Rifleman Q&A: Pinfire Firing System Explanation

posted on November 8, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
pinfire.jpg

Q: I was given a handgun by my father who received it from a returning soldier roughly 70 years ago. The firing system is unusual, and I believe it is called a “pinfire.” Can you give me some information about this system? There isn’t much out there regarding this metallic cartridge system.

A: The pinfire system was one of the earliest metallic cartridges to be made and was a great improvement over the loose powder, percussion cap and separate ball used earlier. It is called “pinfire” because the charge was fired by the hammer striking a pin in the side of the cartridge that was placed above the percussion material, which would explode and ignite the powder.

The pinfire system was invented by Casimir Lefaucheux around 1830 and then significantly improved by his son, Eugene, in 1854. A great many arms were made using the system, with manufacture occurring in several countries. The manufacturers of these pistols can only rarely be identified with any certainty, and without markings it is impossible to say even the country in which your pistol was made. However, most examples we find today are believed to have been made in Belgium, which had a very large “cottage” gunmaking industry.

The best English-language source on these revolvers is Chris C. Curtis’ book, "Systeme Lefaucheux," which is a 2002 version of a work he first published in 1983. Several countries used these pistols for arming their military forces, and even the United States bought over 10,000 pinfire revolvers early in the Civil War.

Latest

Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web
Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web

Gun Of The Week: Wilson Combat Division 77 Project 1

Join American Rifleman staff on the range in this video to get a closer look at Wilson Combat’s somewhat cryptically named “Division 77 Project 1.” 

The Armed Citizen® July 18, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Review: POF-USA LMR BASE Rifle

The Patriot Ordnance Factory LMR Base offers a .308 Win. chambering in a lightweight, AR-15-size package, which makes it a capable platform for today's new gun owner. And it comes at a fair price.

2025 Accessory Of The Year: Wyoming Sight Drifter

For each of the past 23 years, the editors of American Rifleman have convened to select our top picks for the past year’s best and most innovative products. Here are the most recent winners.

Henry Donates Rifles To Support Young Leukemia Victim

Henry Repeating Arms has donated a limited run of 50 “Team Keane” Golden Boy .22 lever-action rifles to support 13-year-old Keane Rhodes of Universal City, Texas, who is currently undergoing aggressive treatment for ALL T-cell leukemia.

Rifleman Review: Springfield Armory Echelon

Springfield Armory introduced its Echelon in 2023, bringing a modernized, chassis-style, striker-fired handgun to the market that has since seen several notable line extensions.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.