Original item: One of a Kind. Over the years, IMA has purchased many collections and groups of antique guns, in which case we need to take all of them, as we did in Nepal. While these collections were generally full of guns that relatively good condition, they also had some that were less complete and unfortunately would take more restoration time than we were able to give them. We kept them in storage, possibly for future products, but have now decided to offer these "As Found" antique firearms to our customers as restoration projects. These are all original and as we received them, except for cleaning the dirt and grime off the exterior.

Please note that these are still real antique guns, and are being sold in "As is" condition at a significant discount from what they would sell at if we were to fully restore them. We will do our best to photograph and describe them and know that our customers will know exactly what they are getting. Some of these, such as this example, look to have possibly been project or parts guns, and are missing a significant amount of parts. These are being sold in "Grade 2" condition, and on these ALL SALES ARE FINAL.

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. There were various manufacturers who went into business making these, and here we have a very interesting Grade 2 "As Found" example of one of the rarer types.

This is an 8 Shot .22 Pepperbox Revolver designed and produced by Jacob Rupertus under his 1864 patent for the design. These were manufactured in the 1860s, with a total production of only 3,000, far less than the vast numbers turned out by companies like Sharps. While having an 8 shot barrel cluster may be good on paper, it was over kill, and the system was also somewhat problematic. The revolver is equipped with a tapering 3 inch barrel cluster and originally featured a breech plate that would rotate 90 degrees counter clockwise to expose a loading gate, which also functioned as a safety for the gun. After loading the breech plate is turned back so that the pistol can be fired.

The pistol is marked on the right side of the brass frame around the hammer pivot screw with:-

RUPERTUS' PAT PISTOL MFG CO
PHILADA

On the left side it is marked similarly with:-

RUPERTUS' PATENT
JULY 19TH 1864

The revolver features a brass frame with a steel barrel cluster, and what look to be walnut grip scales, and it is similar in size and shape to other designs, except for the barrel cluster.

Condition Notes:
- Overall condition shows oxidation on the metalwork, with some rusting and scaling on the barrel assembly.
- Breech plate for the barrel assembly is missing.
- Pepperbox is currently non functional, with the cylinder rotating freely. The hammer sometimes functions. 

A nice Grade 2 "As Found" example of an interesting and very rare stepping stone in 19th Century American firearms, ready to add to your collection! This could be the start of a great restoration project, or parts for another!

Please make sure to look at all the high resolution (2000x2000) pictures before purchasing, as ALL SALES ARE FINAL.

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: circa 1845-6
Caliber: .22"
Ammunition Type: Rimfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 3 inches
Overall Length: 5 1/2 inches
Action: Single Action Only
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.