Deactivated French MAS 1873 Revolver

This is a French MAS 1873 Revolver dated 1875 - third year of manufacture. It was made by Manufacture d'armes de Saint Etienne with all matching numbers. Factory records state that in 1875, 43,637 revolvers were made with a total of 335,000 before production ceased in 1886. Beautifully engineered, the cylinder spindle doubles as a screw driver for maintenance. They were used by the French army in both world wars, and have recently come to great notoriety when used by Hollywood actors Brendan Fraser (Rick O'Connell) in "The Mummy" and most recently in the latest block buster movie Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows , staring Robert Downey Junior.

 

The loading gate arm is missing but can be reinstated with a replacement.