Pepper-box

The pepper-box pistol or simply pepperbox (also "pepper-pot", from its resemblance to the household pepper shakers) is a multiple-barrel firearm, mostly in the form of a handgun, that has three or more gun barrels each holding a single shot. The barrels are fired in sequence by a rotating firing mechanism or, more typically, by rotating the entire barrel assembly to bring each barrel in line with a single lock or hammer, similar to the rotation of a revolver's cylinder.

Pepperbox guns have existed for all types of firelock firearms and metal-cased ammunition systems used in breechloading firearms: matchlock, wheellock, flintlock, caplock, pinfire, rimfire, and centerfire. The weight of multiple barrels could make the weapon unwieldy and restricted most to the form of sidearms intended for self-defence, though a few long guns were also made. Popular in the mid-19th century, the design has occasionally been revived for specialty applications.

Early years

This type of firearm was popular in North America from 1830 until the American Civil War, but the concept was introduced much earlier. In the 15th century, the ribauldequin, a version of the volley gun, had several single shot barrels attached to a stock, being fired individually by means of a match. Around 1790, pepperboxes were built on the basis of flintlock systems, notably by Nock in England and "Segallas" in Belgium. Building on the success of the earlier two-barrel turnover pistols, they were fitted with three, four or seven barrels. These early pepperboxes were hand rotated.