These pistols have floral pattern etching on nearly all of the metal surfaces. The barrels, which rotate to the left for reloading, are also etched with "Lefaucheux Bte Paris" and have post front sights. There are notch sights on the breech followed by an "LF" emblem and "98" ("9" on gun B is mis-struck). "197" is on the bottom of the barrels. The triggers remain folded up into the action until the hammer is cocked. The pinfire system was invented by Casimir Lefaucheux in 1836 and was one of the first efficient self-contained cartridge systems. A revolver designed by his son Eugene using the pinfire system was the first self-contained cartridge firearm adopted by a national government. Lefaucheux revolvers were also the first handguns issued by the U.S. Army that used internally-primed ammunition. Revolvers, pistols, and long guns patented by the Lefaucheuxs were licensed for production by many Belgian firms.

As discussed in A.