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Allen & Thurber Factory Engraved Pepperbox c. 1840

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:25.00 USD Estimated At:800.00 - 1,750.00 USD
Allen & Thurber Factory Engraved Pepperbox c. 1840
This is an original factory engraved Allen & Thurber six shot percussion “Pepperbox” revolving pistol dating to circa 1840’s. The pistol is in a .32 caliber with a 4 inch early style ribbed barrels. The bar hammer is marked, “ALLENS PATENT” and the top of the barrel along two of the ribs is marked, “ALLEN & THURBER WORCESTER / PATENTED 1837 CAST-STEEL”. Ethan Allen (1808-1871) was a major arms maker from Massachusetts making his first firearm, the “Pocket Rifle” patented in 1837. The following year Allen applied for a patent for a “tube hammer” pocket pistol and went into business with his brother-in-law, Charles Thurber. This firearm bears the Worcester mark and dates to circa 1847-1854 when the company moved from Norwich. This is one of the most notable arms created by Allen & Thurber and was considered the “Gun That Won the East”. This is the medium sized Allen Pepperbox that found favor as both the large pocket pistol as well as a holstered belt weapon. This early pepperbox was competitor to the Colt and Remington revolvers and was proven favorable with the “49ers” of the California Gold Rush fame as well as with urban dwellers in need of a repeating firearm for self-defense. Many of these examples were used as private purchase weapons on both sides of the Civil War. Examples in this high grade of condition are rare as these handguns were often used for “daily carry” by their owners with most showing a gray metal and more often than not badly rusted, pitted and showing abuse. This is truly an exceptional example as it still retains most of the original blue on the six barrels. The frame is factory hand engraved as is the nipple shield and back strap. This is a double action pistol in which a single pull of the trigger revolves the barrel cluster, raises the bar-style hammer and fires the gun. The pistol also shows a Walnut hardwood set of grips exhibiting the original early oval silver “spangle” decorative inlay in each grip and shows excellent condition. The firearm also exhibits a very unique set of sights, with the bar-style hammer taking up the majority of the top of the firearm the manufactures placed a notch to the left of the hammer and a fixed sight on the end of each barrel rib allowing the user to sight the gun with a slight angle. This shows excellent mechanical condition and is truly and outstanding example of a uniquely American firearm of the Pre-Civil War period in an extensively scarce factory engraved deluxe finish. Antique Firearms requires NO FFL.