Lefaucheux pinfire revolver

[bacmd]

 

[bacmd]

This is my first time posting.
This is a pistol that was handed down to me from a family member. It has been in my family for many generations. Not sure how many. I believe it is a lefaucheux manufacturer. I thing that confuses me is the serial numbers do not match the series of numbers i have researched. All of the parts have the number 5 on them. I am assuming that is the serial number.
I was hoping someone on here can give me more information?
Thanks

 

[captaindrew]

Welcome to the forum, interesting piece. You'll want to post this in the Weapons and Ammo sub forum. There's some really knowledgeable folks on here that will be happy to help.

 

[Larryh86GT]

Welcome.

 

[lupaglupa]

Welcome from the Researching Civil War Records and Ancestry forum. I agree with @captaindrew - you should share your photos on the forum where the experts hang out!

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

Welcome! Looking forward to learning more about your heirloom from our experts.

 

[bacmd]

This is my first time posting.
This is a pistol that was handed down to me from a family member. It has been in my family for many generations. Not sure how many. I believe it is a lefaucheux manufacturer. I thing that confuses me is the serial numbers do not match the series of numbers i have researched. All of the parts have the number 5 on them. I am assuming that is the serial number.
I was hoping someone on here can give me more information?
Thanks

I'm not sure how to access the weapons and ammo forum on here.

 

[JOHN42768]

Welcome, enjoy. Go to Forums and scroll down to Small Arms

 

[Jeff in Ohio]

The "5" you find on the various parts would not be a serial number, but was stamped as the parts were hand fitted so they could be matched / mated to keep them together after the gun was polished and finished and ready for final assembly. There was no legal requirement for serial numbers on guns in the older days when this was made.

 

[scooter748driver]

Welcome from the Fort Sumter and the Fredericksburg forums.

 

[Old Soldier]

It is a Belgian 'small frame' pin-fire pocket revolver made in Liege.

Liege proof

The letters on the various parts are the inspector's mark and the '5's are the assembler's mark. Many Belgian weapons at this time were clones and did not bear serials or the 'brevete' (patent) mark. This one seems to have no provision for an extractor pin. The folding trigger suggests ihe calibre will be about .31 so not terribly effective on the battlefield. They were marketed as a 'personal defence' weapon. The Belgian gunmakers operated like their British counterparts but were less averse to copying a decent design. (They were producing Colt Navy clones for the Turkish market until 1914!) They were certainly used during the Civil War, but ammunition would have been a problem.

It has been looked after, but the state of the screws tell me that that was not done by gunsmiths. The military revolvers of this type (12mm - .47") were the 'large frame' type and usually had a fixed trigger and trigger guard, a lanyard loop under the butt as well as an extractor slide pin.