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 Influencer X Web
Gotw Influencer X Web

Gun Of The Week: EAA Corp. Girsan Influencer X

We're on the range with an M1911 that is one of the smoothest-shooting versions we’ve shot in recent memory. And best of all? It’s incredibly affordable, to boot. This is the EAA Girsan Influencer X.

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 8, 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.

Hopkins & Allen: The Armsmaking Giant That Didn't Survive

Founded in 1868 in the northeast U.S., Hopkins & Allen grew from a friendly business venture into a prolific maker of affordable guns for brand names such as Merwin & Hulbert and Forehand & Wadsworth.

Burris Optics Celebrates 50 Years Of Fullfield Riflescopes

Firearms and ammunition ballistics have changed greatly over the last half-century, but one of the biggest leaps in performance hit the scene five decades ago, when Burris Optics introduced its Fullfield line of riflesopes.

I Have This Old Gun: Heckler & Koch P7

In the mid-1970s, the German federal police sought a replacement for its existing World War II-era sidearms and put out stringent guidelines for what it wanted in a handgun. The result was the Heckler & Koch P7.

New For 2025: Smith & Wesson Shield X

Smith & Wesson's new Shield X micro-compact handgun combines elements from the company's M&P Shield Plus with some cues from its smaller Bodyguard 2.0 design.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.