Original Civil War Period Cap And Ball .31 Caliber Steel Frame Antique Pepperbox Pistol Certified

SOLD

Know your local laws!  No sales to New Jersey, New York City, Washington D.C., or outside the United States.

Original Civil War Period Cap And Ball .31 Caliber steel frame  Pepperbox Antique Pistol Certified.  Pepperbox revolvers were so named because of the similarity of the front view of the weapon was so reminiscent of a Pepper Pot of the time being a circle of round holes. This example is unmarked but could have been made by Ethan Allen of Massachusetts (1808-1871). Allen developed his Gun business by taking his brother-in-law Charles Thurber as his partner, originally setting up shop in Norwich, CT, which as a major gun making center at the time. They were one of the earliest makers of pistols in the city, and sources usually cite 1842 as when they began production, though some use 1835 as the start date.

Ethan Allen, no relation to the Revolutionary Ethan Allen, had applied for various patents, most notably early on for a “TUBE HAMMER” ignition system in 1837, which was renewed in 1845 with significant improvements to the design. In 1847, the company moved the production plant to Worcester, Mass., and continued production. After Charles Thurber passed away in 1856, Ethan Allen later took into his business another brother-in-law, Thomas Wheelock, who worked with the company until 1865. As before, the company was known for its rotating cylinder/barrel revolvers. This is the type exhibited on our Pepperbox Revolver offered here. The weapon is Six Shot in .31 caliber measuring 7 1/2″ overall with 3 1/2″ barrels. The Pepperbox is in very good used condition, with a lovely patina of age, semi-operational but NOT sold for firing. The cylinder / barrel assembly is really in great shape, with the original blued finish faded to a grayish patina. The action has engraving on it,  The flash shield around the end of the cylinder does have some foliate engraving, which is a bit worn. The walnut grips have lost most of their original “piano varnish” finish, but sill have a great color, with no major wear or damage. It does fire but the cylinder does not advance the whole way on it’s own. A classic Civil War period pistol and a choice semi- functioning display gun. un-marked but possibly an Allen   A favorite of both Confederate and Union soldiers during the Civil War. Many Civil War soldiers carried private purchase “back up” weapons as illustrated in the photos. This gun is 100% guaranteed to be authentic, and unaltered. A fantastic functioning display piece. Complete museum documentation (COA) provided. This is a pre-1898 antique gun so no federal registration is required. Although this is a working gun, we do not recommend firing antique guns. If you decide to   shoot it, we will not be held liable for any results. You are responsible for knowing your local laws. No sales to New Jersey, New York City, D.C., or outside the United States. No PayPal payments on guns. Also note when browsing our web site there are several pages of items, at the bottom of the list look for other page numbers. Very Nice-Looking, Functioning Example. A REAL CONVERSATION PIECE! Great SCARCE Antique Pistol.