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Old February 4, 2018, 11:09 AM   #1
Drae
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Pepperboxes?

I mean, these weren't a bad idea, and have an awesome look to them. Given some revolvers can 'survive' having half their frame cut away, what if we did that to one, then attached a machined very long cylinder?
Also, aside from waste of materials and weight, what even are the cons to pepperboxes?
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Old February 4, 2018, 11:17 AM   #2
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You mean something like this? http://www.cabelas.com/product/Piett...er/2373101.uts
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Old February 4, 2018, 12:09 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by Hawg
You beat me to it. I saw that at the SHOT Show, and I asked myself, "Why?"
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Old February 4, 2018, 01:00 PM   #4
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Yes, something like this, but with a bit longer 'cylinder', less 'historical and fragile' value, and a more modern look. Oh, and no black powder, normal cartridges please.
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Old February 4, 2018, 02:34 PM   #5
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Each barrel has to be rifled. None of the barrels will shoot to the same pint of aim. Lots of barrels are heavier than one barrel. More expensive than a single barrel.
There have been a few guns made like this. None of them sold well.
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Old February 4, 2018, 02:50 PM   #6
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Well, given a pepperbox (and to an extent snub revolvers) are to be used in pretty short ranges you don't need each last drop of accuracy right?
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Old February 4, 2018, 03:19 PM   #7
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What would the advantage be?

Most people aren't looking for modern variations of antiquated designs. Especially when they're larger and more expensive than "normal" guns.
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Old February 4, 2018, 04:02 PM   #8
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Only advantage I can even remotely think of, and I'm reaching here, is that one barrel gets a bad load and leaves the bullet in the barrel you still have the other barrels shootable. Personally I'd still rather have a modern revolver.
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Old February 4, 2018, 05:26 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by Aguila Blanca View Post
You beat me to it. I saw that at the SHOT Show, and I asked myself, "Why?"
Because Sam Colt held patents to the better idea and had lawyers that would back up those patent's with lawsuits.
This was a way to sell a multi shot firearm and not run afoul of the law.
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Old February 4, 2018, 05:36 PM   #10
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Pietro makes a ball and cap repro.
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Old February 4, 2018, 08:45 PM   #11
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I do wonder if the manufacturers get bored on a rainy day when sales are slow and they have their crew dream up some wildly impractical, even foolish, variant, (deviant, perhaps?), of something more sensible that they already have in production, so as to save the cost of designing something really stupid from the ground up. "If we make it, they will buy it." That long-cylinder-barreless, 1851 Colt-ish abomination is ridiculous. But so is the, "Mare's Leg", and the Ruger Charger.... yet, apparently, they sell. I guess the manufacturers found a niche market that prevents them from having to lay off skilled workers. I suppose that's a good thing; clowns need guns, too.
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Old February 4, 2018, 09:04 PM   #12
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Because Sam Colt held patents to the better idea and had lawyers that would back up those patent's with lawsuits.
This was a way to sell a multi shot firearm and not run afoul of the law.
Colt had nothing to do with that monstrosity. That is an Italian fantasy piece. I dare say half of the guns Pietta makes never existed outside of their imaginations before they made them.
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Old February 4, 2018, 09:13 PM   #13
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But still, they're cool as heck! The other issue with them is that there are no sights. Like already said, they're not for aiming. Another thing that could be done with them (the cap and ball one), is add a rifled conversion cylinder if Howell's or Taylor's would make one. 38 special would be perfect, but it could even be made to shoot other calibers since there's no barrel to limit it.

Quote:
I guess the manufacturers found a niche market that prevents them from having to lay off skilled workers. I suppose that's a good thing; clowns need guns, too.
We all like what we like. So, I guess I'm a proud clown.

