Percussion & pinfire shotguns

Percussion et fusils de chasse à broche expliqué

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)