vainn80
Well-Known Member
I've attached several photos of my Gasser Model 1870 11mm revolver and would like any comments on the various markings on the pistol, especially the two markings on the cylinder and right side of barrel just forward of the cylinder. Left side of pistol has legends L Gasser patent Wien Ottakring 157732 Gussstahl. Below cylinder L.G. Hanging apple pierced by arrow, Schutzmarke. All numbers match. This is the Gasser Model 1870 that was adapted by the Austro-Hungarian Cavalry. Its caliber is 11 mm Gasser, about 200,000 were manufactured and only 25,000 were procured by the military. The LG apple on the lower left frame is the Gasser trademark. This Gasser revolver with 240mm barrel (instead of 184mm) marked with crowned NI (Nikola I, ruler of Montenegro 1860-1918) is obviously not a common M1870/74 army type revolver but rather the famous Gasser's Montenegrin pattern. This was originaly introduced in the early 1870s but your specimen was made circa 1900. Special markings on cylinder and barrel are supposed to be Turkish property marks. Due to huge orders for the 11mm Gasser Montenegrin revolver issued to "Leupold Gasser Waffenfabrik" not only by the civilians and Armed Forces of Montenegro (King Nikolai of Montenegro was one of the main stockholders in "Leupold Gasser Waffenfabrik" and is well known for issuing a one-of-a-kind legislative decret according to which each adult male citizen of Montenegro was obliged to bear at least 1 Montenegrin revolver with him anytime!!!), but also by the rest of the Balkan (Serbian, Greek, Bulgarian, Ottoman and Austrohungarian) Armies of the pre-WW I era, Gasser was unable to undertake all orders for Montenegrin revolvers and thus has been obliged to allow the production of Montenegrin revolvers to various well known and unknown Belgian and French gunmakers like Francotte, Lefacheux etc.
