In the late 1800s, a legal battle erupted between two ammunition giants, the Union Metallic Cartridge Company and the United States Cartridge Company, over the technology used to manufacture cartridge shells. The case, which wound its way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, offers a revealing glimpse into the early American patent system and the fierce competition in the rapidly industrializing arms industry.

At the heart of the dispute was a patent granted to Ethan Allen in 1860 (reissued in 1865) for a machine that could form the hollow rim of a cartridge shell in a single stroke, a significant improvement over prior methods that required multiple spinning operations. The Union Metallic Cartridge Company, having acquired rights to Allen’s patent, sued the United States Cartridge Company for infringement.

These cartridges, with their distinctive recessed rims, were the key product Allen’s machine was designed to produce efficiently. Forming this critical feature in one step was a major breakthrough.

In the tapestry of American firearms history, few threads are as colorful and as intertwined with the fabric of innovation as the story of Charles Edward Sneider and his journey with the pinfire system. This article ventures into the heart of 19th-century America, a time of rapid technological advancement and societal change, to explore the pivotal role played by Sneider, a Baltimore-based gun maker of remarkable skill and vision. Through the lens of Sneider’s life and legacy, we delve into the symbiotic relationship between the burgeoning United States and the innovative pinfire system, uncovering the profound impact of his work on the course of firearms development.

In 1837, the U.S. military tested several innovative new firearm designs in a series of trials at West Point and Fort Monroe. These included early breech-loading rifles designed to improve on the standard muzzle-loading muskets and rifles used by the Army at the time. The tests provide an intriguing look at the state of firearms technology in the 1830s as inventors sought to harness new percussion cap and self-contained cartridge systems.

One of the most advanced rifles assessed was a 1831 French design by Joseph Alexandre Robert, presented by Baron Charles Hackett. Robert’s rifle used a rear-pivoting breechblock to allow a paper cartridge with percussion tube primer to be loaded from the rear. This breech-loading system gave it a major advantage in rate of fire over muzzle-loaders. In testing, Robert’s rifle achieved around 5 shots per minute, similar to the rate for Hall’s breech-loader and far faster than the 3 shots per minute of the standard U.S. musket.

The Beginnings of Gustav Bloem

In the heart of Rhenish Prussia in the city of Wesel, Gustav Bloem was born on March 18, 1821. From an early age, Gustav had a knack for industry and mass production, working at a button factory in Lüdenscheid. It was here where he first fell in love with the world of machinery and developed an interest in explosives.

By 1848, Bloem had taken a daring step into the world of ammunition. With the help of his chemist friend Friedrich Nebe, he opened a small primer factory in Derendorf. However, Bloem’s dreams seemed to shatter just nine months later when an explosion leveled his factory. Despite this, he was far from giving up.

The world of firearms has a fascinating history, with many twists and turns. One such exciting era involves the early pistols made by Casimir Lefaucheux. Recent discoveries of some of his rare firearms have sparked curiosity about the relationship between Lefaucheux and another inventor, Béatus Béringer. In this article, we’ll take a look at the story behind these two inventors and the intriguing features of their early pistols.

A Lucky Find: Lefaucheux’s Early Pinfire Pistols

Nathan Russell Davis, known as N.R. Davis, was a pioneer in the American firearm industry. Born in 1828, he established N.R. Davis & Sons, a company that would leave a lasting mark on the firearm manufacturing landscape. From its humble beginnings in a small shop in Assonet, Massachusetts, to its evolution into a respected firearm manufacturer, the company’s history is a testament to Davis’s vision and resilience. This article delves into the early years of N.R. Davis’s companies, highlighting their innovative contributions such as a unique pinfire shotgun, and the company’s enduring legacy.

Discover Our Digital Collection; Coming Soon at Lefaucheux.com

Welcome to The Lefaucheux Museum, a dedicated online space celebrating the extraordinary history and craftsmanship of the Lefaucheux family. Immerse yourself in a rich digital experience that showcases an extensive collection of Lefaucheux artifacts, including firearms, original documents, and personal memorabilia.

The 19th century was a time of great change, as the world transitioned from agrarian societies to industrialized nations. Despite these changes, one thing remained constant: the deep and abiding bond between humans, their firearms, and their dogs. This bond is evident in a series of fascinating photographs from the 19th century, which showcase people from all walks of life posing with their pinfire shotguns and their loyal canine companions. From hunters to farmers, from kids to couples, these portraits offer a glimpse into a world where the relationship between a person, their weapon, and their dog was seen as an essential part of daily life. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at these intriguing images and the stories they tell about the relationships between humans, their firearms, and their furry friends.

