| 12 mm Lefaucheux | |
| Type: | Revolver |
| Service: | 1858–1892 |
| Used By: | French Navy and French Army |
| Design Date: | 1858 |
| Is Si Specs: | yes |
| Case Type: | Rimmed, straight |
| Bullet: | 11.3 |
| Neck: | 11.8 |
| Base: | 11.9 |
| Rim Dia: | 12.6 |
| Rim Thick: | 0.94 mm |
| Case Length: | 19.9 |
| Length: | 30.8 |
| Is Si Ballistics: | yes |
| Bwunit: | gram |
| Vel3: | 0 |
| En3: | 0 |
The 12mm Lefaucheux is a metallic center-fire cartridge. It was originally created as a rimless pinfire cartridge using black powder employed by the French navy on the Lefaucheux M1858 revolver. Later it was adapted to a center-fire cartridge by the French Army in 1873 for use on the MAS 1873 revolver.
Originally, the 12 mm, was a classic Lefaucheux cartridge, with a side pin from its introduction in 1858 until 1873, when it was adapted and became a rimmed center-fire cartridge for use in the MAS revolver 1873-1874 then used by the French Army.[1]
These are the characteristics of the '12 mm Lefaucheux' cartridge:[1] [2] [3] [4]
These are the most frequently encountered ("headstamp") tags:[3]
In these markings, the initials "G. E" referring to the manufacturer "Ernest Gaupillat", and the other letter and digits referring to the batch (probably place and date).[3]