Original Item: One of a Kind. In many ways the martial pinfire revolver, based upon the patents of Casimir and Eugene Lefaucheux, was one of the most modern and advanced military handguns to see use on the battlefield during the American Civil War. Thousands of these pinfire revolvers were imported for use by US troops, and at least a few hundred saw service with Confederate troops as well. Although US government purchases only record about 13,000 M-1858 Lefaucheux patent pin fire revolvers as being officially purchased (along with over 2.2 million cartridges), surviving examples and regimental records indicate that far more than that were imported. 

Period documentation indicates that pinfire revolvers saw significant use by Confederate soldiers as, and many deep south arsenals maintained inventories pin fire cartridges and even offered the pistols for sale to officers. However, the use of pin fire revolvers by the North and South was not limited to the large bore 12mm military guns. Many men took privately owned, "civilian" pattern pin fire revolvers into the field. It is not uncommon for relic diggers to find 7mm, 9mm as well as the more common 12mm pinfire cartridges in known Civil War campsites. Excavated and recovered pinfire revolvers are known from these campsites as well, and at least one privately owned 9mm pinfire was recovered from the wreck of the USS Cairo gunboat, and is on display at Vicksburg National Military Park.

This is a very typical example of an Imported 9mm pinfire Revolver, made in Europe, and then imported into the state of Louisiana, which would become part of the Confederate States of America. The revolver is marked on the top of the barrel with:

Hyde and Goodrich of New Orleans, Louisiana were importers of fine European Goods from 1828 to 1861, when the outbreak of the U.S. Civil War resulted in massive interruptions of trade. This revolver does not have any markings, and was most likely contract made in Liège, Belgium, one of the major contract firearms production centers in Europe. They made many pinfire revolvers under contract for the Lefaucheux company itself.

The revolver has very nice engraving on the frame and barrel, with an unadorned cylinder. There is a German Silver plaque on the back of the grip with the name of a confederate officer in the Crescent Regiment, a State Militia regiment with members from the New Orleans area:

The revolver is in very good working condition and has a patina on the bright steel. The checkered wood grip is also in nice condition, and terminates with an intact lanyard ring The action functions correctly, with a good lockup and nice indexing, and works in double and single action. The revolver breaks down correctly into components, and has an intact and functional ejector and loading gate. The bore is quite nice, with clear lands and grooves and a mostly bright finish. Definitely a solid revolver.

The Pin Fire Cartridge had a pin protruding from its side which when in the revolver's cylinder extended outside the cylinder wall. When struck by the hammer pushing the pin into the cartridge the internal primer was ignited and the cartridge discharged. This process was a lot faster and easier than muzzle loading and capping as were the standard Army Percussion revolvers of the day. Despite this convenience the revolver was not a success, it was considered not rugged enough for Military Service and accidental discharge of the cartridges before being loaded into the weapon became a serious problem.

An unusual example of a French Revolver design that was imported in large numbers for use in America's most tragic war, marked to a New Orleans area Confederate Officer. Ready to display!

Specifications: 

Year of Manufacture: circa 1860
Caliber: About 9mm
Ammunition Type: Pinfire Cartridge
Overall Length: 10 inches
Barrel Length: 5 inches
Action: Single / Double Action
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

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