Note: All new content is published at my new website, AaronNewcomer.com. This site will remain around until everything is transfered there. Please visit AaronNewcomer.com to see lots of new articles on pinfire guns, Pauly guns, rare gun-related journals and books, unique cartridges and more!

Articles about Pinfire Guns

The Pinfire system was an early firearms technology that was instrumental in providing the basis of modern guns and ammunition. Here are some short articles about various pinfire guns from my collection.

W. Tibbals Revolving Firearms Patent

One of the most famous American ammunition manufacturers was William Tibbals. William Tibbals was the partner in the company, Crittenden & Tibbals, who supplied mostof the rimfire ammunition during the American Civil War. Part of what made Crittenden & Tibbals … Continue reading


Underhammer Pinfire Pistol by Joseph-Célestin Dumonthier

This is a really early underhammer pinfire pistol made by the French gunsmith, Joseph-Célestin Dumonthier in 1849. It follows his 2 July 1849 French patent. The whole barrel unscrews from the frame and allows you to load a single 12mm … Continue reading


The Earliest Pinfire Cartridges and Pistols

This article will take a look at some of the earliest pinfire pistol cartridges. The best way to explain these will be to look at them with the guns they were designed for. The earliest examples were shotshells that were … Continue reading


Extremely High Grade 16g Pinfire Shotgun by Coirier à Clermont

The story of Coirier à Clermont is a interweaved tale of partnerships and encounters that begins in 1848. In 1848 a Frenchman named Francis Marquis founded a company that made carbines for cavalry. In French this is the term, harquebusier. … Continue reading


Casimir Lefaucheux’s first pistol and the very first cartridge pistol!

I have finally added the last specimen needed to now have an example of all three pistol designs by Casimir Lefaucheux. On 16 Jun 1832 Casimir Lefaucheux filed for patent no 1832 in France for protection of his breechloading design … Continue reading


Norwegian M/64/98 Lefaucheux Pinfire Revolver with Military Cartridge Box

This is an example of one of the scarce pinfire boxes made by Société Française des Munitions for the Norwegian military as well as one of the Norwegian military Lefaucheux pinfire revolvers. In 1859 the Norwegian Navy ordered a handful … Continue reading


9mm Javelle Patent Pinfire Revolver Manufactured by Verney-Carron

This is a 9mm Javelle patent pinfire revolver manufactured by Verney-Carron of St. Etienne, France somewhere around the late 1850s to early 1860s. He designed this gun to allow easy removal of the cylinder. His intentions were that people could … Continue reading


The Very First Cartridge Revolver

This is the earliest version of the pinfire pepperbox revolver manufactured by Casimir Lefaucheux around 1845-1846. Lefaucheux “borrowed” the action from Guillaume Mariette of Liège, Belgium who made a percussion pepperbox a few years prior. Casimir’s patent modified it to … Continue reading


Lefaucheux 7mm Double Action Pinfire

This is a double-action-only 7mm pinfire revolver made by Eugene Lefaucheux in Paris, France. It follows his patent from 07 June 1858. On the barrel is inscribed: DUMOULIN ARQer À ROUEN Dumoulin was a gun maker (arquebusier; ARQer) and gun … Continue reading


Delvigne Breech Loading Underhammer Deringer in 9mm Pinfire

 This Delvigne Breech Loading Underhammer Deringer was Manufactured by Falisse & Trapmann in Liège, Belgium. It follows Delvigne’s French patent, 12683, which was issued on 22 January 1852. The patent image shows a percussion version, and this is the … Continue reading


15mm Pinfire Auxiliary Percussion Adapter and Pistol

Here is a very unique gun that just arrived at my doorstep yesterday! At first glance it seems like any common 15mm double barrel pinfire boxlock pistol but it is quite different. First it is quite a bit larger and … Continue reading


Pinfire Guns & New Comment System!

Big update today! I added the capability to comment on every blog post, every pinfire cartridge or pinfire box, and every cartridge manufacturer! I will add the capability to the other cartridges soon. Look around and comment on your favorite cartridge, box or … Continue reading