Percussion & pinfire shotguns

The percussion shotguns of the 19th century
- External features of a percussion shotgun
- Basic drawbacks of the percussion system
- Shooting with a percussion gun
- Various designs for black powder flasks and shot pouches
- Vintage cap dispenser
Dismounting of a vintage percussion shotgun
- Separating the barrel from the fore-end
- Breech area with two locking hooks at the rear
- Removal of the frame from the stock
- Linking screw between the two lock plates
- Dismounting of the locks
- Dismounting of the guard plate
Disassembling and explanation of the lock
- A lock that is called "forward" lock
- Typical flint lock mechanism
- Complete dismounting of the lock
- Compression of the main spring using a specific hand vise
- Sear spring at the rear of the plate
- Two-pillar bridle retained by three screws
- Tumbler and bridle arrangement
- Bridle with one, two, three or four pillars
- Squared and slightly conical shank of the bridle
- Hammer created out of a forging piece
- Hammer produced by metal casting (industrial era)
- Exploded view of the lock components
Dismounting and explanation of the trigger mechanism
- Dismounting of the trigger assembly
- Trigger mechanism just after its removal from the stock
- Trigger mechanism after a thorough cleaning
- Removal of the trigger spring retaining screw
- Removal of the triggers
- Exploded view of the trigger mechanism
- Functioning of the trigger mechanism
- First notch acting as a safety notch
- Hammer at full-cock notch
- Lock mechanism ready for firing
- Analysis of a "forward" lock of the industrial era
- Flint lock mechanism without bridle
- Exploded view of the industrial lock components
The beginning of the breech loading system
- Flintlock guns loaded through the breech
- The centerfire rifle of Samuel Pauly
- Samuel Pauly's self-contained cartridge
- Shotgun of the Pauly pattern made by Robert
- The pinfire shotgun of Casimir Lefaucheux
- Casimir Lefaucheux French patent #5525 of 1833
- Early Casimir Lefaucheux shotgun
Lefaucheux shotgun with "not detachable" barrel
- Lefaucheux shotgun of the early period
- Study of a pinfire shotgun carrying a "not detachable" barrel
- M.J. ANDRE qualified gunsmith at CHARLEROI (Belgium)
- Fore-end screwed to the barrel lump
- Dismounting of the barrel
- Pivot pin extremity carrying a locking wing
- Barrel lump area with hinge ring
- Post with bevel to force the breech opening
- The barrel markings
- The barrel fabrication
- Some types of Damascus steel used for gun barrels
- The Damascus external look copied (fake Damascus)
- Barrel chamber's features
- Early barrel chamber with an abrupt cartridge abutment
- Later barrel chamber with a smooth conical cartridge abutment
The "rearward" lock explained
- Why to create a "rearward" lock?
- "Rearward" lock design of a pinfire shotgun
- "Forward" lock installed in a modern middle range shotgun
- Dismounting and disassembling of a "rearward" lock
- Main spring and sear spring positioned in the lock's rear tang
- Exploded view of the pinfire lock components
Functioning of the "rearward" lock
- Safety notch and cock notch
- Tumbler's rotation blocked by the upper pillar of the bridle
- Analysis of a "rearward" lock of industrial design
- Exploded view of the lock components
Lefaucheux shotguns using two locking levers
- Articulated fore-end created by Casimir Lefaucheux
- "Lepage" dismounting lever
- Dismounting of the barrel
- Barrel's features
- French Saint-Etienne proof markings
Takedown of the Lefaucheux two-lever frame
- Dismounting of the fore-end and barrel bolt
- Hinge pin partly merged with the frame
- Extractor device for pinfire cartridge
- How to dismount the barrel bolt
- Barrel bolt retaining screw locked by a tiny counter-screw
- Friction spring on the upper face of the bolt lever
Dismounting and explaining the Lefaucheux bolt
- Disassembling of the barrel bolt
- Hexagonal foot of the bolt with circular friction spring
- Exploded parts of the bolt
... and more (4 chapters)