This is my last revolving Pinfire and I am uncertain if it is 28ga or 15mm calibre.
The chambers do not have a rim step and a 15mm cartridge fits nicely without any slack but is about 1mm below the cylinder face. A 28ga fits too without slack and is
slightly proud of the cylinder face. I am unsure which is the correct cartridge.
The cylinder is 54.5mm long so would fit a 2 1/8" case but 28ga shotshells are usually 63 to 65mm long. I do not have a shortened case to check if the cylinder still rotates.
The name on the barrel is inlaid in silver and looks very nice.
The barrel is marked Fa TOMAS ARINO which sounds Sth American ?
What does Fa stand for and is it a dealer or maker name?
6 chambers, smooth bore (no rifling) and a shotgun type front sight.
No proof or makers stamps , only a C on the loading gate.
Replaced gate catch , screw and missing a front sling swivel?
Barrel is 631mm (2’ 1") long and approx. 1090mm (3’ 7") overall length.
Not in mint condition but still interesting. All comments are welcome.
Damn. Now I have to strip the cylinder out tomorrow and take a photo of both .
The 15mm in mine definitely looked a better fit than yours does.
It did not have any wobble. Wait for a photo and give your opinion.
Edit. I will check if the longer pin in a 28ga shotshell will still rotate in the cylinder.
Why would a maker make a chamber that needed a custom trimmed (shorter) case than a factory loaded case. You would have to handload each cartridge.
At Lefaucheux there are two versions of this kind of revolving shotgun … 15 mm with a rifled barrel and a cal 28 with a smooth barrel.
The LF 161 is smooth
OK I have checked this Pinfire and decided it seems to be a 28ga shotgun but you could fire 15mm cartridges in it too.
There is a 6.3mm (1/4") pin clearance for the cylinder to rotate so the pins must be seated just under 9mm long. I tried 6 cartridges and they varied from 6.0 - 7mm height above the cylinder. Some pins may not have been seated correctly?
Most 28ga seated flush in the chamber but the Comet was 0.5mm proud but looked like the small gap would allow use.
The 3 different 15mm cartridges fitted but the Fiocchi had a flat base and fitted best. The others had rounded rims and seated a bit deep but some other revolvers also seat the cartridges a bit deep in the chamber too.
This Pinfire needs 2" or under 55mm shotshell cases to work.
Did any catalogue or maker show these short 28ga cases, otherwise you have to hand load custom ammunition.
Very good Ronald. First of all, thank you very much for your dedication.
Correct me if I’m wrong, the production of pin-fire cartridges, although it reached the first third of the 20th century, shortly after beginning full production, in the 1850, it suffered a drastic slowdown (due to the commercialization of the first large caliber rimfire cartridge designed by B.T. Henry).
That would make the SFM not possible because this company emerged in 1884 or 1887,
and it seems, I think, that since 1891 its logo has been the two interlocking G’s.
If it is then Gapillat, the doubt is to know under whom of the family it is produced with the comet logo:
if André between 1835-1874,
Víctor 1874-1884
or Marcel 1890-1928.
Well, I’m waiting patiently to see if you can enlighten me on this. What I said: thank you very much.
I send you an image of the cartridge example in question.
