According to an article in the October 14, 1925 issue of 'The Bismarck Tribune,' "Criminals of different nationalities use different weapons for their work." The English were said to prefer knuckle dusters while "Desperadoes of Italy prefer the stiletto, Spaniards the stiletto and knife and Americans the revolver."

"In Paris," the paper noted, "the Apache uses a knife and revolver."

The Apache street gangs of Paris relied on an extensive arsenal for their muggings and duels, including pistols, blades, and brass knuckles. What would become known as the Apache revolver combined all three into a deadly concealed weapon.

This Apache revolver in 5mm pinfire sold for $6,463 in Rock Island Auction Company's May 2025 Premier Auction.

Examples of the Apache revolver can be found in upcoming Rock Island Auction Company auction events, where hundreds of new guns are offered every few weeks.

The Apache of Paris

A June 1914, a story from the Georgia paper, 'The Dawson News,' titled 'The Haunts of the Murderous Apaches: Where Death Often Waits on Laughter and Love on Song and Lust,' described the colorful street gangs who lurked the narrow byways of the Parisian slums in the late 19th and early 20th century.

The 'Le Petit Journal' reported, "Apaches battle Paris Police on 14 August 1904." This massive brawl occured at the Place de la Bastille, turning the center of Paris into a battleground for hours.

Of the gangs he encountered in Montmartre, the author described them dressed in "a felt hat of different shape, poised at a different angle; each is darkly clothed, and each wears a broad, colored - usually red - scarf around his waist, with an accompaniment of bright yellow boots. They all smoke cigarettes."

"He is not a criminal in a common sense, nor he is a man of low character. Rather in his leisure aspects a gay, merry fellow full of laughter and jest, fond of dancing, knowing no fear, an apostle of revenge, the knife and the pistol, but not a wanton user of these things. Behind this there are stormy passions which, turning to cold blood, occasionally transform him into a cruel and callous murderer."

The Apache revolver earned its name on the streets of Paris.

This criminal subculture emerged after the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, during a period the French would later call "La Belle Époque," or "Beautiful Age." Around 1900, the press began describing the Parisian gangs as "Apache" or "Les Apache," equating them to the fierce Apache tribes of the American Southwest.

The Apache lifestyle became a frequent topic in the entertainment world, explored in film, novels, and newspapers, as well as inspiring a popular fashion trend and a dramatic dance style that found its away into numerous theatrical productions of the era.

According to American mystery writer Arthur B. Reeve, many of these notorious Parisian rogues favored "aristocratic little Apache pistols that one can carry in his vest pocket and hide in his hand."

The Dolne revolver became the signature weapon of the Apaches.

The Apache Revolver

Louis Dolne, who went by Louis Dolne-Bar in official records of the era, produced firearms in Belgium during the 1860s and 1870s. Dolne was registered at the proofhouse in Liège from 1873 to 1881 and was established in Rue Stéphany, one of the city's most important industrial hubs.

Dolne filed several Belgian patents for a concealed combination revolver, including 026836 on 30 December 1869 and 027218 on March 31, 1870. The design that would later become known as the Apache revolver combined a folding dagger, a set of brass knuckles, and a pepperbox style double action revolver in a compact unit that could be folded together and easily fit in a pocket.

Most specimens of the Apache revolver are marked as being the invention of L. Dolne.

Dolne's revolver has received numerous designations over the years. Some referred to it as the "daisy" since it opened up like a flower. Another prevalent nickname was the "Underworld pistol." It's association with the Apache has inspired the most common monikers, including Apache revolver, Apache palm pistol, Apache vest pocket pistol, and Apache knuckleduster.

Louis Dolne-Bar ceased production around 1881, but other Liège gunsmiths continued to manufacture the design. Estimates vary, but around 7,000 Apache revolvers were likely made in total. The design was offered in both pinfire and rimfire variations, with 7mm pinfire being the most frequently encountered, followed by 5mm pinfire. Rimfire chamberings include 22, 28, and 30.

"DOLNE-BAR/NV.BREVETE" is marked on the front sight side of the frame of this Apache revolver.

The Apache Revolver in Action

Dolne's revolver proved well-suited to the needs of the emerging criminal underclass in Paris, who targeted the bourgeois and anyone else who crossed their path on a bad day. These stylish street outcasts employed all manner of concealed weaponry, including spiked rings, pointed bracelets, and knife-canes.

The Apache also developed a style of trick fighting called the "Père François strike" that emphasized garroting techniques to approach and strangle an unsuspecting victim from behind while an accomplice completed the mugging.

The Apache revolver was one of many weapons employed by the notorious Parisian gangs.

