Lefaucheux-System Pinfire Revolver
Lefaucheux · Revolver · Out Of Production · 1854
Also known as: Pinfire Revolver, Lefaucheux Pinfire, Revolver à broche
Overview
A generic Lefaucheux-system pinfire revolver, representing the broad class of mid-to-late-19th-century European pocket and service revolvers built around Casimir Lefaucheux's pinfire cartridge. The hammer strikes a small pin protruding from the cartridge case to ignite the priming compound. Typically a six-shot single-action design with a loading gate and ejector rod, these revolvers were mass-produced in France and Belgium (notably Liege) in chamberings such as 7mm and 9mm pinfire.
Specifications
| Firing Mechanism | Single Action |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Revolving Cylinder |
| 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 à broche
- 9mm Pinfire — also known as 9mm Lefaucheux, 9mm à broche
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Revolving Cylinder
- Features: Pinfire Cartridge Ignition, Revolving Cylinder, Loading Gate, Ejector Rod, Self Contained Metallic Cartridge
Service history
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
- Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)
Production
Production years: 1854-1900
Produced in very large numbers across many French and Belgian makers; no single reliable total exists for the pinfire-revolver class as a whole
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Casimir Lefaucheux
Discontinued: 1900
Notes
This is a representative generic entry for the wider pinfire-revolver class rather than a single catalogued model; specific named Lefaucheux models (M1854, M1858) are recorded separately. Dimensions varied widely by maker and barrel length. Pinfire ammunition is obsolete and the system was largely superseded by centerfire by the 1880s.
Background
The pinfire was the first commercially successful self-contained metallic revolver cartridge, predating both rimfire and centerfire. A small pin sticking out of each cartridge had to be aligned upward when loading, and a careless knock on the protruding pin could fire the round outside the gun.