Today on Gus’ Gear I have another Italian handgun. This is the officer’s Model 1889 Bodeo revolver. This is a slightly smaller version of the Model 1874 revolver which was inspired by the French service revolver Modèle 1873 Chamelot-Delvigne. Both the M1874 and M1889 revolvers were produced in officer and enlisted models. The enlisted model had a folding trigger, and this example is an officer’s model with a trigger guard. The M1889 revolver was adopted by the Italian Army in 1891. The revolver got its common name from Carlo Bodeo, who designed it, based on the French Mle 1873 revolver. The M1889 Bodeo was manufactured by several firms, originally in the white, but at the beginning of hostilities they were blued.
The M1889 Bodeo revolver is chambered for the 10.35x22mmR Ordinanza Italiana black powder cartridge, the cylinder holds six rounds. The small lever at the back of the frame above the grip is the take down screw. This has a trigger guard rather than the folding trigger of the troops model. This revolver was made by Glisenti of Brescia in 1905. The leather holster is the standard Italian pattern and after 1905 all leather was finished in Grigio-Verde.
On the right side the opened loading gate is visible, the ejector rod is stored in the cylinder pin. It is pulled forward and rotated to the right to position the ejector rod in front of the cylinder. With the loading gate opened, the hammer is disconnected allowing the cylinder to be advanced by pulling the trigger to facilitate loading.
Disassembly of the Bodeo can be accomplished without tools. First the cylinder must be emptied of cartridges and then the little lever at the back of the frame unscrews the bolt that holds the side plate on and the ejector rod is pulled forward and rotated to the right to allow the cylinder pin to be pulled out. The cylinder pin is held in place by a screw through the left side, visible in the photo, so it cannot be dropped and lost. The loading gate can be opened and the cylinder removed. Reassembly is a reverse process. The M1889 Bodeo revolver is a very robust and simple design and remained in service through the next conflict.