Any markings on the gun?

It looks Chamelot Delvigne-ish, but it's hard to tell from the pic.

hey Mike I have not seen it yet and she has been sent to a nursing home for a short time. I've asked her but I don't think she can see that good.

I don't think I have ever seen one like that.

It's pretty definitely French (or a Spanish copy of a French revolver).
It seems to me to be a smaller-caliber version of the French M1874 service revolver, so Mike Barham is probably correct.
It'd be nice to know with which military the deceased man saw service, and where, and his rank. It'd also be nice to know the pistol's approximate caliber, bearing in mind that that of the French M1874 was 11mm (.43).

It appears to resemble some of the Swiss designs by Rudolf Schmidt, which were reworks of some of the original designs discussed above. Perhaps a commercial model?

http://www.swissrifles.com/pistols/

(photos at above link)

"In 1871 the Swiss began looking for a replacement for their muzzle loading pistols. During their trials, they examined pistols from Galand (a French design), Smith & Wesson (an American design), and Chamelot & Delvinge (a Belgium design). Each design was then modified by Major (later promoted to Colonel) Rudolf Schmidt and tested at the Thun Arsenal. In the end the modified Chamelot & Delvinge design won. 900 Model 72s were produced in Belgium, and were amongst the last Swiss designed, foreign produced weapons ever purchased by the Swiss. While the 1872 was originally designed to fire rimfire ammunition, nearly all of the revolvers were converted to fire centerfire ammunition. The converted revolvers were re-designated Model 1872/78s."

The flat-faced, square-cornered front of the frame is what I can't find in any other revolver photos on the web. Some references state that the Swiss models were originally rimfires, and virtually all were eventually converted to centerfire. Maybe this is an original rimfire?

The flat-front frame and rebated cylinder don't match any of the Swiss-pistol photos. Also, the ejection-rod attachment is somewhat different, and closer to the French model.
More likely a commercial version; maybe Belgian then, if not French.
Maybe a Swiss officer's private purchase?
Have you any way to get closer to it, spacedoggy? Read the markings on it, and post them here. Cock the hammer to see if it's a rimfire.

The name Peiper(?) comes to mind, as does Nambu. I think it is of Belgian design, made under license by several European makers.

Seems the Japanese had an 8mm revolver of this type.

Bob Wright

Took another look. Rule out Nambu.