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A Step in Early Firearms Design
Few ammunition designs capture the spirit of 19th-century inventiveness quite like the Pinfire Cartridge. Long before centerfire and rimfire ammo dominated the marketplace, this unusual design helped push firearms toward a breechloading future.
Created by French gunsmith Casimir Lefaucheux in 1832 (and patented in 1835), the pinfire system became a crucial stepping stone between muzzleloaders and the more familiar cartridges used today.
Although modern shooters may see it as an odd footnote, its influence on firearm history is undeniable. Below, we explore the origins of this remarkable creation, how it evolved into a gas-tight solution, and why it eventually fell behind in the race toward safer, more efficient ammunition.
Table of Contents
Early Roots and the Rise of Breechloading
From Pauly to Lefaucheux
Unlike centerfire rounds—where the firing pin is part of the gun—the Pinfire Cartridge included the firing pin itself. A tiny metal pin stuck out radially from the side of each shell. Once the bolt or hammer struck that pin, it drove into the primer compound situated in the cartridge’s base, sparking the main powder charge. Crucially, the chamber wall and cartridge base functioned together as an anvil, stabilizing the primer so it would ignite properly.
Many initial pinfire rounds had a brass base paired with a paper or cardboard tube. Although easier to load than muzzleloaders, these early cartridges often leaked gas, reducing power. Still, they sparked enough interest to inspire further improvements, mostly driven by Benjamin Houllier’s 1846 patent that introduced a gas-tight base wad. This tweak greatly increased reliability and muzzle velocity, making the pinfire system more appealing for many shooters.
Popularity and Skepticism
Overcoming Technical Bias
For a time, the new pinfire breechloaders faced an uphill battle—especially in Britain. British shooters had perfected muzzle-loading guns and held their own engineering prowess in high regard. They also tended to distrust French developments, considering them untested. However, the 1851 Great Exhibition in London showcased Lefaucheux’s breechloading pinfire firearm to an international audience. British and American gun makers began taking the concept more seriously, spurring experimentation with imported samples.
Eugene Lefaucheux, Casimir’s son, carried the family innovation further after his father’s passing in 1852. Eugene’s promotional efforts and mass-production methods cemented the pinfire system’s reputation. By the mid-1850s, major gun makers in Britain, such as Joseph Lang, Lancaster, Blanch, and others, adopted and refined pinfire breechloaders. In France, pinfire rifles and shotguns surged in popularity. These arms allowed for faster reloading than percussion-based muzzleloaders, while also offering a greater chance of firing successfully when wet or in poor conditions.
The Anatomy of a Pinfire Cartridge
Transition from Brass and Paper to Improved Alloys
Early pinfire shells frequently combined a metal (often brass) base with a paper tube. This approach was cost-effective yet sometimes let gas escape at ignition, causing soot and reduced muzzle velocity. Houllier’s 1846 patent introduced a “base wad” and refined metal forming processes that made cartridges more gas-tight.
By the mid-19th century, brass-drawing techniques were advancing, allowing stronger, seamless cases less prone to splitting. The improved Pinfire Cartridge thus burned powder more efficiently, boosting performance.
Even so, one of the cartridge’s defining features—the exposed metal pin—posed a safety risk. If handled roughly, that small pin could snag on something or receive an accidental blow, causing unintended discharge. In an age without robust shipping and handling protocols, losing or damaging these pins during transport was far from rare.
Widespread Use: Military and Civilian
Arrival of Rimfire and Centerfire
In time, advanced cartridges like rimfire and centerfire began supplanting the Pinfire Cartridge. These newer types were simpler to load, safer to carry, and generally more foolproof. With no protruding pins to align or risk hitting inadvertently, logistical and handling benefits quickly made rimfire and centerfire the global standard. By the 1860s and 1870s, major gun companies increasingly shifted toward these improved designs, prompting a steady decline in pinfire production.
That said, pinfire arms and ammo lingered. Some European catalogs continued listing pinfire shotguns or revolvers until around the 1940s, and specialized ammunition existed for shotgunners into the 1960s. The system’s compatibility with older, percussion-based hammer actions slowed its demise. But as mass-produced centerfire cartridges grew cheaper and more reliable, pinfire’s niche market gradually vanished.
Images of Pinfire Cartridges
A Selection of Lefaucheux Pinfire Cartridges in various calibers ranging from 15mm to 2mm.
