Lefaucheux M1853 Pinfire
Lefaucheux · Revolver · Out Of Production · 1853
Also known as: Lefaucheux Pattern Pinfire Revolver, 7mm Pinfire Pocket Revolver, Lefaucheux M1853
Overview
The Lefaucheux M1853 Pinfire is a small-frame, open-frame revolver built on the pinfire system pioneered by Casimir Lefaucheux, here chambered for the diminutive 7mm pinfire cartridge. Most often a double-action pocket pattern with a folding trigger and short octagonal or round barrel, it was produced in large numbers by the French and Liege (Belgian) gun trades from the 1850s onward as an affordable concealable self-defense arm. The same M1853 lineage also encompassed the larger 12mm military revolvers imported in quantity into the United States during the American Civil War.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 420 g (14.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 200 mm (7.87") |
| Barrel Length | 80 mm (3.15") |
| Action Type | Double Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 180 m/s (591 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 52 J (38 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 15 m (16 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7mm Pinfire · primary — also known as 7mm Lefaucheux, 7mm Pinfire (7mm PF), 7x17mmR Lefaucheux
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Revolving Cylinder
- Features: Open Frame, Pinfire Cartridge, Folding Trigger, Loading Gate, Ejector Rod
Service history
Operators
- Civilian
- Union Army
- Confederate States Army
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Production years: 1853-1877
Made in enormous numbers across France and the Liege (Belgian) gun trade; exact totals for the 7mm pocket pattern are unrecorded.
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Casimir Lefaucheux
Notes
The M1853 designation covers a family of Lefaucheux-pattern pinfire revolvers built in 7mm, 9mm and 12mm. The 7mm pocket guns were typically double-action with a folding trigger and no trigger guard; the 12mm Army pattern was single-action with a spurred trigger guard. Vast numbers were made by the Liege trade in Belgium with Liege proofs (circa 1853-1877).
Background
Compact 7mm pinfire revolvers on the Lefaucheux pattern were among the most common pocket sidearms of mid-19th-century Europe, cheap enough to be carried by tradesmen, travelers and officers alike, and crossed the Atlantic to see informal use during the American Civil War.