Very Rare E. Lefaucheux 12 Shot Revolver 9mm Pin Fire Civil War Era Antique

Serial #6, 9mm Pin fire, 5 7/8 inch octagonal barrel with a very good to near excellent bore with strong rifling.  This is very nice example of the seldom-seen high capacity, 12 shot, double / single action revolver marked and patented by Eugene Lefaucheux.  Unproofed it was likely manufactured in Paris, France and is marked “E. Lefaucheux / Inv Brevete” with number markings on the bottom of the frame just forward of the trigger guard “934” and just above on the left side of the frame “181”.  Created and patented by Eugene Lefaucheux most of the single-ring cylinder style, high capacity revolvers were manufactured and proofed in Belgium by J. Chaineux of Liege (Curtis, Chris Systeme Lefaucheux P. 52) making this example even more unusual.  The antique revolver shows elegant foliate scroll engraving on the frame and cylinder.  In very good to fine overall condition the metal surfaces are mostly gray with good marking on the barrel with wear to some of the screw heads from years of use.  The bag shaped checkered wood grips rate very good with small surface cracks on the left panel and the points worn smooth.  Mechanically it does function in double action with proper timing and cylinder advancement but the return spring does not work so the trigger has to be pushed forward after each pull of the trigger and it does not always hold open for single action.  The shell ejection arm works properly and swings into place with ease.  This represents one of the early  “High Capacity” weapons of the mid-18th century and some of these found their way onto Civil War battle fields with production ranging from the late 1850's through the 1860's.  A fine overall example bearing the name of the famous Lefaucheux family who helped to revolutionize metallic cartridge weapons.  Antique.