Classic Arms Ltd Pepperbox

[11th corps]

I was doing some cleanup and organization when I ran across a Classic Arms Ltd Ethan Allen Pepperbox kit.
It belonged to my Dad. He has been gone since the mid 1990's.
I think he probably bought this at Kmart. Not sure when. I decided to assemble it and am in the process of trying to get it functional.
Anyone have one of these? Dad had several "kits" from low end manufacturers. Some would pop percussion caps, some would not.

 

[rafterob]

Those pepperbox kits seemed to function well enough. If after you get her all ready to go and you have trouble with popping caps, ask here on the forum. There are solutions to that problem.

 

[Zonie]

I built one years ago. I never could get it to pop a cap reliably.

To me, the only thing that makes it worth owning is the fact that in their day, pepperboxes were very popular short range defense guns and the Classic Arms version looks vaguely like the originals so, in my collection, it gets to represent them.

I would rather have one of the Hoppe's Ethan Allen pepperboxes that were made back in the 1980's but they are hard to find.

 

[hawkeye2]

I have a factory one from the 70s and though I have never shot it it functions well and the springs seem strong enough to pop a cap. Kmart had all the Classic Arms kits for rock bottom prices, about $22 I recall. in the early 1980s. I bought one of each and don't even know where I stashed them after all these years.

 

[11th corps]

I finished the kit build this week. I only had two issues. One was driving the pin that holds the sear to the trigger. It required 2 sets of hands. I had my wife push a round wooden toothpick into the opening while I held pressure on the spring/sear to line up the hole. I then drove the toothpick out with the pin. The other issue was the trigger plunger spring. I either lost or misplaced it. I went to my local well stocked hardware but they did not have a compression spring that fit. It dawned on me that a spring from a ball point pen assembly might substitute, and it did.
Here's the gun, finished.

 

[11th corps]

The original brochure from the manufacturer, shows other kits available.

 

[11th corps]

It popped 3 out of 4 percussion caps, so I will get out to the range after the snow stops here in Indiana. Not sure about how much we are supposed to get, its always a manure shoot. I did manage to find one box of .350 round balls at my local gun shop. The instructions call for a .345 ball with .15 patch. The balls did roll down the barrel when I tried them so they are not oversize like I thought they might be. The instruction call for 12 grains of 3F black powder.

 

[11th corps]

I also have the New Orleans Ace. It was assembled by Dad. I shot it a few times but it won't pop caps reliably. The hammer spring on the Pepperbox seems much stronger. The hammer is stout as well.

 

[Griz44Mag]

I have the pepperbox that I got used from a member here. It had been dryfired and the nipples were badly mushroomed. (A warning about dry firing)
With new nipples it pays to use a drill bit and sharpen the top of the nipples from the inside. Don't sharpen them with a file from the outside, the caps won't stay on. They will be more reliable with ignition. These little pepperboxes are notorious for not setting the caps off.
I also shoot the .350 balls in mine with an .010 patch. It's tight but it works.
Since there are no sights and the hammer is on top taking aim takes on a whole new meaning.
However, the fun factor makes up for it. It's a hoot to shoot...
I am looking for a way to rebuild the guts to make it a cock and fire instead of a really massive trigger pull.

 

[11th corps]

Grizz
I got the pepperbox out to the range today. It popped caps about- 8 out of 10-on the first try.
I loaded it with 12 grains of 777. My first two shots at 7 yards were not even on paper. I finally figured out it was shooting high (from the hip). I managed to get 4 shots on target, 3 in vital zone. At 10 feet.
It was a fun project.

 

[Zonie]

A quote by Mark Twain about Pepper Box pistols:

"George Bemis . . . wore in his belt an old original "Allen" revolver, such as irreverent people called a "pepper-box." Simply drawing the trigger back, cocked and fired the pistol. As the trigger came back, the hammer would begin to rise and the barrel to turn over, and presently down would drop the hammer, and away would speed the ball. To aim along the turning barrel and hit the thing aimed at was a feat which was probably never done with an "Allen" in the world. But George's was a reliable weapon, nevertheless, because, as one of the stage-drivers afterward said, "If she didn't get what she went after, she would fetch something else." And so she did. She went after a deuce of spades nailed against a tree, once, and fetched a mule standing about thirty yards to the left of it. Bemis did not want the mule; but the owner came out with a double-barreled shotgun and persuaded him to buy it, anyhow. It was a cheerful weapon--the "Allen." Sometimes all its six barrels would go off at once, and then there was no safe place in all the region round about, but behind it."

 

[11th corps]

A quote by Mark Twain about Pepper Box pistols:

"George Bemis . . . wore in his belt an old original "Allen" revolver, such as irreverent people called a "pepper-box." Simply drawing the trigger back, cocked and fired the pistol. As the trigger came back, the hammer would begin to rise and the barrel to turn over, and presently down would drop the hammer, and away would speed the ball. To aim along the turning barrel and hit the thing aimed at was a feat which was probably never done with an "Allen" in the world. But George's was a reliable weapon, nevertheless, because, as one of the stage-drivers afterward said, "If she didn't get what she went after, she would fetch something else." And so she did. She went after a deuce of spades nailed against a tree, once, and fetched a mule standing about thirty yards to the left of it. Bemis did not want the mule; but the owner came out with a double-barreled shotgun and persuaded him to buy it, anyhow. It was a cheerful weapon--the "Allen." Sometimes all its six barrels would go off at once, and then there was no safe place in all the region round about, but behind it."

Zonie, great post. Yes, the shots were all over the place, I probably would have shot a mule if one had been standing anywhere near the end of my pepperbox.

 

[John May]

I finished the kit build this week. I only had two issues. One was driving the pin that holds the sear to the trigger. It required 2 sets of hands. I had my wife push a round wooden toothpick into the opening while I held pressure on the spring/sear to line up the hole. I then drove the toothpick out with the pin. The other issue was the trigger plunger spring. I either lost or misplaced it. I went to my local well stocked hardware but they did not have a compression spring that fit. It dawned on me that a spring from a ball point pen assembly might substitute, and it did.
Here's the gun, finished.
View attachment 24888 View attachment 24888

Interesting article, I have one I bought from Dixie Gun Works in kit form which I saved for completion when I retired. Well I've been retired for nearly a year now and can't believe how little time I have to do anything?? Am I doing something wrong!

 

[Griz44Mag]

Interesting article, I have one I bought from Dixie Gun Works in kit form which I saved for completion when I retired. Well I've been retired for nearly a year now and can't believe how little time I have to do anything?? Am I doing something wrong!

Likely not John,
I retired 7 months ago and have almost no spare time. Keeping up with the forum posts is dang near a full time job!

 

[Cowboy]

Don’t know how long I’ve had this one? This one and another pistol were thrown in on a muzzleloader trade some years back?

Respectfully, Cowboy