[Jim K]

Casimir Lefaucheux invented the pinfire cartridge, and pinfire guns are often described as being of the "Lefaucheux system" or simply "Lefaucheuxs". Lefaucheux, however was French and that gun was made in Belgium, along with many tons of guns like it, and sold all over the world (without, needless to say, paying any royalties to M. Lefaucheux or his heirs).

That is a plain gun, of the type that sold for the equivalent of $3 when the system was in vogue; after the centerfire cartridge came on the scene, pinfire revolvers were dumped on the market for as little as the equivalent of $1 or $1.25. The system never caught on in the U.S., where the rimfire rapidly took over. There has been speculation that some pinfire revolvers, possibly even some pin-fire LeMats, were brought in during the Civil War, but I know of no confirmation of that. It is safe to say that pin fire revolvers would not have been welcome to either side without a guaranteed supply of ammunition.

Today, pinfire revolvers are novelties, selling for one to two hundred dollars at gun shows, though nicely made and engraved ones will go higher.

Jim