Details in order from top to bottom and left to right. 15mm: Ball Load by ELEY, London, UK Shot Load Board Dummy by SFM (Société Française des Munitions,) Paris, France Short Ball Load
12mm: Fireworks/Flare Load by SFM (Société Française des Munitions,) Paris, France Ball Load by Kynoch, Birmingham, UK Carbine Length Ball Load by Houllier-Blanchard, Paris, France Rose Crimped Blank by SFM (Société Française des Munitions,) Paris, France
9mm: Plastic Case Ball Load by SPALEK’ARM, Paris, France Sectioned Ball Load by Charles Fusnot, Bruxelles, Belgium Blank Load by SFM (Société Française des Munitions,) Paris, France Full Length Case Shot Load by Braun & Bloem, Dusseldorff, Germany
7mm: Ball Load Board Dummy by Braun & Bloem, Dusseldorff, Germany Shot Load by ELEY, London, UK Reloadable Steel Case Ball Load by G. Egerstorff, Linden, Germany
5mm: Ball load by SFM (Société Française des Munitions,) Paris, France Shot Load by Braun & Bloem, Dusseldorff, Germany Ball Load by Capsulerie Liegeoise, Liege, Belgium Ball Load Board Dummy by Kynoch, Birmingham, UK
2mm: Ball Load by SFM (Société Française des Munitions,) Paris, France Blank Load Blank Load
Image Via WideOpenSpaces.com
A collection of 15mm Pinfire Cartridges from various manufacturers.
I. RWS- Nürnberg, Germany
2. Sociéte Française de Munitions – Paris, France
3. Sellier & Bellot – Prague, Czechoslovakia
4. Unión Español* de Explosivos Madrid, Spain
5. Léon Beaux & C.. Milano, Italy
6. Aramburu Hermanos – Madrid, Spain
7., 8., & 9. Unknown
10. Eley Brothers – London, United Kingdom
11. Benjamin Albert Valence, Drome, France
12. Eley Brothers – London, United Kingdom
13. Eley Brothers London, United Kingdom
14. Giulio Fiocchi- Lecco, Italy
15. Giulio Fiocchi – Lecco, Italy
16., 17., & 18. Gévelot – Paris, France
19. Kynoch & Co, Birmingham, United Kingdom
20. & 21. V. Francotte, May et Cie. . Liège, Belgium
22. & 23. Société Française de Munitions – Paris, France
24. V. Francotte, May et Cie. Liège, Belgium
25. Unknown
26. Sellier & Bellot – Prague, Czechoslovakia
27. Société Française de Munitions Paris, France
28. Eley Brothers – London, United Kingdom
29., 30., & 31. Sociêté Française de Munitions – Paris, France
33. & 34. Unknown
American and British Manufacturers
Major Names in Early Cartridges
Various manufacturers in the U.S. and Britain jumped briefly on the pinfire bandwagon. Notable American firms included:
- Ethan Allen & Co. of Worcester, Massachusetts
- Allen & Wheelock of Worcester, Massachusetts
- C.D. Leet & Co. of Springfield, Massachusetts
- C. Sharps & Co. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Union Metallic Cartridge Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut
- William Tibbals of South Coventry, Connecticut
Meanwhile, British companies like Eley Brothers of London and Kynoch & Co. of Birmingham produced pinfire ammunition for a wide range of calibers. Despite the initial wave of excitement, many quickly pivoted to rimfire or centerfire production when those designs took center stage.
Below you can see a Belgian example of a very high end and well-preserved example of a pinfire revolver that has a capacity of no less than 20 pinfire cartridges and two barrels. This revolver is not only mechanically fascinating piece, but also an example of a firearm as a work of art.
Lasting Legacy and Modern Enthusiasm
Vintage Collectors and Novelty Firearms
Today, the Pinfire Cartridge is largely a curiosity among collectors, historians, and vintage firearm enthusiasts. Antique pinfire guns still surface on the market, and some devotees make or purchase custom reloading kits to craft usable pinfire shells. This process can be intricate—far more so than loading rimfire or centerfire rounds—but it allows owners of antique weapons to keep them functional and historically “correct.”
A few novelty miniature pistols, often in minuscule calibers like 2mm or 3mm, use pinfire ammunition to circumvent the challenges of rimfire or centerfire in such small sizes. Though hardly practical as firearms, they showcase how the pinfire concept remains relevant, if only in niche corners of the gun world.
Conclusion - Policing the Brass
Despite being considered obsolete by today’s standards, the Pinfire Cartridge left a profound mark on the evolution of firearms. It bridged the gap between muzzleloaders and the breechloading revolution that would pave the way for modern ammo. Through leaps in brass manufacturing, improved gas seals, and an ingenious built-in firing pin system, pinfire ammo briefly reigned as an innovative and widely used solution. Its eventual decline was brought about by the safety, affordability, and convenience of centerfire and rimfire designs—still the reigning champions in the firearms world. Yet the story of pinfire lives on in old collections, reloading workshops, and the hearts of enthusiasts who appreciate this early masterpiece of engineering and innovation.
