In the gunsmoke-filled world of 1860s Paris, as firearms technology was experiencing a revolution with the widespread adoption of breechloading weapons and self-contained cartridges, a determined inventor named Eugène Pertuiset was about to make his mark on history. The French capital was then the epicenter of firearms innovation – where revolutionary designs like the Lefaucheux pinfire system and the new Chassepot military rifle were transforming the possibilities of what guns could achieve. It was in this atmosphere of rapid technological change that Pertuiset would develop one of the most innovative – and controversial – ammunition advances of the 19th century.
Reading time: 19 min