[fireman]

Hi, I hope you guys can give me some thoughts on this. My interest and knowledge is more towards Imperial rifles.

This past weekend at a show I looked at a m83 Reichs revolver. It was a 94 Erfurt, matching. It was unit marked to a Santis(sp)train battalion, at least that was the owners translation. Mechanically it was excellent, the blue was good except the barrel which was much more worn. The price was $465 total.

Is that a good price? Are these like the Gew88's which are almost all unit marked or is that more rare with these? What would a medical train battalion marking read like? I can't remember exactly how it was marked.

I remember a thread(can't find it) that most of these known ones were medical unit marked. Do I remember correctly?

The seller is a good guy, he sets up at a number of shows. His area is antique guns, flintlock,percussion and other black powder. Also usually has the baynotes for those types of rifles. I trust him but not sure how up he is on these.

Thanks

 

[Heinrich]

Fireman,
All military Reichsrevolvers have unit markings, except the officer's variants.
I think your examined Erfurt revolver had a unit marking like this:
8.T.S.2.152.,but by far not all M/83 are marked with medical batallion markings. Most of them bear field artillery markings.

Interesting to know what its serial no. was. Please not that an Erfurt 1894 has a small script letter added to the serial no.

The price I think is on a fair level.

 

[fireman]

Heinrich,

Thanks for responding. Yes that is what the markings looked like. I was not sure if the unit markings were rare or common. Since they all have them no rush to pick this one up.

Why are most marked to artillery units? Wasn't the M83 issued to cavarly and infantry units?

I may take another look at it this weekend. If so I will note the serial number.

Thanks again.

 

[Heinrich]

Fireman,

The first M/79 revolvers were issued to the cavalry and artillery regiments. In most cases to N.C.Os. Later when the artillery got the revolvers, all the gunners were equipped with the M/83 and the mounted gunners with the M/79. But there have been some exceptions.

The first units who got the M/83, before the artillery were issued with them, were the medical units.

The standard weapon of the infantry was the rifle, only the N.C.O. carried a revolver.