Old pistol guys: Just got off the phone...I'm shaking my head....insights?

Wrong Way

Wrong Way

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OK...I took in a bunch of old guns (mostly crap) from a family firend, and the old guy just called me about his dads pistol. Wants me to come get it. "No problem" I say....THEN he starts talking about it.....?

Swears its A: a French revolver, B: Old, and C; (and this is the weird part) "Uses 9mm ammo that has a pin sticking out from the side of the case to fire it". I asked him to clarify, and he insists the ammo had a pin sticking out the side of the case, and there is no primer at the back. "Ahhhhh! Rimfire." I say, he says "Do you think I don't know what a rimfire is? I'm old, not an idiot" LOL....so I'm confused.

Anybody have any idea WTH he's talking about?
 
Their called "pinfire". Very common in the late 19th, early 20th century. Let me know if you don't want it:D

pinfire.gif

French 9mm Pinfire:
pinfire2.jpg
 
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Wrong Way said:
Any value to them or more of a curiousity/showpiece?
Click to expand...

Depends mainly on the condition and on who exactly made it; some people actually make their own pinfire ammo and shoot them, but a lot of the ones I've seen are pure junk.
 
Pinfire revolvers were made in Europe in large numbers, most in Belgium and Spain. As SDC has pointed out, many were originally of low quality, and time has not improved them. This has not helped the value of the quality pieces.
 
Off topic, but WTF would happen if you dropped a box of that stuff:eek:

pinfire.gif


I've never seen anything like that before... Only 1:16am and already learned my 'one thing' for the day...
 
"Lefaucheux" was probably the best-known of the original pinfire manufacturers, and a gun with his name on it would probably bring slightly more from someone LOOKING for a pinfire (some copies are marked "Lefaucheux System" though).
The ammo was reasonably safe to handle and carry, because the pin is actually held by the case (the sharpened internal end is sitting inside a percussion cap); you also see pinfire SHOTGUN ammo fairly often, because it lasted a little longer as a shotgun ignition.
 
I used to have an old pin fire, pretty neat.

I sold all my old stuff to a US company called Dixie Gun Works......got great $$$$
 
And a guy in the U.K shot his friend with one.
He bought a pinfire revolver from a dealer with some supposedly de-act cartridges.

Friend comes over. Owner loads the revolver and snaps it through all the rounds. Friend takes the revolver and does the same. Hands it back to owner who snaps it one more time. BANG!
The ammo was probably over a hundred years old, BUT......
 
I've got a couple of old pinfires, both were quality guns in their day, cute antiques you can display usually $50-$150. Would not try to shoot either of mine!!!
 
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