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- Robert E. Petersen Collection
- Ancient Firearms
- The Road to American Liberty
- Seeds of Greatness
- The Prospering New Republic
- A Nation Asunder
- The American West
- Innovation, Oddities and Competition
- Theodore Roosevelt, Elegant Arms
- World War I and Firearms Innovation
- WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Beyond
- For the Fun of It
- Firearms Traditions for Today
- William B. Ruger Special Exhibits
- Freedom's Doorway
LeFaucheux Revolver
Many Belgian and French firms were licensed by LeFaucheaux to produce pinfire revolvers. These arms were the only non-percussion revolvers purchased for issue by either side during the Civil War. In addition, the LeFaucheux was the first sidearm issued by the U.S. Army that used internally-primed ammunition.
The Lefaucheux name is best known to students of history for the
revolver of American Civil War-era fame, but the contributions of
this father and son duo to firearms and cartridge design go well
beyond this single distinction. In 1832, French gunsmith Casimir
Lefaucheux patented a pinfire cartridge which featured a cardboard
body with a brass base that expanded under pressure when the
cartridge was fired, thus creating an effective gas seal. In
addition to paving the way for breech-loading arms, this discovery
made possible more powerful ammunition in smaller calibers than
that typically seen up to that time. Lefaucheux later designed a
breech-loading pepperbox pistol that took advantage of his
cartridge design, and followed this with a breech-loading sporting
rifle that featured drop-down barrels.
Although sharing the spotlight with other noted armsmakers
including Samuel Colt, Lefaucheux arms found favor with the
visiting public at the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition in London.
The pinfire cartridge was later improved by the invention of the
metallic case and rimfire priming system, both of which were
products of Lefaucheux's countrymen and competitors. In 1854,
Casimir's son, Eugene Gabriel Lefaucheux, patented a simple and
inexpensive yet reliable 12 mm caliber single-action breech-loading
pinfire revolver. Within a few years, these arms had been adopted
by military forces in France, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and
Romania. Armsmakers in Belgium, Germany, and Austria also began to
manufacture pinfire revolvers based on Lefaucheux's
design.
In 1857, U.S. Army ordnance officers tested the Lefaucheux
revolver, and although they were impressed with its accuracy and
reliability, none were purchased. At the outbreak of war in 1861,
both the Federal and Confederate governments looked to Europe to
supplement insufficient arms inventories, and approximately 14,000
Lefaucheux revolvers were purchased at a cost ranging from $12.50
to $20.04 each. Of these, 12,000 found their way into Union service
with known serial numbers in the 25,000 to 37,000
range.
The Lefaucheux pinfire design was not met with enthusiasm on this
side of the Atlantic, with most soldiers preferring the percussion
revolvers of Colt, Remington, Starr, and other makers to the French
arms. Aside from their range and power, ammunition for these was
readily available, while the unique Lefaucheux ammunition was not.
In addition, the pinfire cartridges could be accidentally
discharged by bumping the pin, even if the cartridge was in a
pocket or pouch rather than in the chamber of the revolver. In
addition to these drawbacks, the Lefaucheux was far less robust
than American revolvers of the time.
Consequently, they were not able to stand up to the rigors
associated with combat use, and many were disabled due to worn,
bent, or broken parts. Some of these deficiencies were later
corrected, but the improvements came too late to have much benefit
for Union and Confederate soldiers. While a few of these pistols
went home with returning troops after the war, most were sold as
surplus. None were retained for military use.