Pinfire cartridge

Invented by Frenchman Casimir Lefaucheux in 1832,[1] but not patented until 1835,[2] it was one of the earliest practical designs of a metallic cartridge to hasten the loading and firing process of a firearm.

Today, enthusiasts of vintage weaponry often create pinfire cartridges from modern materials for use in antique firearms.

The interior side of the chamber served as an anvil so that the cap won't move, which was a problem in some early cartridge designs at the time.

[citation needed] They owned muzzle-loaders of exquisite perfection, considered themselves the best engineers in the world (inventing the Industrial Revolution), and had a poor view of the French - the old enemy and an unreliable ally.

EC Hodges continued to make a good living as a specialist independent maker of breechloading actions commissioned by leading gunmakers such as Boss, Lancaster, Egg, Grant, Atkin, Rigby, Dickson, Purdey, Woodward, Army and Navy, and many others.

It became increasingly popular in Europe and large numbers of rifles, shotguns, and revolvers (often called Lefaucheux guns after their inventor whoever the maker was), were manufactured from the mid-1850s until the late 1890s.

[citation needed] They were also widely used during the American Civil War, although sometimes despised because of their low-power compared to more common percussion revolvers made by gun manufacturers such as Colt and Smith & Wesson.

Some navies also adopted them for "sea service", these examples were often being made out of brass which is largely unaffected by the corrosion, caused by the salt in a maritime environment.