Shooting the Black Powder Pistol Part 5


by Chris Risebrook


A slight diversion this month into the rather murky and misunderstood world of pinfires. They all used black powder, so although they are breech loading, they qualify. Often seen as an anachronism or dead end, the pinfire was, along with such other oddities as the teat-fire and mule-ear, a stepping stone towards the rimfire cartridge. Once the percussion cap had been standardised, everyone was trying to think up ways to use it in a breech loading weapon. The idea of the pinfire was the brainchild of Casimir LeFaucheaux (1802-1852) which he patented in 1833. Initially, it consisted of a rolled paper case with a metal head and - apart from the protruding pin, was almost identical to today’s shotgun cartridges. It was used in a break barrel shotgun which was the forerunner of the modern shotgun. Although adapted to pistols and rifles, it was really at its best in shotguns. I recall in the 1980s a Sussex gunshop was still reloading pinfire


shotgun cartridges for customers, and for all I know may well still be doing so. Certainly, empty cases for both pistol and shotgun are still made, and 16bore cartridges of recent manufacture by Fiocchi are frequently encountered. Some seven years before Houllier’s improvement, Le Page (copies of whose target pecussion pistols are extremely popular) introduced a not dissimilar cartridge in which both the copper cap and the anvil protruded from the base (presumably akin to the Sharps mule-ear cartridge). Casimir’s son Eugene (1833-92) patented an improved design in 1854.The French government carried out extensive trials of weapons in the Crimean War and a 12mm revolver was adopted by the French Navy in 1856 and became the Navy Revolver Model 1858, an example of which is shown in photo 1. This was a particularly successful design and was used by the armed forces of France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Although


produced in America, both


sides


Jackson carried a LeFaucheaux.


never used


imported weapo during the Civil Was and General


“Stonewall” The


revolver in photo 1 is in excellent condition, and has seen little use. The hooked trigger guard, whilst pretty, actually gets in the way,


and Pic 1 30 Target Shooter some


revolvers are found with rounded guards. Far more popular were the small folding trigger revolvers, usually of


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