Pietta 1851 Navy Yank Pepperbox
F.lli Pietta · Revolver · In Production
Also known as: 1851 Navy Pepperbox .36, Pietta Yank Pepperbox, 1851 Navy Yank Pepperbox
Overview
The Pietta 1851 Navy Yank Pepperbox is a .36 caliber cap-and-ball revolver built on the Colt 1851 Navy pattern but reworked into a barrelless pepperbox: the six-shot percussion cylinder itself doubles as the bore, so each chamber fires directly out the front with no separate barrel fitted. The case-hardened steel frame carries a brass backstrap and trigger guard with a one-piece walnut grip, and the hammer is notched to serve as the rear sight. A modern black-powder reproduction, it is loaded with loose FFFg powder, a .375 round ball, and a percussion cap on each nipple.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1020 g (36.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 178 mm (7.01") |
| Barrel Length | 76 mm (2.99") |
| Action Type | Double Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Single Action |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Revolving Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 180 m/s (591 fps) |
| Effective Range | 15 m (16 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Case Hardened |
Calibers
- .36 Caliber Percussion · primary — also known as .36 cal, .375 round ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Manual Cap-And-Ball Loading
- Safety mechanisms: Hammer Safety Notches
- Features: Barrelless Pepperbox Design, Cylinder Doubles As The Bore, Six-Shot Cap-And-Ball Cylinder, Brass Backstrap And Trigger Guard, Case-Hardened Steel Frame, One-Piece European Walnut Grip, Hammer Notched For Rear Sight
Production
Current-production black-powder reproduction manufactured by F.lli Pietta of Italy.
Origin
Country of origin: Italy
Notes
Pepperbox conversion of the 1851 Navy; the cylinder is roughly 3 inches (76 mm) long and acts as the bore, giving an overall length near 7 inches. Recommended load is about 20 grains of FFFg black powder behind a .376 round ball with .36 caliber wads.
Background
The pepperbox predates the single-barrel revolver, and this Pietta oddity revives that lineage by stripping the barrel off an 1851 Navy so the revolving cylinder fires straight out the front, a compact and unmistakably 19th-century-looking cap-and-ball sidearm.