Six-Barreled Pepperbox Disk Primer Pistol with Case and Accessories

Joseph Rock Cooper

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This type of pistol is commonly called a pepperbox, its defining feature being a rotatable cluster of full-length barrels. They were produced in large numbers in England in the 1830s-50s and were the first English revolvers to utilize percussion ignition system, though early examples of the English pepperbox date to the early 1800s and employed flintlocks. They commonly feature six or seven barrels machine bored from a single piece of steel, and a box-lock with a bar hammer at the top of the frame. This example is self-cocking, each pull of the trigger raising the releasing the hammer and rotating the barrel cluster. It utilizes a disk primer mechanism, instead of the more common percussion caps that fitted over a protruding nipple. It features a folding trigger, silver primer shield, and a blued frame and barrels, now faded, the frame and shield engraved with scrollwork.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The principal goals of the Arms and Armor Department are to collect, preserve, research, publish, and exhibit distinguished examples representing the art of the armorer, swordsmith, and gunmaker. Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture.

Metropolitan Museum of Art