Can you help me identify this gun?

[markz68]

My dad inherited a gun from his uncle, but we don't know anything about it.

On the top of the revolver it says "B. GUYOT" and "50 RUE DE LYON". There are a couple of other markings that look like a small star and a capital "G"

I found this auction with a very similar gun, but Dad's doesn't have an external hammer.

Here are pics of Dad's gun:

[mrjarrell]

I would hazard a guess that this revolver and the one at auction are by the same manufacturer. They look similar and the engravings are not a coincidence. Good luck in your search! That's an interesting find.

[markz68]

If I remember my french correctly, the markings might be a street address.

Rue De Lyon would be Lyon Street with 48 or 50 being the address on that street. So the addresses would be next door to each other. And the auction gun says Paris, so they could be from that street in Paris.

[boman]

around the turn of the century there were a lot of copies of the webley bulldog pistol. This appears to be one of those and the bulldog "family" of pocket pistols were quite common.

The cylinder proofs are Belgian so I suspect this pistol was made as a "private label" in Belgium for the "french dealer" whose name appears on the pistol.

Steve

[miguel]

One time I was researching an old revolver for a family member and posted a pic and all the info I had in this forum: THE ASK THE PRO'S & WHAT'S IT WORTH? FORUM - The Firearms Forum.Com and I had an answer in 24 hours.

Sorry, mods, I'm just trying to be helpful!

[JUMBO]

It is a run of the mill pocket pistol more than likely made in belgium so im with boman on this pistol.

is it a 32 cal? or is it a oddball cal

Ive seen these types of pistol @auction. some of them are hard to book so ya sometimes just have to find something similar and go with that price. however if it is a rare collectable you will always find those.

Good luck

[markz68]

I have found a little more info I believe:

Velo-dog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It more than likely takes a 5.5mm cartridge and was used by bicyclists to ward of dogs. I believe it dates to late 1800's-early 1900's.

[JUMBO]

possibly made in 1850's-1900's, browning had various patents on these so there were spanish copies and probably others as well. from what i did see about 5.5mm's, it would have been a good little varmint deterer with the salt load

[boman]

You can call this pistol what you like-velo dog bulldog etc. both could be correct but caliber usually differentiates the two with the french version and knockoffs being of smaller caliber(22) and british version and knockoffs the larger calibers(32). The pictures look to me like this gun is the larger caliber ---I've been studying proofs and old guns for a long time and the proofs on this gun are Belgian Leige proof house. see the E-I-G. Also the letters with the crown---all Belgian so the gun was made in Belgium.

I still believe it's a private label gun. Private label guns were and still are common in the firearms market. Think of Sears and Roebuck or Western Field or most recently AR 15 lowers such as Rock River Arms and Smith & Wesson. The first two never made a firearm and the second two don't make their lowers. All contracted to a manufacturer and "private labeled".

FWIW---When the British tried to stop our revolution for independence they were short of Brown Bess muskets and had around 15,000 built under contract by the Dutch and Belgians. They are identified by their proof marks.

Steve

[truegrit]

Check out N.Guyot of Paris they Manufacture expensive sidelock Shotguns since 1907 maybe this is their revolver division?