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Aaron Newcomer -
  • Ammunition Articles
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  • Pinfire Guns for Sale
Ammunition Articles
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Pinfire Ammo for Sale
Pinfire Guns for Sale

Article about Lefaucheux

Immerse yourself in the captivating world of Lefaucheux with articles that delve into the extraordinary history and craftsmanship of the Lefaucheux family. These posts explore their innovative firearm designs, engineering marvels, and the lasting impact they have had on the world of firearms. From the intricate mechanisms of their signature guns to their contributions in shaping the industry, these articles offer insights into the remarkable legacy of the Lefaucheux family and the innovations that continue to inspire future generations

Guns, Lefaucheux

The Lefaucheux-Béringer Connection: Uncovering the Secrets of Early Pistols and Cartridges

July 7, 2023 by Aaron Newcomer 4 Comments

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

Lefaucheux pistol
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Reading time: 6 min
Ammunition, Lefaucheux

Loading and Reloading Pinfire Shotshells; and an Original Patent Manuscript by Casimir Lefaucheux

July 30, 2022 by Aaron Newcomer 2 Comments
Casimir Lefaucheux Patent Manuscript

Here is a patent manuscript by Casimir Lefaucheux. It is French patent number 8955 from 1850. It describes a reusable pinfire shotshell that has a base that unscrews to allow easy reloading. It also pictures a tool to extract the shell from the gun and unscrew it.

By 1850, pinfire shotshells had been on the market for 15 years and people were familiar with these new breech-loading guns. But they were still more expensive than buying a percussion cap and powder used by a muzzle-loading, percussion gun. Shotshells that were able to be reloaded was one solution to this issue. And many manufacturers made metallic shotshells that could be reloaded many times.

Metallic Pinfire Shotshells
Metal Pinfire Shotshells from Author’s Collection
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Reading time: 6 min
Guns, Lefaucheux

A Matched Pair of Early Pinfire Pistols designed by Casimir Lefaucheux

January 8, 2022 by Aaron Newcomer 2 Comments
Casimir Lefaucheux Pistols

I recently picked up this pair of pinfire pistols designed by Casimir Lefaucheux. I had never seen examples quite like them before and was really excited to get them in. Casimir Lefaucheux was making pistols from the time he took over the Pauly company in 1827 as shown in our recent post on the topic. But these early pistols were much larger and bulkier. In 1833, Lefaucheux was issued a new patent for his fusil à charnière, or hinged gun.

Le Constitutionnel, 29 avril 1833
Le Constitutionnel, 29 April 1833

He advertised and promoted the fact that these pistols and rifles were easier to use and safer and better in every way than his earlier Pauly guns, and especially better than other percussion guns of the day. They could shoot 500 rounds without cleaning or even wiping down which was unheard of for typical percussion guns that loaded from the muzzle. Lefaucheux also emphasized that they were easier to take apart and maintain by the average person.

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Reading time: 3 min
Guns, Lefaucheux

Finding Lefaucheux on my Trip to Paris!

October 4, 2021 by Aaron Newcomer 12 Comments

I recently took a trip to Germany and France with my wife and I took the opportunity to trace down some Lefaucheux and pinfire related things!

The trip started with a visit to the European Cartridge Research Association international show in Aerzen, Germany where I was able to meet some friends who I had previously only conversed with online and others who I had not seen for a couple years due to COVID. We stayed at a fancy castle and really enjoyed the pristine landscape and atmosphere of the area.

I was able to pick up some great cartridges for my collection including a 13x52R Pinfire carbine cartridge made by the Ottoman Empire. It dates to around the 1880s and was probably made in the Tophane Factory in Constantinople. The headstamp is a tughra (a calligraphic signature of the Ottoman Sultans). This particular one should be of “His Imperial Majesty, The Sultan Abdülhamid II, Emperor of the Ottomans, Caliph of the Faithful” who reigned over the Ottoman Empire from 31 August 1876 – 27 April 1909. It is possible it was made during the time of the prior Sultan as well.

I also picked up a 28g cartridge made for a Czech military pistol made by Anton Vincenz Lebeda that was issued to cavalry officers as well as a 4g Eley pinfire shotshell.

But the highlight would have to be a Pichereau-patented percussion nipple used on his Pauly system rifles. These were also used on the first rifles Lefaucheux made after buying the company from Pichereau.

