This is a FINE condition example of a Suhl Consortium produced German Model 1879 Reichsrevolver. It is interesting that until the adoption of the M79, the standard military handgun used by the Prussian and other German kingdoms was a single shot, percussion ignition muzzleloading pistol. Even though the Prussian military had been using incredibly advanced bolt action needle rifles since their introduction in 1841, they felt little need to improve the arms of their cavalry, instead relying upon the lance and saber as their primary weapons, rather than the repeating cartridge handguns that had become a standard weapon for most western cavalry regiments by the early 1870s. With the exception of some Colt Model 1851 Navy percussion revolvers acquired by the Kriegsmarine (German Navy), and some Adams M1867 purchased by the Kriegsmarine a couple of years later, the late 1870s found the state of German military handguns firmly entrenched in the 1840s. 

The M79 Reichsrevolver was developed as the standard military handgun for use by the militaries of the four German kingdoms; Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony and Württemberg. It was 6-chambered, single action revolver with a 7 1/8” round barrel with a small octagonal section at the frame juncture, and a reinforcing ring at the muzzle, often referred to as a “cannon” muzzle. The guns had a rust browned finish and two-piece smooth hardwood grips. The revolver incorporated a safety lever on the left side of the frame and had a lanyard ring in the butt cap. The revolver was chambered for the 10.6x25R centerfire cartridge. The cartridge was loaded with a 262-grain lead bullet of about .44 caliber, propelled by a black powder charge with a muzzle velocity of 700 fps and 288 ft./lbs. of muzzle energy. The 10.6x25R is often compared to the S&W .44 Russian cartridge, which is nearly identical in size and power, and was initially produced by Ludwig Loewe & Company, the predecessor of DWM. 

The M79 was produced by three primary manufacturers. These were Gebrüder Mauser & Cie, who supplied the kingdoms of Bavaria and Württemberg, Franz V. Dreyse who supplied the kingdoms of Prussia and Bavaria, and the Suhl consortium of arms makers consisting of Spangenberg & Sauer, V.C Schilling & Cie and C.G. Haenel & Cie, who supplied Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony. The revolver remained in production from its adoption in 1879 through 1883, with a total of 84,931 being produced. The Suhl consortium produced the largest number of the guns, some 57,423. Dreyse produced 19,505 and Mauser only produced 8,003. In 1883 a slightly more refined and more compact version of the M79 was approved, the M83. It was essentially the same revolver with a 4 5/8” barrel. 

These large and well-made revolvers remained the primary issue handgun to German state military forces until 1908, when it was superseded by the Parabellum-Pistole 1908, better known simply as “The Luger”. Even though the Luger replaced the M79, the revolver remained in use through the World War I era, mostly with second line and reserve troops. Unit marked revolvers are encountered from time to time, allowing the identification of the unit the gun was issued to. Although considered obsolete by World War II, some Reichsrevolvers are reported to have seen use by the French resistance during the Nazi occupation. The Germans even pulled some Reichsrevolvers out of mothballs at the end of World War II, during the fight for Berlin. 

The FINE condition VCS produced M79 Reichsrevolver offered here is a great example of a unit marked gun that survives in very nice condition. This revolver bears a First World War unit marking with the bottom of the grip cap marked:

B.I.M. 11 3.18

This marking means the gun was used by the Bayerisches (Bavarian), 3^rd Feld-Artillerie (Field Artillery Regiment) Light Ammunition Column, Company #11, Waffe Nr. (Weapon Number) 18. The 3^rd Bavarian Field Artillery was raised as the 3^rd Bavarian Royal Bavarian Field Artillery in Munich in 1879 and was honored with the titles of the “Königin Mutter” (Queen Mother) and “Prinze Leopold” (Prince Leopold) artillery regiment. The regiment spent most of its pre-World War I organizational life as the Marsfeld barracks as part of the Munich garrison. After World War I erupted, the regiment was reorganized as the 5^th Bavarian Field Artillery Brigade and assigned to the 3^rd Royal Bavarian Division. The regiment’s primary artillery pieces were the 7.7cm KK96nA field gun and the 10.5cm leFH 98/09 light field howitzer. The regiment saw heavy combat on the Western Front, with 1914 seeing them fight at Nancy and Épinal, participate in the “Race to the Sea” and the First Battle of Ypres. In 1915 the regiment saw action at Artois and Loos with 1916 seeing the regiment fight during the Battle of the Somme. In 1917 the regiment was at Arras, Messines and spent time in the Verdun and Lorraine sectors of the line. In 1918 the regiment participated in the German Spring Offensive, First Somme (1918), the Hundred Days Offensive, the Battle of Amiens and Second Somme (1918). The regiment was disbanded in 1919 after the Armistice in November of 1918. 

