Zaoue à Marseille
Here’s a real monster!
This is a Lefaucheux revolving rifle in the massive 15mm caliber. This one is marked with serial #161.
I do not know if 15mm had their own serial sequence. I believe they shared sequence with the 12mm rifles.
This one is the transitional type between the old and new shape.
The old one has the Bell dome shape with flat end. (I have never seen a rifle with first style bell dome only the revolvers)
This one has the curved type bell dome. Other revolving rifle has the round breech like the majority of the 1854 revolvers.
It has old style hammer.
Barrel is marked with a retailer: “Zacue a Marseille”
It’s hard to comprehend how BIG and MASSIVE this one really is.
I don’t know if this is a rifle or shotgun. It is smoothbore (!) but has rifle style frontsight.
Anyway: A Lefaucheux made 15mm revolving rifle\shotgun must be considered ultra-rare. I have only seen this one. I drove all the way down from Norway to Frankfurt to get it!
Paul (Norway)
Very beautiful object, excessively rare and like known as Paul “a true monster”.
“Zacue”: It is necessary to read “Zaoue in Marseilles”.
George Zaoue arms manufacturer in Marseilles, Places Royal from 1841 at approximately 1855 and considering the monster probably beyond 1855.
(Source: Who is Who of Jarlier)
For me it is a shotgun to repetition, 6 blows.
“The barrel is smooth”: it would not be at this time gauge 28 of hunting? (Diameter 15.1).
The weapon is unquestionably on the basis of mm 12 model 1858 but having undergoes a certain number of reinforcements probably to support the load:
Reinforcement of the back of the breech (resembling much the 1854 of the standard 1e with the convex breech and the tail of the gone up hammer).
Reinforcement of the junction comforts/thunder.
Extension of the barrel of several cm compared to the 12 mm and sides with probably a metal extra thickness.
Reinforcement and extension of the cylinder.
The mechanism is most probably only in Simple Action
Rod of ejection with integrated longitudinal spring also acting as safety.
The weapon is not the subject of any other patent but those related to the patents of the 1854.
The trigger guard and especially the trigger are typically of hunting, much behind and rounder than the trigger of the 12 mm….
There does not exist, to my knowledge, an order of marking in the job numbers, there is thus impossible to locate the 161 in time.
It seems to me that each gauge and each model had its own classification, which explains small number 161. (On the other hand I never yet saw the same number on two model or gauges different).
