The 1835 Lefaucheux Report - Obturation, Pinfire, and the Modern Cartridge



Thought I would try making some videos!

In March 1835, the Société d’Encouragement pour l’Industrie Nationale published a detailed technical report on breech-loading firearms submitted by Casimir Lefaucheux. Central to the report is the introduction of cartridge obturation through a thin copper base that expands under pressure to seal the breech, shifting the problem of gas sealing out of the gun and into the cartridge itself.

The committee regarded this obturating cartridge as one of the most useful improvements made to breech-loading arms in many years, noting that it eliminated gas leakage and reduced reliance on extremely precise mechanical closures. In the same publication, the report also presents the first published illustration of a pinfire cartridge, in which ignition is carried by the cartridge through a transverse pin acting on a primer housed in the copper base.

Together, these developments document the point at which sealing and firing become integrated functions of the cartridge, establishing the basic architecture that would define the modern metallic cartridge.

Last edited by AaronN; 12/31/25 07:53 PM.
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