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Reading time: 6 min
Editor's choice, Guns, Lefaucheux

Casimir Lefaucheux’s first pistol and the death of Pauly’s Cartridge System

September 11, 2021 by Aaron Newcomer 3 Comments
Casimir Lefaucheux Percussion Pistol
Casimir Lefaucheux Percussion Pistol; from Author’s collection

This story of Casimir Lefaucheux’s first pistol begins in 1812 when Jean Samuel Pauly patented an early breech-loading pistol and rifle. Casimir Lefaucheux worked as an apprentice for Pauly and began to learn the trade of gun making. There are conflicting opinions on exactly what this first gun was at this time as some modern researchers believe that much of the historical documentation is incorrect, or at least conflates Pauly’s inventions and the inventions of Pauly’s successor, Henri Roux.

What is known for sure is that around this time, Pauly created and patented a system of igniting a charge by the use of rapidly compressed air with a fire piston. It is described in a report by a French military commission on 16 July 1812. This design was also patented in England in 1814 and 1816, where Pauly moved after selling his Parisian shop.

What is contested is if this was also the design of his French patent from 22 September 1812. The patent application does not go into details on how the mechanism works and the accompanying drawings show images of a rifle and pistol that use a percussion piston to hit an early percussion compound. Early reviews of the system and the official recorded record of the patent all speak of this percussion mechanism.

Pauly Pistol
Image of Pauly Pistol assigned to the 1812 Pauly Patent by the French National Institute of Industrial Property

Some researchers think it is unlikely that Pauly created the compressed air version for the military review in 1812 and then pivoted to the percussion version in his civilian model later in 1812 and then back to the compressed air version that he patented in London.

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Reading time: 6 min
Guns, Lefaucheux

Lefaucheux Model 1859 Carbine

October 26, 2020 by Aaron Newcomer 2 Comments
Lefaucheux Model 1859 Carbine

The Lefaucheux model 1859 carbine was a small carbine Eugène Lefaucheux made with hopes to gain military acceptance. It is a very simple design with few moving parts. It only weighs 4.5 pounds and has an overall length of 3 feet 4 inches.

There are multiple variations of this gun; some with a full metal frame, some with an automatic cartridge extractor, a percussion cap version, a double barrel version, pistols, and various bores.

This example is chambered for 12mm pinfire cartridges, has a manual extractor and a solid wood stock.

top of Lefaucheux model 1859

There are two levers on the gun. The one on the right is the cocking lever and also serves as the breechblock. When you raise it it opens the breech, allowing you to insert a new pinfire cartridge or remove a spent cartridge. It also cocks the extra-long hammer. The following video and image shows how this works.

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Reading time: 4 min
Documents, Lefaucheux

Journal Des Armes Spéciales and the Battle of Robert vs Lefaucheux

July 3, 2020 by Aaron Newcomer No Comments
Journal Des Armes Spéciales 1834 - 1842
Journal Des Armes Spéciales 1834 – 1842

Journal Des Armes Spéciales was an important French technical journal about arms and armament that was published monthly on the 25th of the month from 1834 – 1870. It was an offshoot of Journal Des Sicences Militaires which started in 1825 and ran through 1914.

In 1834, Journal Des Sicences Militaires ran this article introducing Journal Des Armes Spéciales. The article is amazingly intense, aggressive, rooted in French military pride and filled with the glories of warmongering.

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Reading time: 6 min
Editor's choice, Guns, Lefaucheux

Early Lefaucheux Advertisements from the Journal Des Débats

April 17, 2020 by Aaron Newcomer No Comments
Journal Des Débats

The Journal Des Débats was an influential French newspaper that was published between 1789 and 1944. The following advertisements by Maison Lefaucheux were in various issues.

MAISON LEFAUCHEUX, 10, r. de la Bourse.
FUSILS à systéme et à percussion ordinaire.
MÉDAILLES aux Expositions de 1834 et 1839

The earliest one I have acquired so far was from the August 18, 1839 issue. It lists the address of House Lefaucheux as 10, rue de la Bourse, This is the address that Casimir Lefaucheux worked out of from 1834 – 1835 and then again from 1845 to 1850.

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Reading time: 3 min

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About me

Hello, my name is Aaron Newcomer. I am a collector and researcher of early 19th century breech-loading firearms systems, with a particular focus on the work of Jean Samuel Pauly and Casimir Lefaucheux. I collect cartridges and documents related to these types of firearms and conduct research on these topics, furthering my understanding and knowledge of these historical firearms and their place in the evolution of firearms technology. My collection and research reflect my dedication to preserving and understanding the history and technical innovations of these early firearms systems.

Read more about me and where my work has been published.

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Casimir Lefaucheux’s first pistol and the death of Pauly’s Cartridge System

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From Collector to Founder: How My Passion for Historical Documents Led to an AI Startup

From Collector to Founder: How My Passion for Historical Documents Led to an AI Startup

March 14, 2025
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The Birth of British Pinfire: Eley’s Entry into Breechloading Cartridges

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