With knuckles pulled out and locked in position, the Apache revolver became a pistol with a folding trigger and the four knuckle loops for a grip. Lacking a barrel or sights, the gun had extremely limited range and likely served more as a means to intimidate or compel compliance.

When the brass knuckles of the Apache revolver were folded down, the cylinder formed a grip for the palm while the fingers were passed through the loops. In close-combat situations where the knuckles didn't provide enough of a force multiplier, a folding dagger could be quickly deployed.

Constructed from German silver, the frame of this Apache revolver and the folding pistol grip/knuckle guard are engraved with a mix of scroll and floral patterns.

The Apache revolver blades were available in either a straight design or the wavy "flamberge." The latter Kris-style blade appears far more frequently, possibly due to a combination of its more menacing appearance, a perceived parrying advantage, and the belief that it could create more lethal wounds.

This Apache revolver chambered in 7mm pinfire sold for $8,813 in RIAC's May 2025 Premier Auction.

Apache Inspired Revolvers

Numerous weapons similar to the Apache revolver design were manufactured in the 1860s and 1870s. The Belgium produced example below has a two-shot barrel group that is manually rotated between shots, folding brass knuckles, and a 2 7/8 inch Kris-style blade on the left side. A Liege proof is marked on the barrel group, and "AISNE" is marked on the right at the front.

This Aisne two-shot percussion knuckleduster with a folding dagger sold at RIAC for $5,581 in December 2022.

Produced by an unknown manufacturer, "The True Companion" percussion knife/knuckleduster shows numerous design similarities to the Apache revolver, including a hinged grip arrangement with a set of finger holes. When opened, the True Companion is a two-shot swivel barrel percussion pistol, and when folded, it becomes a set of brass knuckles. An additional variation from the Apache design is the fixed spur trigger that permits the firing of the weapon when folded.

A "The True Companion" double shot percussion knuckleduster pistol. This example sold for $7,475 at RIAC in April 2015.

The "Sure Defender" also shares a design heritage with the Dolne Apache revolver. When opened, it is a single shot percussion pistol, and when folded, it becomes a set of brass knuckles with a swing-out dagger blade. The underhammer action operates with a steel spring mounted to the underside of the muzzle, a knurled striker, and a spring loaded folding trigger. Like "The True Companion," it is unclear which specific firm produced these weapons.

"The Sure Defender" single shot underhammer percussion pistol with an integral brass knuckles and a swing-out blade.

Age of the Apache

Reports of Parisians attacked by revolver wielding Apache gang members were frequent in the early decades of the 20th century. In December 1910, several US newspapers ran stories titled 'ALL PARIS MAY GO ARMED,' which detailed a new proposal to "arm all honest men and disarm the apaches."

Monsieur Honnorat, a Paris police chief, pointed out that even though city law forbade the carrying of arms, "every apache is armed with a revolver or two and a couple of daggers, while respectable folks as a rule go unarmed."

An engraved Dolne patent Apache revolver sold for $7,368 in RIAC's December 2023 Auction.

By 1907, 8,000 Paris officers and 1,000 inspectors were overwhelmed by the 30,000 increasingly emboldened Apache gang members. Minister of the Interior Georges Clemenceau formed the Regional Mobile Police Brigades, or "Tiger Brigades," a specialized police force trained in close combat fighting. Even this proved insufficient, and the citizens of Paris eventually began organizing its own patrols to counter the Apache menace.

Ultimately, it would take WW1 to curb the dominance of the Apache subculture as thousands of young men from the city slums were conscripted into the French Army. Post-war social and economic changes eroded the conditions that allowed the Apache to thrive, and though their numbers sharply declined, the influence of these hot-blooded hooligans left a lasting impression on popular culture that still endures today.

Films, literature, and media romanticized the rebellious allure of the Apaches.

Apache Revolver for Sale

Increasingly more available pocket pistols and revolvers like the Colt Model 1903, Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless, and Colt Detective Special offered accessible self-defense solutions on both sides of the law. Still, enough of the Apache revolvers have survived today to demonstrate the value these fascinating combination weapons carried, both in their era and today as a historic collectible.

This Apache revolver combines a DA revolving pistol with folding German silver knuckles and a 3 1/2 inch folding dagger.

The Apache revolver has only seen a few appearances in media, most notable as an inclusion in 2015's 'Assassin's Creed Syndicate' video game as the "Insidious Pistol" in the Jack The Ripper DLC and 2024's 'Furiosa' film, where the title character uses an Apache revolver to cut her hair. Original examples of this iconic weapon and its developmental siblings can be found for sale at Rock Island Auction Company.

The Apache revolver in the post-apocalyptic action film 'Furiosa' from 2024.

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Palm pistols and derringers were some of the most popular concealed carry options of the late 19th century.