Ready for the Hunt

The first two portraits depict men preparing for a hunting excursion. Dressed in traditional hunting attire and armed with Lefaucheux pinfire shotguns, they stand ready with their trusty canine companions by their side. These hunting dogs, eager for action, seem to anticipate the thrill of the chase that awaits them in the field.

Dellazoppa Frères was a hardware trading company that was founded in Paris, France in 1871 by François and Jean Dellazoppa. The company operated in Paris, Buenos Aires, and Brussels during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and produced a range of hardware and related products including metallic ammunition such as pinfire cartridges.

The Hausbieble, also known as the “House Bible,” was a collection of three German-language Bibles printed in America by the Saur family in the 1740s-1770s. As the first European-language Bibles to be printed in America, the Hausbieble was important in helping German immigrants preserve their cultural heritage in the New World. Additionally, it played a role in the American Revolutionary War, as British soldiers used its pages to make paper cartridges.

The pinfire system marked a turning point in firearms technology, enhancing safety and reliability. But what is the pinfire system, and why was it invented? Let’s explore its origins and historical significance.

What Is the Pinfire System?

The pinfire system, invented by French gunsmith Casimir Lefaucheux in the early 19th century, introduced a new type of cartridge and firing mechanism for firearms. Distinctively, this system used a small pin protruding from the side of the cartridge. When the firearm’s hammer struck the pin, it ignited the gunpowder, firing the bullet. This innovative approach was a marked improvement over previous firearms, which relied on loose gunpowder and separate ignition devices such as flintlocks or percussion caps.

Lefaucheux, a well-respected inventor in firearms technology, made several key contributions to the field, with the pinfire system being one of his most notable. After patenting the system in France in 1835, it quickly gained popularity and adoption by gun manufacturers globally.

H. H. Schleber & Co of Rochester, New York was a manufacturer of thread-wound shot concentrators that would allow hunters to shoot ducks, geese, turkeys, foxes and other animals that were difficult to get close to, from further away.

There were many shot concentrator patents around the world and they all aimed to keep the loose shot, fired from a shotgun, together longer before it started spreading out. Modern guns and even some guns during this time period, use a method called choke-boring that tapers down the muzzle-end of the barrel to achieve similar results.

Schleber’s patented, thread-wound shot cartridges were designed to hold lead shot inside two tin half cylinders that were held together by thread that would unwind in flight after it was fired. After the thread completely unwound it would release the shot. They were wrapped with varying length of thread that corresponded to how many yards away the target was that you wanted to shoot. Some early reviews of the system noted that the hunter would need to be good at judging the distance needed in order to correctly choose the right cartridge; especially since at closer distances it would be a large solid projectile until it fully unwound.

A lark mirror, known in French as le miroir à alouettes, was a tool to help hunters entice small songbirds to their location so they could be harvested.

In 1680, an early French dictionary referred to these mirrors for catching larks and ortolans. It defined them as:

A piece of wood carved into an arch where there are several notches which small mirrors are glued & which is supported by a peg in the middle of which there is a hole to put a string in order to make this mirror turn, that is driven into the ground between two sheets to catch ortolans & mainly larks.

Ortolan Bunting

These small songbirds were considered to be a delicacy and were cooked and eaten whole, in one large bite; head, bones and all. Ortolans were the most coveted and eating them has been represented in paintings and media over the centuries as a gluttonous, almost shameful act. Modern, French preparation of this delicacy would make the use of ortolans that were captured alive and blinded or kept in dark cages where they were force fed until they were twice their normal size. They were then drowned and roasted in Armagnac, a type of Brandy from the Armagnac region in southwest France.

I recently picked up a Robert rifle and of course had to find as many books with original source documentation in them as I could. The first and most unique is from a small book with 143 pages written by the Count of Langel that focuses on various topics relevant to hunters in the 1830s.

I have not come across many advertising posters like this that mention pinfire cartridges so I jumped at the chance to buy this one when it came up for auction. This early color lithograph was printed between 1885 and 1889 and was likely provided to various gunmakers and ironmongers who sold Eley cartridges to the public.

It would have functioned as both an in-store advertisement as well as a quick reference guide to the various types of cartridges and accessories that Eley manufactured, as shown when turning it over.