Uh oh
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was this gun older than my other early black powder cartridge revolvers, or just a creative way around the S&W bored through cylinder patent
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I am not sure, but it was probably the patent date on the original cap & ball design. The S&W patent is for a bored-through cylinder for a revolver (1860s???), pepperbox pistols pre-date or are contemporary with Colt's Patterson design, i.e. they have been around longer than cartridges. The old Hopkins & Allen design goes back to the late 1840s, IIRC, so it's in that early period of cap and ball firearms. Again, I'm not sure, but I would surmise pepperbox pistols fell out of favor because it was cheaper to make a frame and one barrel than 4/5/6 barrels, and the results were lighter and less bulky.