazy memory here. I believe I remember that the pin fire revolver was an example of a revolver that was loaned to Churchill. Perhaps when he was escaping from the Boers who had captured him. It's been a few years since I was there. The War Rooms were the highlight of a visit to London, and yes, I could have easily spent a day wandering around in them.
If you adjust the sights on a 1911 on a 25 yard rapid fire target to shoot center with a 6 o'clock hold with GI hardball it will pretty much shoot to center on the 50 yard slow fire by holding at the bottom center of the target. It will shoot to point of aim at 100. At 19 inches wide and 40 inches tall an Army E-type Silhouette should be hit pretty consistently. Most of the misses will be in deflection. Skeptics should give it a try sometime.
When production resumed at FN after WWII, FN presented Mr. Churchill a Hi Power. So we know he had at least one Hi Power too. IIRC, there is a photo of that Hi Power in R. Blake Steven's book on the Hi Power.
The pinfire revolver did use a cartridge, but instead of having the primer in the base of the case a pin protruded out of the base of the side of the case at a 90 degree angle. The hammer came down on the pin, driving it into the primer mixture in the case. If you notice the cylinder has notches cut in the back for the pin to stick through.
Churchill also had a Patchet SMG and a couple of rifles he was presented with which were I think a Garand and an M1 carbine.
They were sold through Weller & Dufty a firearms auction house in the U.K., in the 1980's.
Surprisingly they did not attract huge amounts of money. I am sure it would be different if they were put up for auction now.
At about the same time I bought a different Patchet myself serial number 29 for 400 Pounds.
Not for sure, but I would say it is a French designed, Belgium made Lefauchaux Model 1858 12mm pinfire. Looks to be a double action produced for civilian use. Just a guess.
Just getting the name right. It's Lefaucheux. And yes that's what it is. I'm not sure about the "civllian market" though. Double action revolvers were common in Europe. And many officers purchased their own sidearms. The 12mm caliber guns were mostly military oriented
About the single actions for the Military. Makes sense in a way that they would be cheaper and simpler to operate. But if you look around most European military revolvers were double action.
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