Italian Bodeo M1889 Revolver
Calibre: 10.35
Date: 1902
Serial No 33115
Price: £375 - Commission Sale

Very Rare Israeli Issue

The Bodeo Model 1889 revolver (Italian: Pistola a Rotazione, Sistema Bodeo, Modello 1889) was named after the head of the Italian firearm commission, Carlo Bodeo.

It was produced by a wide variety of manufacturers between 1889 and 1931.
The Bodeo was used by the Royal Italian Army in World War I, the Interwar Italian colonial wars, and World WarII.

The Bodeo comes in two distinct varieties with only superficial weapons differences.

A round-barreled version designed with a trigger guard, and an octagonal-barreled version with a folding trigger. The octagonal-barreled version was produced for rank and file Italian soldiers, while the round-barreled version was produced for non-commissioned officers and field officers.

The Bodeo became the standard service revolver of the Italian Army, It remained the principle handgun of the Italian Army until it was increasingly supplanted by the Glisenti Model 1910. The revolver was never declared obsolete and remained as a reserve weapon until the end of World War II. The Italian manufacturers identified with the production of the Bodeo include: Societa Siderurgica Glisenti, Castelli of Brescia, Metallurgica Bresciana, and Vincenzo Bernardelli of Gardone Val Trompia.

During World War II, the Wehrmacht used these as secondary issue pistols

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Early Israeli Arms
In 1946, Ben-Gurion decided that the Yishuv would probably have to defend itself against both the Palestinian Arabs and neighbouring Arab states and
accordingly began a "massive, covert arms acquisition campaign in the West".

The Yishuv managed to clandestinely amass arms and military equipment abroad for transfer to Palestine once the British blockade was lifted. In the United States, Yishuv agents purchased three Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, one of which bombed Cairo in July 1948, some Curtiss C-46 Commando transport planes, and dozens of half-tracks, which were repainted and defined as "agricultural equipment". In Western Europe, Haganah agents amassed fifty 65mm French mountain guns, twelve 120mm mortars, ten H-35 light tanks, and a large number of half-tracks. By mid-May or thereabouts the Yishuv had purchased from Czechoslovakia 25 Avia S-199 fighters (an inferior version of the Messerschmitt Bf 109), 200 heavy machine guns, 5,021 light machine guns, 24,500 rifles & pistols, and 52 million rounds of ammunition, enough to equip all units, but short of heavy arms. The airborne arms smuggling missions from Czechoslovakia were codenamed Operation Balak.
The airborne smuggling missions were carried out by mostly American aviators – Jews and non-Jews – led by ex-U.S. Air Transport Command flight engineer
Al Schwimmer.

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This example has been in Isareli service and would of been part of the early covert Israeli arms aqusitions descibed above.

It hase been held many years by the same collector of Israeli arms, and has a Proof House Certificate; because one of the chambers has some damage
declaring it must not be shot.

The markings make this a unique pistol & worthy of continued preservation

Dated 1902 - Section 7.1 / Section 5