The Goose
NES Member
Just acquired this yesterday. A Model 1891 KNIL (Koninklijk Nederlandsch-Indisch Leger - Royal Dutch East Indies Army) revolver in 9.4mm. These were first issued in 1895 and were still in service up into WWII and then by police departments. Evidently a lot were captured by the Japanese and used by them. A fair number were brought back by returning GI's, although there is nothing about this particular revolver that would suggest such a provenance. It was used somewhere though. This one was a real gamble for me. I got it on Gunbroker and the seller actually stated that there was pitting in virtually every square inch somewhere, but that the bore and mechanism were good. Obviously the price was commensurate with the condition. When I unwrapped it my heart sank. It not only looked terrible, but the trigger would not reset and the cylinder would barely turn.
So I took it apart.
And I mean I took this sucker apart. Whenever I do something like this my heart goes pitty pat. Will I be able to get it back together??? The photo shows the parts after an initial cleaning. The thing was absolutely clogged with black 125 year old grease and gunk. The cylinder chambers were half constricted. The reason that the trigger would not return was not a weak spring, but just crud buildup. As I cleaned it up here is what I discovered. The bore is actually very good as are the cylinder chambers. The actual components and guts are all in good shape. No rust or corrosion. I cleaned everything several times. Then I took a Dremel and lightly polished all of the moving parts so they were completely free of any debris and were smooth. I oiled it all up and re-assembled it (quite easily). It functions perfectly. Tight lock up and mechanically sound with a great bore
I already load for two old Dutch revolvers chambered in 9.4mm. However, this model takes a longer case designed to hold more powder and accommodate a heavier bullet. The original round although a service round was also issued to tax collectors, postal employees and law enforcement. In the Colonial East Indies the Dutch ran into stiffer opponents then errant tax evaders and aggressive dogs hence the larger case. I slugged the bore and the groove diameter is .380 the same as the other two. Much like a .38 in a .357 I think I could shoot the shorter cases without issue, however I will still make up a correct batch. Black powder only.
So I took it apart.
And I mean I took this sucker apart. Whenever I do something like this my heart goes pitty pat. Will I be able to get it back together??? The photo shows the parts after an initial cleaning. The thing was absolutely clogged with black 125 year old grease and gunk. The cylinder chambers were half constricted. The reason that the trigger would not return was not a weak spring, but just crud buildup. As I cleaned it up here is what I discovered. The bore is actually very good as are the cylinder chambers. The actual components and guts are all in good shape. No rust or corrosion. I cleaned everything several times. Then I took a Dremel and lightly polished all of the moving parts so they were completely free of any debris and were smooth. I oiled it all up and re-assembled it (quite easily). It functions perfectly. Tight lock up and mechanically sound with a great bore
I already load for two old Dutch revolvers chambered in 9.4mm. However, this model takes a longer case designed to hold more powder and accommodate a heavier bullet. The original round although a service round was also issued to tax collectors, postal employees and law enforcement. In the Colonial East Indies the Dutch ran into stiffer opponents then errant tax evaders and aggressive dogs hence the larger case. I slugged the bore and the groove diameter is .380 the same as the other two. Much like a .38 in a .357 I think I could shoot the shorter cases without issue, however I will still make up a correct batch. Black powder only.
