Allen & Thurber Pepperbox
Allen & Thurber · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1837
Also known as: Allen pepperbox, Allen & Thurber pepperbox revolver
Overview
The Allen & Thurber pepperbox was one of America's most popular self-defense handguns of the 1840s and 1850s. Built around a rotating cluster of six muzzle-loading percussion barrels, it used Ethan Allen's patented self-cocking 'bar hammer' mechanism: pulling the ring trigger rotated the barrel group, cocked and dropped the hammer in a single motion, making it the first practical double-action repeating handgun widely sold in the United States. Smoothbore .36 caliber 'Dragoon' models featured barrel clusters of 5 to 6 inches.
Specifications
| Overall Length | 235 mm (9.25") |
| Barrel Length | 133 mm (5.24") |
| Action Type | Double Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Double Action Only |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Rotary |
| Effective Range | 10 m (11 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 30 m (33 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .36 Caliber Ball · primary — also known as 36 cal round ball, 9.1mm ball
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Rotating Barrel Cluster
- Features: Rotating Barrel Cluster, Six Barrels, Ring Trigger, Self Cocking, Bar Hammer, Percussion Cap, Muzzle Loader
Variants
- Allen & Thurber Dragoon Pepperbox — Long Barrel
Service history
Operators
- American civilians and settlers
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Production years: 1837-1856
Tens of thousands produced; one of the best-selling American handguns before Colt's revolver dominance
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Ethan Allen
Discontinued: 1856
Notes
Ethan Allen patented the self-cocking ignition (the 'tube hammer') in 1837, renewed 1845. The firm operated in Grafton MA, then Norwich CT (1842), then Worcester MA (1856). The double-action ring trigger gave volume of fire at the cost of poor accuracy.
Background
Mark Twain ridiculed the pepperbox in 'Roughing It,' joking that when it fired it might hit the intended target or, just as likely, any bystander to either side, owing to its terrible accuracy.