12mm French model 1854 Lefaucheux pinfire revolver with American Civil War serial number

Description

In 1862 and 1863 the United States Army imported a recorded 13,263 Lefaucheux model 1854 pinfire revolvers. 10,000 of these were a direct order from Eugène Lefaucheux’s company by the Army’s purchasing agent, Col. G.L Schuyler. Lefaucheux was also supplying Italy a large order at the same time as well as other customers. The other 3,263 were gathered from various gun dealers and suppliers in the United States and Europe. There is also an unknown amount of pinfire revolvers that the Confederate Army imported.

The specimen for sale here is serial number 22,873 which fits right within the range of revolvers that were provided to the Untied States. Many of these numbers are documented in the new book on the subject, Eugène Gabriel Lefaucheux; Nineteenth-Century Arms Manufacturer in Paris and Liège. by Guillaume van Mastrigt and Arie Slingerland.

This gun has Eugene Lefaucheux’s French makers mark on it to the left of the serial number.

The gun is in really good shape and mechanically functions well. It is complete and has its loading gate and extractor rod which are often missing on these models.

Overall this is a great example of an original French, Lefaucheux model 1854 revolver with the American Civil War connection.