What is this? Pepperbox

[matt73071]

Hello Ladies & Gentleman,
I was directed to this site by a coworker who is a fan of World history & guns.
I have what I believe is an Allen & Thurber Pepperbox. It has not been touched as far as clean up since I found it. It's pretty rough but i was wanting some information on it.
Date of Manufacture, Location of Manufacture, Current value, along with any other tidbits of information you could possibly supply.
Thanks in advance
Matt

 

[A. Roy]

A beautiful old piece. I don't really know much about these weapons, but I'm curious where you found this.
ARB

 

[matt73071]

Actually my late father in law found this partially buried (been there for years possibly decades) in a local park in central Indiana. I've held onto it for more than 15 years now.

 

[JOHN42768]

Welcome, enjoy. Google Allan & Thurber pepperboxes and you will find some info

 

[scooter748driver]

Welcome from the Fort Sumter and the Fredericksburg forums.

Those are neat guns. The one you have seems to be in rough shape unfortunately. Here's a link to a short but very informative video on them that will give you some good info.

Allen & Thurber Pepperbox at RIA - Forgotten Weapons

If the Colt Paterson was the high-end classy choice for a sidearm in the mid-1800s, the Allen & Thurber pepperbox would have been the simple working man's alternative. While Colt was working for military contracts, Allen & Thurber ignored that market in favor of producing an affordable civilian...

www.forgottenweapons.com

I have one as well and it's a favorite:

In his book Roughing It, Mark Twain wrote about the gun in his unique way. Here's a portion of what he wrote:

He wore in his belt an old original "Allen" revolver, such as irreverent people called a "pepper-box." Simply drawing the trigger back, cocked and fired the pistol. As the trigger came back, the hammer would begin to rise and the barrel to turn over, and presently down would drop the hammer, and away would speed the ball. To aim along the turning barrel and hit the thing aimed at was a feat which was probably never done with an "Allen" in the world. But George's was a reliable weapon, nevertheless, because, as one of the stage-drivers afterward said, "If she didn't get what she went after, she would fetch something else." And so she did. She went after a deuce of spades nailed against a tree, once, and fetched a mule standing about thirty yards to the left of it. Bemis did not want the mule; but the owner came out with a double-barreled shotgun and persuaded him to buy it, anyhow. It was a cheerful weapon--the "Allen." Sometimes all its six barrels would go off at once, and then there was no safe place in all the region round about, but behind it.

 

[matt73071]

Thanks for the information.

 

[7thWisconsin]

That´s definitely an Allen and Thurber. I love the simple engraving on those guns. The closest I ever got to owning one is a plastic model I assembled when I was a kid. I still have it. Your gun looks just like it - which is pretty gratifying to the model builder.