Pepperbox / Transitional repeater

[krolick]

Here's something I would like to share. It's some info and images of a seldom seen piece of firearms technology. The pistol in the pictures is a transitional pepperbox. These bridged the gap between the awkward pepperbox and the true revolver, then called repeaters. This one was made in Birmingham in 1853, by Pennell. It is a well made thing. All frame and mechanical parts are hardened. The machining work is outstanding and it's beautifully engraved. The cyl(6 shots) and barrel are iron, the bore is about 48 cal. with 15 groved rifling. It is self cocking doubble action. This means it will fire as fast as one can pull the trigger. While these were made up to the 1870s, they never matched the commercial success of Colt's 'Patterson' and it's successors. This one has suffered from much neglect and miss-handling breaking the internal frame. My task is to repair it. The images should explain it. I put a repro Southern made navy in for size comparison. GS

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[pargent]

Thank you for sharing ,double action hammerless , complex little bugger for 1853 , again thanks for sharing. :applause:

 

[George T.]

Thank's for the post. A whole lot of parts in that revolver! Geo. T.

 

[cynthialee]

Pretty spiffy, but I do not see how it is a 'transitional pepper box' instead of a revolver.
Looks like a rather interesting revolver to me.

 

[desi23]

Interesting piece. I have seen a couple similar guns at OGCA shows but they must be pretty rare. The ones I saw before had a bar type hammer and outward nipples unlike the one you have there. I have to wonder if they were prone to multiple discharges like a standard pepperbox. The one you have, at least, has some shields between the nipples.

Cynthia, I believe these were called transitional because they were an early attempt to compete with Colt's revolvers by taking a pepperbox action, shortening the cylinder and adding a barrel.

 

[Zonie]

Perhaps others call it a "transitional pepperbox" but I wouldn't.

Many feel a pepperbox by definition is a multi barreled revolving pistol.
The single barrel, separate from the cylinder makes it a revolver.

Noting that it was made in Birmingham I'm sure Col. Colt was a bit miffed by it.

It violates several of Colts American Patents by having a single barrel and by having dams or firewalls between the nipples.

Without international agreements on Patents at the time, Colt couldn't sue the British maker as he did with many other American companies.

 

[MacRob46]

Interesting piece. I have seen a couple similar guns at OGCA shows but they must be pretty rare. The ones I saw before had a bar type hammer and outward nipples unlike the one you have there. I have to wonder if they were prone to multiple discharges like a standard pepperbox. The one you have, at least, has some shields between the nipples.

Cynthia, I believe these were called transitional because they were an early attempt to compete with Colt's revolvers by taking a pepperbox action, shortening the cylinder and adding a barrel.

I agree. The pepperbox, compared to the Colt revolver, was a fairly awkward firearm. This pistol clearly shows signs of the adaptation of the pepperbox mechanism into a transitional firearm with the intention of making it more balanced and efficient. Double action handguns were made early on in England so this, in itself, differs from the Colt idea. As far as patents, they were regularly infringed or ignored outside the US. Prime examples within the continental US were all the Colt clones made by the Confederacy. Apparently Colt did not get too upset about that or the English attempts to adapt what might be his design to their firearms industry since he continued to sell in England and even marked some of his guns with a London address. Colt sold his revolvers to states in the Confederacy right up until the start of hostilities and even considered warehousing guns in southern locations for sale after the war started, though it is doubtful that Federal authorities would have permitted that. Sam Colt was not a man to let politics get in the way of commerce.

 

[MSW]

fascinating, and a very elegant execution ... no el- cheapo milling marks or misfits that seem so common in a bunch of modern firearms.

thanks for sharing!

 

[zimmerstutzen]

cool piece. The in-line striker linked to the hammer is intriguing.

An acquaintance had a different style revolver on which each chamber had a slide that opened to permit a percussion cartridge (with nipple) to be dropped in. (Sort of like the early Gatling Gun cartridges) It was also double action. I wish I had taken pictures of the gun. He claimed there was also a tip up rifle that would take the same percussion cartridges. The gent died about 25 yrs ago.

 

[krolick]

Since placing this post, I've had some time to do some additional research. The Penell pistol is a bit more rarer than we thought. There are only 12 known to still exist. A long gun version of it was also made. The owner took it out to the range this Saturday to shoot it. Had to stretch the base of the #11 caps to get them to fit but he managed to fire 30 shots. Had one chain firing but pistol and shooter survived unscathed. He found 20 grains of 3f and .475 ball worked well. He's got every conceivable bullet mold ever made. I'll try to take the camera along next time he shoots it. GS

 

[pargent]

Colt had taken out an English patent in 1835 protecting his revolver mechanism this is why these types of pepperboxes /revolvers were called transition revolvers or pepperboxes every where but in the US . Not pointing this out to you but rather those above ,