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Old February 4, 2018, 09:42 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gwpercle
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aguila Blanca
You beat me to it. I saw that at the SHOT Show, and I asked myself, "Why?"
Because Sam Colt held patents to the better idea and had lawyers that would back up those patent's with lawsuits.
This was a way to sell a multi shot firearm and not run afoul of the law.
I wasn't questiong the invention of pepperboxes in general. What I meant was why would Pietta come out with a pepperbox cylinder (which they advertise as "historical") on a Colt 1851 frame? It's another in a long line of "historical replicas" of firearms that never existed in history.
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Old February 4, 2018, 09:56 PM   #15
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Standard Manufacturing is supposedly coming out with kind of a modern version.
The prototype was shown at last year's SHOT Show, but a year later, no word of a release date.
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/201...33-volleyfire/
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Old February 5, 2018, 05:20 PM   #16
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Quote:
I do wonder if the manufacturers get bored on a rainy day when sales are slow and they have their crew dream up some wildly impractical, even foolish, variant, (deviant, perhaps?), of something more sensible that they already have in production, so as to save the cost of designing something really stupid from the ground up.
Have you ever worked in manufacturing? Everything costs money, including design time. I cannot remember ever being assigned to come up with something wildly impractical. Before a dime gets spent on development, the bean counters have to be convinced there is a potential market for something. Otherwise nobody gets paid to come up with new ideas.
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Old February 5, 2018, 05:35 PM   #17
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The issue with a modern pepperbox is the reload time would be so long that they'd be impractical. Seriously, an NAA mini revolver would be faster to reload.

I do think that pepperboxes are simpler and more robust designs because they'll never have timing issues develop like a revolver will, but the length of time that it will take for mechanical wear to develop in the any newly manufactured gun will be longer than your lifespan most likely.

A pepperbox would be a great end of the world gun or something, but the design doesn't work with cartridges. For muzzleloaders, they're not a bad idea. I think with a long enough cylinder and large enough caliber, you could put 2 or 3 buckshot balls in the cylinder and it would be an effective close range gun.

I wouldn't want three .45 caliber balls being shot at me.

But, again, the size is impractical and if I wanted a big bore black powder percussion handgun, I'd get one of the Great Gun derringers in .54 caliber.
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Old February 5, 2018, 06:14 PM   #18
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Quote:
but the design doesn't work with cartridges.
Why not? Seems to work for the Volley Fire prototype ( post 15). I'm sure the design could be altered to fire only one barrel at a time instead of two with one trigger pull.
The big difference being the barrels don't revolve, the firing mechanism does.
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Old February 5, 2018, 06:18 PM   #19
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Maybe someone could lop the barrel off a Judge.
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Old February 5, 2018, 06:37 PM   #20
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A revolver is still smaller.
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Old February 5, 2018, 07:31 PM   #21
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What about the COP .357.
Isn't that similar?
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Old February 5, 2018, 08:02 PM   #22
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There have been many schemes for making a repeating pistol, none especially good. They usually gain compactness, such as a gun that is shorter overall for a given barrel length, at the cost of extra mass. Mostly, any benefit is in the mind of the seller and, presumably, the buyer.

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Old February 5, 2018, 08:53 PM   #23
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Call me crazy, but sometimes I want something just because it's weird! Still looking for a USFA Zip!
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Old February 5, 2018, 11:01 PM   #24
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Howdy

Did somebody say Pepperbox?

This little four barrel Sharps Pepperbox was made sometime in the 1870s. Chambered for 22 Shorts, it will not take anything longer.







To load it you push up the latch at the front.






Then you slide the barrels forward.







There is a ratchet on the hammer that rotates the firing pin around 90 degrees every time the hammer is cocked. There is a tiny front sight, and a groove on the rear of the frame for a rear sight.






Of course, aiming would have been rudimentary with this little gun, it was only meant for close quarters, not much more than a card table away.

Not too long ago, Navy Arms was importing a replica chambered for 22 Long Rifle.
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Old February 6, 2018, 02:49 AM   #25
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The Sharps is not a true pepperbox.
Pepperbox barrels rotate.
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