Bought a new gun.

[Aaron]

I haven't bought a new gun in awhile. Fixed that issue this past weekend!

I have come across excavated 7mm pinfire cartridges from American Civil War battlefields and encampments but not very many. So since this gun existed at the time I guess there is a chance someone carried it along with them from home! 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 retailer in Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Upper Normandy, France. He must have procured a custom order from Lefaucheux of these guns to sell at his establishment.

All of the parts have part number "15 J" punched into them.

Based on the serial number and the frame design this would have been manufactured around August/September of 1861.

 

[John Winn]

That ain't new; it be old !

But nice old for sure. Congratulations.

 

[civilwarincolor]

That ain't new; it be old !

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[MRB1863]

Congrats! Beautifully engraved!!! Enjoy...

 

[James N.]

Interesting with no hammer spur! So is this one 7mm?

 

[ole]

Am jealous.

 

[huskerblitz]

Interesting with no hammer spur! So is this one 7mm?

Okay....so I'm no firearm expert. How does one cock the hammer to ready it for firing?

 

[Booner]

your a lucky man.

 

[Jobe Holiday]

By virtue of being "double action" that means you don't have to cock the hammer, you just squeeze the trigger like a modern S&W, etc.
J.

 

[huskerblitz]

By virtue of being "double action" that means you don't have to cock the hammer, you just squeeze the trigger like a modern S&W, etc.
J.

Doh! Read right over the part it said it was a double-action. Too busy looking at the picture.

 

[James N.]

Doh! Read right over the part it said it was a double-action. Too busy looking at the picture.

I had a larger military version of one, and as I remember it was single action and certainly had a hammer spur.

 

[Patrick H]

Wow, that's a nice piece. I love the engraving--not too much, just right. Folding trigger is the second one of those I've seen today. I don't believe I've ever seen one without the hammer spur. Congratulations.

 

[hrobalabama]

I've always had an affinity for engraved guns. Nice Pinfire!

 

[Aaron]

Yeah I thought this one was interesting without the spur. No other of mine are like that.

Also, for anyone who may care, here is the patent drawing of the action from lefaucheux.net

 

[rebelyell]

Nice new, old gun.

 

[lefaucheux]

Aaron , the drawning you're showing is not the "double action" but his first start in 1858 too the "triple action"
This is a belgium patend that he never made and put in commercialization ....

Lefaucheux

 

[kevikens]

Are there any statistics on just how many pinfires wound up in Civil War use and who was likely to carry them? Were any US Government purchased and issued to any units?

 

[Craig L Barry]

I had read 12-14k pinfire revolvers were imported for Union use. Tim Prince has this to say: "The primary importer of M-1854 revolvers was George Schuyler who purchased 10,000 Lefaucheux revolvers for the US government. Most of Schuyler's purchases appear to have been made directly from Lefaucheux in Paris. However, extant examples indicate that many Belgian licensed copies were also imported during the war (no surprise there). The Ordnance Department did not appear to differentiate between the French and Belgian made versions, much like they often lumped French and Belgian made muskets together without any distinction at all. Other importers who provided pin fire revolvers to the US government included Herman Boker, Schuyler, Hartley & Graham, George Raphael (who provided the Raphael revolvers to the US), Alexis Godillot of Paris (who provided the Perrin revolvers to the US) and even Tiffany & Company. US cavalry units that received significant numbers of pin fire revolvers included the 5th IL, 2nd & 5th KS, 6th KY, 8th MO, 1st WI and the 9th MO State Militia Cavalry. The Springfield Research Service serial number books list the serial numbers for 69 Lefaucheux revolvers that were in the possession of Company B of the 9th Missouri State Militia Cavalry during 1863. These 69 revolvers range from serial number 33,895 through 42,522. This 9,000+ range of serial numbers within a single company of US cavalry makes it relatively easy to extrapolate that Lefaucheux revolvers within the 25,XXX through at least the 45,XXX range are within the realistic realm of Civil War used revolvers, and clearly any pistols with a lower serial number could easily have seen use during the war as well. Confederate units under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest had at least a few hundred of these revolvers in their possession in late 1864. A May 25, 1864 Ordnance Report from Meridian, Mississippi by Forrest showed his 1st Division in possession of 190 French Pistols and his 3rd Division in possession of 160. It is almost certain that these French Pistols were Lefaucheux revolvers. Additionally, in 1864 the Selma Arsenal was offering Lefaucheux revolvers for sale to Confederate officers at a price of $25 each, including 12 cartridges. In August of 1864 Selma listed the following pistol ammunition in their inventory "For French Pistol (LeFaucheux) caliber .472k – 52,800 rounds". This is very clear indication that CS Ordnance Department was actively trying to keep ammunition available for a decent number of Lefaucheux revolvers in the field. Using the theory that the CS Ordnance Department was trying to maintain an inventory of between 20 and 50 rounds per pistol, this would indicate they were trying to keep between 1,056 and 2,640 pistols supplied from Selma alone."

 

[bankerpapaw]

Nice gun!!!

 

[bonzillou]

Hi

nice find Aaron.

I've got some informations about Dumoulin:
Dumoulin was a gunmaker, his shop (and certainly his workshop in the back) was located 9 rue de la chaine in Rouen (France).
This street is a nice old street of Rouen and the house is of course still there : https://goo.gl/maps/TdecbtnvFPp
It's the red brick house where your gun was "born"!

Dumoulin was known for having received a bronze medal by the "Société libre d'émulation du commerce et de l'industrie de la Seine-Inférieure" for creating a "carabine à cylindre" in 1842.
But he didn't make only firearms, he also worked on safes to avoid "theft of watches"!
He was also remarked for making a crossbow pistol!

all sources : Bulletin de la Société libre d'émulation du commerce et de l'industrie de la Seine-Inférieure

It seems that his business didn't always go very well as in 1839 he had to face bankruptcy and it was decided in court that he owed money to at least 9 other gunmakers but also to a wine seller, a cider seller and a pastry cook!!!
(sources : Le Journal de Rouen ,wednesday 22nd may 1839, page 4)
http://plair.univ-rouen.fr/plair/jdr/article/950458

greetings

Pascal