Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very appealing and all matching Allen, Thurber & Co. six-shot percussion pepperbox revolver, manufactured at Worcester, Massachusetts during the brief 1854-1856 Allen, Thurber & Co. period and built on Ethan Allen’s improved 1845 patent system. Pepperboxes were among the most important American repeating handguns before the widespread adoption of the conventional revolving cylinder pistol, and Ethan Allen became one of the country’s best known makers of the type. This example is particularly desirable because serial number 503 appears throughout the revolver, including both walnut grips, grip frame, mainspring, trigger guard, and surviving portion of the barrel cluster marking, indicating that the major components have remained together for approximately 170 years.

This is an antique black powder firearm manufactured before 1899. Under federal law, it may generally be owned within the United States without a special license or permit and does not require transfer through a Federal Firearms Licensee. However, state and local laws may vary. This firearm is sold solely as a historical collector’s item and has not been test fired or inspected for firing safety by a professional gunsmith. Any mechanical observations provided below describe only its present condition and should not be interpreted as confirmation that the firearm is safe to load or fire. The purchaser is solely responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

The pepperbox took its popular name from the appearance of its clustered barrels when viewed from the muzzle. With several round bores arranged around a central axis, the front resembled the perforated top of a contemporary pepper pot or pepper shaker.

Before Samuel Colt’s revolving cylinder system became dominant, the pepperbox offered one of the most practical ways to give a civilian multiple shots from a compact percussion handgun. Instead of rotating a separate cylinder behind a single barrel, the entire barrel cluster rotated, bringing a fresh loaded chamber and nipple into firing position with each pull of the trigger.

This example is a six-shot revolver in approximately .31 caliber and measures approximately 7 1/2" overall with a 3 3/8" barrel cluster.

It was manufactured by the firm of Ethan Allen, one of the most important figures in the early American repeating handgun industry. Allen, born in 1808, should not be confused with the Revolutionary War leader of the same name.

Allen began producing firearms in Massachusetts and entered into partnership with his brother-in-law Charles Thurber. The firm operated under several names and in several locations as production expanded.

The general company chronology is important when dating this revolver:

Allen & Thurber operated in Grafton, Massachusetts, and later Norwich, Connecticut. Production moved to Worcester, Massachusetts in 1847. In 1854, Thomas Wheelock joined the concern and the company name became:

Allen, Thurber & Co.

That exact corporate name was used only until 1856, when Charles Thurber retired and the business became Allen & Wheelock.

Because the barrel cluster on this revolver is marked ALLEN THURBER & CO. WORCESTER, it can be placed within that relatively narrow 1854-1856 production window. A circa 1855 manufacture date is therefore quite plausible, although no factory serial record has been supplied to establish an exact year.

The marking on the barrel flute reads:

ALLEN THURBER & CO. WORCESTER

The revolver incorporates the action system associated with Ethan Allen’s April 16, 1845 patent, which improved upon his earlier repeating handgun designs. Worcester manufactured Allen pepperboxes of this general type used the 1845 patent system, even though the precise location and wording of patent stamps varied considerably from one example to another.

No clearly legible patent marking is presently visible on the barrel cluster or tube hammer of this example. This is not necessarily unusual, as markings varied and could also become extremely faint through powder erosion, oxidation, wear, and later cleaning.

One of the most desirable features of this revolver is its extensive matching serial numbering.

Removal of the walnut grip scales reveals serial number:

503

stamped inside both grips.

The same number is also stamped on:

the right grip frame
the mainspring

The inside of the trigger guard is also stamped:

503

together with the assembly marking:

O

The same:

O

assembly marking appears on the right side of the grip frame.

The barrel cluster markings have suffered substantially from powder burn and wear, particularly around the percussion nipple recesses. However, the final two digits:

03

can still be made out between the recesses.

Taken together, these matching numbers strongly indicate that the principal numbered components remain together and have not been assembled from unrelated guns. For a mechanically complicated early repeating pistol, that degree of matching originality is an important collector feature.

The frame retains attractive decorative engraving along the sideplates of the action and on the flash guard. The flash guard decoration and markings are considerably fainter from age and use, but enough survives to show the more decorative finish characteristic of many Allen pepperboxes.

These revolvers occupied an interesting technological position in the development of the American handgun.

The percussion cap had eliminated the separate priming pan of the flintlock, making compact repeating arms much more practical. A pepperbox allowed the owner to carry several loaded charges ready for immediate use without manually reloading after every shot.

Most Allen pepperboxes of this pattern were double action only. Pulling the trigger rotated the barrel cluster, cocked the hammer, and released it in one continuous mechanical cycle. This made the pistol particularly suitable as a close range defensive arm because the user did not have to manually cock the hammer before each shot.

The hammer itself is positioned centrally above the nipples and strikes downward as each chamber rotates into firing position. Allen’s arrangement became one of the defining characteristics of American pepperboxes of the period.

Compact multi-shot pistols like these were widely associated with civilian carry during the decades before the Civil War. They were purchased by travelers, businessmen, settlers, and others who wanted a repeating defensive handgun at a time when reliable cartridge revolvers were still years in the future.

By the middle 1850s, however, the conventional single barrel revolver was rapidly overtaking the pepperbox. Colt and other manufacturers demonstrated the advantages of a separate revolving cylinder and fixed barrel, particularly in accuracy and sighting. The pepperbox nevertheless remained an important step between the single-shot percussion pistol and the mature revolver designs that dominated the second half of the century.

This example is in very good used condition with a deeply aged and attractive overall patina.

The original exterior finish is essentially gone and has been replaced by a mottled, peppered gray and brown surface. There is overall oxidation, together with evidence that portions were cleaned in the past to remove heavier corrosion.

The barrel cluster displays noticeable powder burn and oxidation around the percussion nipple cones, evidence that the revolver saw substantial use during its working life.

The tube hammer remains in good condition.

The action is presently fully operational, with the barrel cluster cycling correctly as the trigger is operated. Again, this mechanical description does not constitute a statement that the revolver is safe to fire.

The walnut grip scales are particularly attractive. They have developed a warm aged color and display honest period handling wear.

Importantly, they retain much of the original glossy “piano varnish” style finish associated with the period. Wear is concentrated along the sides beneath the securing screw fittings, while significant finish remains elsewhere.

The combination of extensive matching serial numbers, Allen, Thurber & Co. Worcester marking, 1845 patent type action, decorative engraving, functioning mechanism, and well preserved walnut grips makes this a particularly satisfying example of the classic American pepperbox.

For the collector, this revolver represents an important moment in American firearms development just before the conventional revolver became dominant. Its narrow 1854-1856 Allen, Thurber & Co. production period, low matching serial 503, six-shot .31 caliber configuration, and unusually complete matching numbered components give it considerably more interest than an ordinary mixed-part example. It would make an excellent addition to an Ethan Allen, pre-Civil War American arms, percussion pistol, early repeating firearm, or 19th century technological development collection.

Specifications:

Years of Manufacture: circa 1854–1856
Caliber: approx .31"
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 3 3/8 inches
Overall Length: 7 1/2 inches
Action: Double Action Only
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

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IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

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Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.