Lefaucheux Model 1854
- Category
- Revolver
- Barrel
- 155 mm
- Weight, empty
- Not recorded
- Introduced
- 1854
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Lefaucheux Model 1854 was a six-shot, open-frame 12mm pinfire revolver designed by Eugene Lefaucheux. Patented in 1854, it was the first revolver firing a self-contained metallic cartridge to be adopted by a national government, and the design preceded the French Navy's Model 1858. It was widely exported and license-produced in Liege.
George Schuyler procured roughly 10,000 Lefaucheux revolvers from Paris for the U.S. government, making the pinfire one of the most significant imported sidearms of the American Civil War.
Distinct from the later Model 1858 'de Marine' adopted by the French Navy. Civilian patterns were often double-action while the military/cavalry pattern was single-action. Imported in quantity by both Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Lefaucheux
- Category
- Revolver
- Country
- France
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1854
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 155 mm
- Overall length
- 298 mm
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Single action
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 6
- Magazine
- Revolving cylinder
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 100 m/s
- Effective range
- 25 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Open frame
Pinfire cartridge
Hinged loading gate
Ejector rod
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall lengthAmong 415 revolvers | 298 mm | 260 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 431 revolvers | 155 mm | 127 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 434 revolvers | 6 | 6 | Holds more rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the Lefaucheux Model 1854
What caliber is the Lefaucheux Model 1854?
The Lefaucheux Model 1854 is chambered in 12mm Lefaucheux Pinfire.
How many rounds does the Lefaucheux Model 1854 hold?
The Lefaucheux Model 1854 holds 6 rounds, fed from a revolving cylinder.
How long is the Lefaucheux Model 1854?
The Lefaucheux Model 1854 is 298 mm (11.73 in) long overall, with a 155 mm (6.10 in) barrel.
Who makes the Lefaucheux Model 1854?
The Lefaucheux Model 1854 is made by Lefaucheux (France). It was designed by Eugene Lefaucheux.
When was the Lefaucheux Model 1854 introduced?
The Lefaucheux Model 1854 was introduced in 1854.
How does the Lefaucheux Model 1854 operate?
The Lefaucheux Model 1854 uses a single action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- French Armed Forces
- France
- Union Army
- United States
- Confederate States Army
- United States
Provenance
Confidence in this record
70%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/lefaucheux-m1854' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "lefaucheux-m1854", "name": "Lefaucheux Model 1854", "manufacturer": { "id": "lefaucheux", "name": "Lefaucheux", "countryCode": "FR", "foundedYear": 1832, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "updatedAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "version": "bf13f38c00793b491361fc40cb521390ec7a98fcce23b019a765f60a0e625193" }, "category": { "id": "revolver", "name": "Revolver", "description": "Handguns with a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers" }, "country_of_origin": "FR", "year_introduced": 1854, "barrel_length_mm": 155, "weight_empty_g": null, "action_type": "single_action"}