Note to visitors linked from Forgotten Weapons, and everyone else too:
Much of the information in Ian’s video came from this book, but its central argument that Pauly only produced fire piston type guns is incorrect. Pauly absolutely created and patented a percussion-firing system. I have recently acquired the complete set of French military reports and memos from his 1812 to 1814 trials, and they make this beyond dispute. The book also relies on faulty translations and misinterprets evidence. For example, the firearms shown on pages 24 and 25 are cited as fire piston examples, but I have examined images of their internal mechanisms and can confirm they are percussion arms.

After Pauly moved to the UK in 1814, he did patent and produce fire piston versions of his design, likely as a way to work around Forsyth’s overly broad patent on percussion ignition systems in Britain.

For those asking about access to the book, PDF copies are available in two places:

1. In the Jean Samuel Pauly archives at the Lefaucheux Museum (Pauly’s company was later acquired by Lefaucheux), available to supporting members.
2. In the International Ammunition Association’s Resource Center, also accessible to members.

For the most accurate and updated research on Pauly, follow this blog (sign up with your email to the right) and the Lefaucheux Museum. I will also be publishing a detailed monograph to accompany a forthcoming ASAC presentation and display.

This book is an important source examining the company of Jean Samuel Pauly and his successors. It collects and analyzes many of the earliest documents and patents surrounding this revolutionary step in firearms design, making it one of the few substantial modern works devoted to the subject.

However, readers should be aware that while the book is deeply detailed, many of its conclusions are now known to be incorrect. Chief among these is the author’s claim that Pauly only produced fire piston–type arms. Extensive archival material from Pauly’s 1811–1813 French military trials demonstrates that he in fact created and patented a percussion-firing system, and even some of the firearms illustrated in the book (such as those on pp. 24–25) are percussion rather than fire piston examples. The book also suffers from mistranslations and other interpretive errors, though it nonetheless remains valuable for the breadth of contemporary documentation it reproduces and its attempt to synthesize earlier scattered sources.

Description des Machines et Procédés spécifiés dans les Description des machines et procédés spécifiés dans les brevets d’invention, de perfectionnement et d’importation, dont la durée est expirée was the official printed record of the patents granted in France that were issued under the 1791 patent laws. These patents were not printed until after their expiration date of either 5, 10 or 15 years from when they were issued.

From 1791 until 1844 it was incredibly expensive to get a patent issued. The patent tax for 5 years was 300 francs, for 10 years it was 800 francs and for 15 years it was 1500 francs. At the time the average worker’s daily wage was 1.5 francs.

This feels like a very high quality book with thick linen rag pages, gilded pages and marbled inside covers. It even came with a bookmark!

But the content inside the document is what is really important. This is the official record of what the Conservatoire royal des arts et métiers (i.e. the patent office) believed the patent was about, looking back after it expired. This document is not always a full transcription of the patentee’s original document but rather detailed abstract that specifically describes the patent and heavily focuses on describing the drawings that accompanied it. It does quote specific sections sometimes though, Additionally, all of the drawing in the original patent may not always be reprinted here.