pinfire cartridge

An unusual solution to the problem of obtaining ammunition for the very old pinfire cartridges is even available.

The pepperboxes from this period disappeared with the demise of the pinfire cartridge.

Pinfire cartridges were available in a large number of sizes for various types of weapon.

Pinfire Cartridge - Second variant, can be recognised by cylinder.

Pinfire cartridge gun-swords were produced in Belgium during the mid-19th century, although in limited quantity.

The sliding magazine contained pinfire cartridges or speedloaders.

The pepperbox experienced a kind of "revival" in the late 19th century as a short, easily concealable pocketweapon that used pinfire cartridges.

The Lefaucheux M1858 was a French military revolver, chambered for the 12mm pinfire cartridge, based on a design by Casimir Lefaucheux.

The low-powered copper Flobert cartridge was invented in 1836, as was the pinfire cartridge (Lefaucheux), although this required fixative work by Houiller in 1846 to produce a workable cartridge.

By contrast pinfire cartridges were supremely convenient in that they could contain percussion cap, powder and shot in a neat pre-loaded package which was several times faster to fire and reload and was inherently safer.

A pinfire cartridge is an obsolete type of metallic firearm cartridge in which the priming compound is ignited by striking a small pin which protrudes radially from just above the base of the cartridge.

The pinfire cartridge was greatly improved by the 1846 patent (number 1963) by Houllier of Paris which introduced a base wad and effectively made the cartridge gas-tight which greatly improved the performance, and were cheap and clean shooting.

Although pinfire cartridges and shotgun shells are technically obsolete as pinfire guns have not been made in any numbers for a hundred years, enthusiasts of vintage weaponry often make pinfire cartridges from modern materials and shoot their old guns.

Some of the gangs used a unique type of pistol which was named the "Apache revolver" or "Apache pistol": a pinfire cartridge revolver with no barrel, a set of foldover brass knuckles for a handgrip, and a folding knife mounted right underneath the revolver drum for use as a stabbing weapon.