Pinfire Pistol

[steve medlock]

Genuine antique pinfire pistols are not too expensive and can be a nice collectors item.

I bought a French one recently and just need to make a trigger spring and it will be all in working order again. (but not for shooting obviously)

Steve.

[Racing]

Indeed, i was just about to say...
For various reasons the original pinfire guns are really dirt cheap. To this day.

I believe we´ve seen a SMALL move as far as prices fetched, but.. that´s a SMALL one. If you ask me they´re likely to become part of the "trade" though, seeing where it´s all heading.

Even up here it´s been up for debate as to if these guns are permit exempt or not, our law stating that 1890 is the magic date COUPLED with "not for use with a gas tight cartridge". Now. Issue is that the police seems to think they´re in reign and pinfires are under permit, courts say otherwise..
In short to us it´s a grey zone, i´m all to happy to stay out of to be honest.

That doesn´t detract from the Lefacheux system and so forth being of interest though. Cause it is.. no doubt.
On our law here in Scandinavia on a whole (minor variances) be adviced that in contrast to you guys we´re allowed to use/shoot them too. No "on FAC" needed what so ever, and this brings that picking up blackpowder and primers to run them is just as exempt.

Me i run both ways, shooting both permit and non permit guns buuuuut.. IMO the current legislation is a bit silly and out of date up here. That "not for gas tight cartridge" is just plain BS in my opinion as 1890 kind of sets the limit anyways.
Yeah yeah.. i know. The French handed us "Poudre B" in 1886, the Mle 1886 Lebel and what not... whatever, cause the truth of the matter is that as far as reloading speed (thinking abuse here) as terminal speed.. differences are slight vs the last cry BP guns anyways.

Just take a look at my 8mm Kropatschek (which is a BP gun from the onset) that was mainly run on a diet of smokeless as time progressed. Me OTOH, i would never dream of handing it a diet of jacketed and smokeless, albeit the gun can take it.
That brings that the "standard load" for these as 8*60 is a 250grain pill leaving the snout at inxs of 1700fps. To be compared to the first era Lebel and what not at just a tad over 2000...
Same same i say.

Anyways. On pinfire guns. Get an original i vote. They´re rather cheap, still. About to change though i foresee....

Just be adviced that vs the "pure" blackpowder ML´s and what not the pinfire guns are often pipsqueeks from a performance point of view. Something to at least be aware of..