Lefaucheux M1858

Lore & Background

The Lefaucheux M1858 was adopted by the French Navy in 1858 after three years of testing, due to the need for a reliable design capable of withstanding damp conditions at sea for boarding parties. It is a six-shot open framed design, loaded via a hinged gate on the right side of the frame, through which empty cartridges are also ejected via an ejector rod running along the barrel. The cylinder is notched to accommodate the pinfire cartridge's exposed pin, which sets off the primer charge when struck by the hammer. A protective shroud was added to the recoil shield to prevent accidental discharges. The revolver originally used a single-action trigger, but by 1865, double-action versions were also introduced. The French Army, viewing revolvers as personal defense weapons unsuitable for offensive combat, did not issue service revolvers until 1873, though some cavalrymen demanded and received some Lefaucheuxs before being deployed in 1862 during the second French intervention in Mexico. Sweden and Spain accepted the revolver for service in 1863, followed by Norway in 1864. In 1870, the French Navy adopted a double-action, centerfire version of the Lefaucheux, starting a trend with armed forces all over the world adopting centerfire revolvers.

Reader's Guide

The Lefaucheux M1858 is historically significant as the first metallic cartridge revolver officially adopted by any armed service, marking a transition from percussion cap revolvers to self-contained ammunition. Its pinfire cartridge, while prone to accidental discharge if handled carelessly, offered greater resistance to moisture than loose powder used in percussion cap revolvers, and its copper or brass case provided a gas seal and was reloadable. The revolver saw limited but notable use during the American Civil War, being one of the few foreign-manufactured handguns imported by the United States government and the only non-percussion cap revolver used by either side. Over 12,000 were ordered by Federal authorities for cavalry use, mostly serving in the Western Theater, at a cost of about $13.54 each. They were replaced as soon as Colt or Remington cap and ball revolvers became available, and by spring 1864 only 125 remained in service with the Union Army. Some were also purchased by Confederates, including an elaborately engraved example presented to General Stonewall Jackson. The design was widely copied by Belgian and French gunmakers, and its influence extended to later revolvers such as the Gasser M1870 and the Lefaucheux-Francotte models adopted by Denmark and Sweden. The M1858's legacy is that of a pioneering military handgun that paved the way for centerfire revolvers worldwide.

Did You Know?

• Over 12,000 Lefaucheux revolvers were ordered by the US Federal authorities during the American Civil War for cavalry use.
• General Stonewall Jackson was presented with an elaborately engraved Lefaucheux by his troops.
• A Lefaucheux revolver thought to be the one with which Vincent Van Gogh shot himself was found near the site of his death more than 70 years later.