# Need Help identifying/dating old Begian handgun



## grapplerjdc (Oct 1, 2013)

: "Belgian" clearly on barrel 
: opposite side on frame a crown with R under it, and a star with a C under it 
: Cylinder .. Crown oval ( e l g star)
star with c under it
crown c under it
and a "4"
: cylinder pin also has a 4

I'm interested in it's age,any history and i can find no mark of caliber ? 
I have pics ..







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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Your pictures are not working


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

This link should work to get to the photos (let me know if it doesn't work):

grapplerjdc's Library | Photobucket


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## KampfJaeger (Sep 25, 2013)

That is a Belgian "Bulldog" or Frontier pattern revolver, and it looks like it is in good condition!

They were made mostly for export to the US in the mid 19th century. Unfortunately, they were competing against some very innovative and iconic six guns at the time, and were probably like a Norinco today. Good gun, but considered cheap and vastly inferior to the home town favorites. They go for $150-$200, but yours looks like its much better than most and may go for allot more to a collector who is into those.


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## KampfJaeger (Sep 25, 2013)

I'm guessing it's pretty late (1890s). It would have been trying to compete with Colt Lightning/Thunderer.

What's the chamber? That could definitely impact it's value as well.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

It's also interesting that it's one of the rare revolvers that sports a safety lever.
From that, I hazard a guess that it may have been designed for export to a German or Austrian dealer, for retail sale.
(German-designed and -made military revolvers of that period were required to include a safety lever. Why? I dunno.)

This particular revolver was proofed in the Liege proof house.


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## grapplerjdc (Oct 1, 2013)

How do i tell chamber ? is it marked or do i need a measurement ?


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

The best chamber-measuring device would be a micrometer caliper. Failing that, carefully use a ruler laid across one of the chambers.
Tell us both the chamber-mouth diameter, and the diameter of the rear end of the chamber too.
Inches will be OK, but try to get it down to at least 32nds of an inch. If you have a metric ruler, that would be better.
(My own metric ruler says that it measures millimeters, but those are the small, unnumbered marks. The numbers on it indicate centimeters.)

I think it'll probably come out as 10mm (almost 0.40"—about 13/32") or 11mm (more than 0.43"—almost 14/32").


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## KampfJaeger (Sep 25, 2013)

Measure with a caliper, or just stick some different rounds in and see if they fit. The common calibers of that time were .32, .38, .41C, .44R, and .45LC. Probably not a Long Colt, because the cylinder is short, but the walls are thin, and it could be a .44 Russian. Collectors love anything .44 Russian, and if a .44 fits smoothly, but won't go all the way in, it could be a worth some real money. The challenge is that not many people collect these, so the market is very small, and you have to put it where people who like them will look. Condition is everything, and it's difficult to grade from the photos. Any imperfections will significantly reduce the value. The more perfect it is the faster it will sell, AND the higher the price.

Isn't there anywhere you can take it locally? Really, I'm in over my head on this one. I know just about nothing about them other than what they look like.


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