Original Item: Only One Available. 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 is a somewhat rare example, made by the Bacon Arms Company, and is the first example we have had made by Bacon.

Thomas K. Bacon was a very ingenious gunmaker in the mid 19th century, though sadly he never never achieved the level of success that his designs warranted before his death in 1873. He associated with several different New England gunmaking firms, including Ethan Allen, Allen and Thurber, and three other which bore his name. One company would later become the Hopkins & Allen company. Originally a manufacturer of single-shot, underhammer, and pepperbox pistols, Bacon later turned to the production of small cartridge revolvers. Unfortunately at the time Smith & Wesson still held rights to the Rollin White patent for a bored through cylinder, which resulted in lawsuits and royalties that resulted in one company shutting down.

Bacon Arms Company was the last company he founded that bore his name, and while it enjoyed some success, it closed and Bacon sold the assets of his new business in December of 1865. After this Bacon worked at various firms in the New England firearms industry until his death in 1873. Following his death, the tooling and machinery was revived, as was the Bacon Arms Company, which continued manufacturing spur-trigger revolvers after Bacon’s death in 1873 through 1888.

This pepperbox is a relatively small example, being in .22cal and definitely intended for a pocket. It is a single action design, and as is typical of Bacon firearms it features no trigger guard around a spur trigger. It measures 5 ½" with a 2 ⅜" barrel cluster. Removal of the grips shows that serial number 110 is stamped on the grip frame, while the grip scales are unmarked. We can also see that the right grip scale was replaced at some point long ago. The back of the cylinder is marked with number 2 5 0, but we do not know if this is an assembly number, or that it was swapped out at some point.

The cylinder is marked on the side between the barrel flutes with:

BACON ARMS CO. NORWICH. CONN.

The Pepperbox is in very good used condition, with a lovely patina of age, fully operational as best we can tell, but NOT sold for firing. The metalwork displays and overall peppered gray patina from years of use and cleaning. The revolver actually cycles very well, with accurate indexing, a firm cylinder lockup, and a crisp dry fire. The cylinder arbor pin unscrews and pulls out correctly. Please note that it is REVERSE THREADED. The barrels still display rifling, but also some fouling and oxidation, as expected from a pepperbox from the black powder era. The grip scales show some lovely age, even though one is a replacement.

A lovely example of an interesting stepping stone in 19th Century American firearms, ready to add to your collection!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: circa 1870
Caliber: .22"
Ammunition Type: Rimfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 2 ⅜ inches
Overall Length: 5 ½ inches
Action: Single Action Only
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

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 most US States and most U.S. territories.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to most addresses within the United States.