What a random find in a cotton field! This revolver is an 1853 Lefaucheux pinfire. When I dug this little jewel up I thought it was a toy. This area of the cotton field we were hunting was an old house site and other toys had already been found.

The pinfire was an odd looking cartridge as it had the firing pin built in. The pin protruded through a slot in the cylinder. The hammer curves over the frame allowing it to strike the protruding pin.