Pietta re-invents the pepperbox!

[Wes/Tex]

My question would be "WHY", but it does show some inventive minds at work. A '51 Navy pepperbox! I really hope I'm not hearing him say, "72 grains of powder in each cylinder"...by which I think he means chamber...but still!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3L6QxOwm2M

 

[Zonie]

I've always had a interest in the original pepperboxes but I have absolutely no interest in owning that thing.

A Colt revolver with a long cylinder and no barrel doesn't begin to recreate the grace and features of a original pepperbox.
It looks like what it is. A Colt opentop without a barrel and with a ridiculously long cylinder on it.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Exactly. I listened to it several times and it still sounds like he's saying 72 grains in a .36! I mean, really? That would be a big BOOM, about 18 inches of flame and a big waste of powder. If they had to go that route, why couldn't they just make a quality copy of a larger "dragoon" sized pepperbox? Too easy, I guess!

 

[BowerR64]

They dont think it will take off thats why its in brass.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Iirc, emf announced such a gun 2 years ago.

 

[Wes/Tex]

The general idea has been 'floated' a couple times over the years but this is the first time I've actually seen somebody actually go to the trouble of making it. Probably a 'one off' to see what kind of a reaction they got a major gun symposium.

Still can't confirm a round barrel version of the '58 Remington either...and no 5.5" barrels until after the TWBTS period. Whatever!

 

[nkbj]

A muff gun with possibly three projectiles in each barrel. Not bad if you carried a muff in the 1860's.

 

[coloradoclyde]

To me it looks about as useful as screen doors on a submarine

 

[coloradoclyde]

It looks like something Lee VanCleef would have used in one of the Sabatta movies

 

[Alden]

The comment was the unfluted .36 caliber cylinder was "capable" of handling up to 72 grains... I'd say that means "proofed with."

 

[Wes/Tex]

The comment was the unfluted .36 caliber cylinder was "capable" of handling up to 72 grains... I'd say that means "proofed with."

Lord, I hope so. Couldn't actually understand what was actually being said and translated. the silly thing certainly has it's own "cool" points but it's still sort of goofy! If they 'd gone with an Allen or even English double action pepperbox in a .40 caliber "Dragoon" size, it'd be a neat thing to play with.

 

[jaxenro]

I remember a pic our of a period conversion of an 1862 where the arbor was cut right after the barrel and threaded for a large flat headed machine screw (looked like anyway) sp on effect a no barreled 1862 36 caliber revolver. Looked similar but the cylinder was regular length.

 

[wicket]

Hmmm, weld an extension to the frame, extend the post, slap a navy barrel on the sucker, drive the wedge home, load her full and rock n'roll, first shot would be a doozy.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

An extended cylinder hunting revolver in 44 cal would be good

 

[Alden]

Oh yes, Time/Life's series on The Old West and the wonderful poster of "The Guns" with a picture as you're talking about that we ordered for "free" and Mom had to pay for when she cancelled the unwanted subscription. Those were the good old days...

 

[BowerR64]

I forgot how you load it?

 

[cynthialee]

I forgot how you load it?

well they said it was a smoothbore so just put a PRB down each chamber

I think it is cool in some ways but misses the mark in others. The frame looks crappy with the way it doesn't logically end under the cylinder and just comes to an abrupt halt at the point a barrel assembly would connect in.

Finding the sweet spot load on each chamber to get it to group would be a challenge.

 

[Millermpls]

I like the thought on doing something different, but that looks pretty funky. Why not try a reproduction of a real pepperbox? I would buy an Allen (and Thurber?) Dragoon pepperbox in a heartbeat.

I do not believe there is a current production repro pepperbox on the market, other than the cheapy kit offered by Dixie that no one seems to think is anything but junk.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Just as a technical difference. The proposed pepperbox is a muzzle loader and since it is under 40 caliber, would be legal for small game in PA. A 36 caliber cap and ball revolver with attached barrel is NOT a muzzle loader and not legal for small game. (Not that a hunter could be a dead eye with a 36 smooth bore that has no sights.)

 

[Wes/Tex]

Would think the Penn. hunting regs would be able to answer that one. Only know that in Texas, there's a very definite comment that anything that loads through the front of a cylinder is NOT a muzzleloader as far as hunting is concerned.