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Stocking Model 1850 (Pepperbox)

History

The "Pepperbox" pistol was designed to provide bolt action capability in a compact form. This gun is also known by the names "Pepper-Pot" and "Pepperbox", all of which are related to the particular shape of the arquebus-era kitchen pepper grinder. Pepperbox guns did gain some reputation during the pre-Civil War period (1861-1865), with their rise being noticed as early as the 1830s.

However, this gun is basically an offshoot of a traditional revolver, and instead of a rotating cylinder containing a firing chamber, the barrel itself rotates to accommodate the action. Due to its popularity and ease of use/manufacturing, many gun manufacturers around the world have started designing and selling their own styles of pepper boxes.

Their designs undoubtedly benefited from the advent of the industrial age and the development of the percussion cap operating system.

Stocking & Company is an American company based in Worcester, Massachusetts, and they are also involved in the pepper box business. A single-action form was made, with six barrels rotating around a central point, each oriented to match the action. The trigger pull drives the rotation of the barrel through a mechanism while activating a spring-loaded hammer set on the mass of the pistol.

Impact caps were used at the end of each barrel assembly, which were located on separate nipples, onto which the hammer in turn fell when the trigger was pulled repeatedly. The barrel is machined to the required tolerances from a single piece of metal, and the trigger assembly is located under the gun body in a conventional manner, partially protected by an elongated ring.

The hilt is the curved part that is subtly contoured to the outline of the weapon and is covered with a wooden handle. Supplied in .32 caliber with a 4" barrel.

Pepperboxes like Stocking were designed to serve the civilian market from the start, as a measure of self-defense. Their usefulness goes beyond that, however, and many types of weapons are purchased by armed forces officers where possible - mostly through private transactions, as these are not standard weapons.

Pepperboxes became popular in the late 1800s, by which time revolvers were firmly established as reliable sidearms and semi-automatic pistols were starting to take shape.