Lefaucheux Model 1858
- Category
- Revolver
- Barrel
- 155 mm
- Weight, empty
- 980 g
- Introduced
- 1858
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Lefaucheux Model 1858 was a French single-action pinfire revolver designed by Eugene Lefaucheux, son of pinfire-cartridge pioneer Casimir Lefaucheux, and adopted by the French Navy in 1858. Building on the Model 1854 - the first metallic-cartridge revolver ever adopted by a national government - it chambered the self-contained 12mm Lefaucheux pinfire round in a six-shot cylinder, loaded through a hinged gate and ejected with a rod. Large numbers were purchased by the Union during the American Civil War, making it one of the most common imported cartridge revolvers of that conflict.
The Lefaucheux line gave the world its first nationally-adopted metallic-cartridge revolver, and the M1858's self-contained pinfire rounds let Civil War soldiers reload in seconds while their enemies were still ramming loose powder and ball down percussion cylinders.
Military models were single-action; civilian versions were often offered in double-action. Produced at the French state arsenal at St. Etienne (MAS) and by licensees in Liege, Belgium. The pinfire cartridge featured a small pin protruding from the case that struck an internal primer when hit by the hammer.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Lefaucheux
- Category
- Revolver
- Country
- France
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1858 to 1870
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 155 mm
- Overall length
- 280 mm
- Weight, empty
- 980 g
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Single action
- Firing mechanism
- Single action
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 6
- Magazine
- Internal
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 168 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 141 J
- 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
Loading gate
Ejector rod
Pinfire cartridge
Six shot cylinder
Lanyard ring
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 404 revolvers | 980 g | 1.05 kg | Lighter than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 415 revolvers | 280 mm | 260 mm | Longer than about 60% |
| 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 1858
How much does the Lefaucheux Model 1858 weigh?
The Lefaucheux Model 1858 weighs 980 g (2.16 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Lefaucheux Model 1858?
The Lefaucheux Model 1858 is chambered in 12mm Lefaucheux.
How many rounds does the Lefaucheux Model 1858 hold?
The Lefaucheux Model 1858 holds 6 rounds, fed from an internal magazine.
How long is the Lefaucheux Model 1858?
The Lefaucheux Model 1858 is 280 mm (11.02 in) long overall, with a 155 mm (6.10 in) barrel.
Who makes the Lefaucheux Model 1858?
The Lefaucheux Model 1858 is made by Lefaucheux (France). It was designed by Eugene Lefaucheux.
When was the Lefaucheux Model 1858 introduced?
The Lefaucheux Model 1858 was introduced in 1858 and discontinued in 1870.
How does the Lefaucheux Model 1858 operate?
The Lefaucheux Model 1858 uses a single action, and its firing mechanism is single action.
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 Navy
- 1858
- Union Army
- 1861
Provenance
Confidence in this record
74%
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-m1858' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "lefaucheux-m1858", "name": "Lefaucheux Model 1858", "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": 1858, "barrel_length_mm": 155, "weight_empty_g": 980, "action_type": "single_action"}