The 1879 Reichsrevolver was adopted by the German military a few years after German unification. Author attached a red dot optical sight without modifying the revolver. It is clamped on, with no metal removed. Ejector rods were separate. The one above is homemade.
Consider the pistol the revolvers were to replace, the Kavalleriepistol M 1850. It is about .59 caliber, firing a 267 grain round ball from a smooth bore, contained in a paper cartridge with about 67 grains of black powder.
Link to image of Kavalleriepistol M 1950 image
Interpolating from data measured at the Youtube channel capandball, the 267 grain ball from the smoothbore was probably traveling about 650-700 fps. Accuracy was sufficient to hit man sized targets at 23 yards.
When the German empire was consolidated under Bismark, the new government realized they needed a standardized cartridge revolver. Germany officially started to work on the problem in 1871. They considered the Swiss double action design, a 10.4 rimfire adopted in 1872. The French 1873 is a very similar double action, with a weaker cartridge. They considered an Adams double action design from England, the Colt 1873, and others.
In 1873, the Germans ordered 40 Colt Single Action model 1873 revolvers in 10.6 x 25, the German knock off of the .44 Russian. The .44 Russian was being produced in Germany at the time, for the Russians and their Smith & Wesson single action, top break revolvers.
There was a miscommunication, and Colt sent 40 revolvers in .45 Colt. The Germans rejected them and sent them back. Colt, through their brokers in London, immediately sent another 40 in 10.6 German. Those revolvers were tested and sent to German regiments for a year of testing according to Heinrich E. Harder in "Der Reichsrevolver und seine Varianten". The early Colt 1873 revolvers had iron frames.
In 1877, the Germans decided to stop testing foreign revolvers and to create a design of their own. What resulted was the 1879 Reichsrevolver. It is a large, single action revolver. The grip, sights, size, length of barrel and lack of ejector rod are derived from the M 1850 muzzle loading percussion pistol. The lockwork is highly reminiscent of the Smith & Wesson single action. The cartridge is a German pattern .44 Russian.
The Germans selected a cartridge and built a revolver around it.
The commission which selected the 1879 has been criticized for selecting an obsolete design when double action revolvers such as the Swiss (converted to centerfire in 1878) was available in 1872. From reading online, the 1879, and particularly the upgraded 1883 were well received by the troops. They found them rugged and reliable. The Reichsrevolvers have a reputation for not breaking and always working. They go bang when you pull the trigger (after being cocked). Both Russia and the United States had selected single action revolvers for their armies a few years earlier.
The 1879 was a huge improvement over the muzzle-loading M 1850. Consider the advantages of keeping about the same size, the same sights, the same grip and single action. The troops already understood the necessity of cocking the pistol before shooting. They were used to the grip. They were used to the sights. The 1850 had a safety guarding the percussion cap. The 1879 had a safety guarding the primers of the cartridges. Even the Lanyard ring was the same.
In one handgun the German military man had six shots compared to two shots with two different pistols. The revolver was many times as accurate as the smooth bore single shot. It was more powerful with about the same bullet weight and half a pound lighter. The 1850 muzzle-loader had its ramrod attached to the ammunition pouch. The 1879 revolver had its ejector rod attached to the cartridge carrier, which was a modified ammunition pouch from the M 1850.
Group shot with optical sight 1879 Reichsrevolver, from a rest at 10 yards. Center to center, .784 inches, six shots. Handloads were well under .44 Russian maximum pressures, according to the loading manual. They produced 787 fps with a 240 grain cast bullet from the 7 inch barrel.
The iron sights of the 1879 are near duplicates of the sights on the M 1850. The 1879 has mechanical accuracy comparable to good modern revolvers with good ammunition.
The front sight of the 1879. It still has the cannon ring to protect the muzzle.
Here is the rear sight of the 1879. It is the same small v-notch as filed in the rear of the 1850.
The 1879 Reichsrevolver is a fine example of German craftsmanship. It fires a powerful and accurate cartridge. It is tough and reliable. It used real German steel when Colt was still using iron for their revolver frames. Colt switched to steel in 1883, according to Grok. The 1879 was quickly supplanted by a lighter version with a better grip and a 4 5/8 inch barrel, in 1883. Both Reichsrevolvers are reported to have had good reputations in the German military. The German Luger and the 9x19mm cartridge were officially adopted in 1908. The Reichsrevolvers served in the reserves and with second tier troops, reportedly into WWII. The 9x19 Luger cartridge became a world standard.
In the black powder era of 1879, the .44 Russian/10.6x25 German was a world standard. It was known as an extremely accurate cartridge. It paved the way, with its inside lubricated bullet, for most modern cartridges. In hindsight, the double action/single action revolver was the wave of the future. It did not seem so to the German Commission which selected a new handgun in 1879.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
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