As noted, this M79 Reichsrevolver is in FINE overall condition and was produced by the Suhl consortium of arms makers consisting of Spangenberg & Sauer, V.C Schilling & Cie and C.G. Haenel & Cie. The Suhl consortium represented a group of major German gunmakers based in Suhl, Prussian and operated very similarly to the Birmingham Small Arms Trade group in Birmingham, England, by working cooperatively on large contracts and sharing those contracts out jointly among the members. The left side of the frame, below the cylinder is crisply and clearly marked in a two-line, oval cartouche: 

.S & S. V.C.S. & C.G.H.

SUHL

Just to the left of the makers mark is the serial number of the revolver, 850. The left side of the web of the frame, just in front of the cylinder is also marked the date of manufacture, 1882. The upper left side of the frame to barrel juncture and the left side of the barrel are also stamped with the serial number 850, and the left upper flat of the small octagon portion of the barrel is marked with the bore size 10,55. The rear face of the cylinder is numbered 850 as well. All of the small parts of the revolver are numbered to the gun with the last two digits, 50. Even the cylinder arbore pin release latch, which is one of the weakest parts of the M798 design is numbered 50. This small part is often found broken or damaged, with field repairs to this part being regularly encountered on extant examples. Numerous small proof and inspection marks are scattered throughout the revolver. These include the Bavarian inspection initials GF on the left flat of the octagon portion of the barrel and on the rear face of the cylinder. The cylinder chambers are numbered in the style of 19^th century English revolver, with the numbers 1 through 6 stamped between the cylinder flutes. The frame, barrel and cylinder retain much of their original, thinning, rust browned finish. The gun retains about 85% coverage with this finish, but as noted it has thinned and faded and shows some surface oxidation which has blended a lovely plum brown patina with the remaining finish. While the metal retains about 85%+ coverage of the metal the amount of thinning and fading suggests the gun should only rate about 40% in terms of surviving factory brown finish. The metal remains mostly smooth, with some very lightly scattered freckles of oxidized surface roughness and some small, scattered areas of minor pinpricking here and there.  As noted above, the bottom of the grip cap is unit marked B.I.M. 11 3.18. The original lanyard ring remains in place in the butt cap and swivels freely. The action of the revolver functions perfectly and is mechanically excellent. The revolver times, indexes and locks up tightly and correctly. The safety lever functions correctly, with the up position allowing the revolver to fire, and the down position locking the action and preventing the revolver from being placed on full cock. The bore of the revolver rates about FINE and is mostly bright with crisp rifling, some scattered oxidized freckling and some frosting in the grooves. There is also some lightly scattered pinpricking along the length of the bore. The two-piece walnut grips rate about VERY GOOD+. They are solid and complete without of any breaks, cracks or repairs. However, they have been lightly sanded at some point in time. As would be expected, the grips show some scattered bumps, dings and handling marks from service and use.

Overall, this is a very nice, crisp example of a First World War Bavarian Field Artillery unit marked M79 Reichsrevolver. These large, ungainly military revolvers are an important part of any German martial handgun collection. As more than one collector has noted, a M79 is the first gun in any chorological collection of modern era German military pistols and realistically belongs as the first “book end” in that collection. With the coming of the Centennial of the Great War next summer, First World War military items are experiencing a surge in prices and values. This revolver has a great WWI unit mark to a famous Bavarian field artillery regiment and will be a great addition to your military handgun collection.