Servais Mariette Pepperbox
Mariette · Revolver · Discontinued · 1837
Also known as: Mariette Brevette Pepperbox, Mariette Bte, Mariette ring-trigger pepperbox
Overview
The Servais Mariette pepperbox is a Belgian percussion pepperbox revolver made in the Liege region in the mid-19th century, following the hammerless ring-trigger, turn-off-barrel design patented by the gunsmith Mariette in 1837. Chambered for .36-caliber cap-and-ball loads, it uses a self-cocking double-action ring trigger and an underhammer to fire a rotating cluster of unscrewable barrels, most often four or six, without a conventional exposed hammer.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 600 g (21.2 oz) |
| Action Type | Revolving |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Effective Range | 10 m (11 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .36 Caliber Percussion (Cap and Ball) · primary — also known as .36 cal, .36 percussion, 9.1mm
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Muzzle-Loaded Turn-Off Barrel Cluster
- Features: Ring Trigger, Hammerless Self-Cocking Action, Cluster Of Unscrewable Turn-Off Barrels (Screw-In Nipples), Underhammer Percussion Ignition, Barrel Counts Commonly Four Or Six; Specials Made With More, Bag-Shaped Grip
Production
Production years: 1837-1870
Widely produced in and around Liege by the Mariette family and licensees; exact totals unrecorded.
Origin
Country of origin: Belgium
Designer: Gilles Mariette
Discontinued: 1870
Notes
Mariette pepperboxes are typically marked 'Mariette Bte' (Breveté). Servais Mariette is one of the Mariette family maker signatures found on these Liege-proofed pistols. Barrel calibers ranged roughly from .28 to .50; the .36 five- and six-shot examples are among the most common.
Background
Mariette's 1837 hammerless design let the shooter fire a whole cluster of barrels just by repeatedly squeezing a ring trigger, making it one of the earliest practical double-action repeating handguns and a favorite concealed self-defense pistol before metallic cartridges arrived.