The Model 1879 Deutsche Armeerevolver was the first standard, cartridge-firing handgun adopted by the German army. It was a single-action design in which spent cartridge cases were ejected with a rod carried separately, and it featured a distinctive muzzle ring that protected the muzzle from damage.

In 1871, the Prussian army was the top dog among European military powers. In the previous seven years, it had fought and won wars against Denmark (1864), the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1866), and France (1870-71). Her victories were due in great part to the Preußische-Zündnadel-Gewehre M.41 and M.62, also known as the Dreyse Needle Rifle, helped in no small part by Prussian planning, tactics, efficiency, and morale. No sooner had victory over France been achieved than Germany adopted a state-of-the-art rifle, Paul Mauser's Infanterie-Gewehr M.71.

But the German army clung to the traditions of the arme blanc for its mounted units, of whom, most were equipped with swords and lances. In the German army, handguns were issued sparingly to enlisted personnel, and officers desiring a weapon other than their saber usually purchased whatever struck their fancy. Prussian efficiency was affronted by such confusion, and the Gewehr-Prufungs Kommission (the Spandau arsenal rifle testing commission, or GPK) was ordered to find or design a suitable revolver.

Unlike American and British contemporaries who viewed the handgun as a true fighting weapon, European officers tended to view it as a badge of rank or authority, or in a worst-case scenario, as a last-ditch weapon that would most likely only be used to fire one or two desperate shots. The revolver developed by the GPK attempted to combine all of these concepts.

By 1879, the GPK presented its creation for approval. At first glance, one could be forgiven for thinking that the Modell 1879 Deutsche Armeerevolver is a big handgun because it is a big handgun. As a comparison, while it weighed approximately the same, it was more than an inch longer than a Colt Single Action Army revolver and 21/2 inches longer than a Webley Mark IV. But to the Germanic mind, the Model 1879 possessed the two primary characteristics of a military weapon: simplicity and ruggedness.

Model 1879 revolvers were built around a frame that included a hexagonal extension with a generously deep socket into which the barrel was screwed. The barrel featured a muzzle ring called mundungswulst, or "fat mouth," which protected the crown from damage.

The solid frame included the grip strap with an integral butt cap that was fitted with a large lanyard ring. A single-action (SA) lockwork mechanism of extremely simple design and rugged construction were used. The design featured a heavy hammer and a strong mainspring guaranteed to detonate even the most recalcitrant primer. A removable sideplate permitted access to the lockwork for cleaning and repair.