×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Chart (2024) Special Forces
HOME
SMALL ARMS INDEX
MODERN ARMIES
SPECIAL FORCES
ARMS BY COUNTRY
ARMS MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE ARMS
ARMS BY CONFLICT
ARMS BY TYPE
ARMS BY DECADE
AMERICAN CIVIL WAR ARMS
Infantry Small Arms / The Warfighter

Stocking Model 1850 (Pepperbox)


Six-Shot Compact Pistol [ 1850 ]



The Stocking Pepperbox utilized a pack of six barrels rotated to meet the percussion cap action.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 01/23/2017 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
The "pepperbox" gun was developed as a way to provide a repeat-fire function in a compact form. The gun also came to be known under the names of "pepper-pot" and "pepperbox", all related to the distinct shape of a kitchen pepper grinder dating back to the age of matchlock firearms. Pepperbox guns achieved a certainly level of fame during the period preceding the American Civil War (1861-1865) when their rise was noted as early as 1830. Such guns were essentially offshoots of traditional revolvers though, instead of a rotating cylinder containing the shot chambers, the barrels themselves were rotated to meet the action. Because of their popularity and ease of use/manufacture, many firearms producers all over the world took to designing and selling their own style of Pepperbox. Their design was no doubt helped by the arrival of the Industrial Age and the development of the percussion cap system of operation.

Stocking & Company was an American firm based in Worcester, Massachusetts and they, too, delved into the Pepperbox industry. A single-action form was made in which six barrels were rotated along a central point, each barrel aligning to meet the action. A trigger pull actuated the barrel's rotation through mechanical means while also enacting a spring-loaded hammer set over the mass of the pistol. Percussion caps were used at the end of each barrel assembly, these sat upon individual nipples, with the hammer falling on these caps in succession as the trigger was repeatedly pulled. The barrels were machined out of a single piece of metal for the required tolerances and the trigger unit sat under the body of the gun in a traditional fashion, protected some by a thin oblong ring. The handle was a curved section finely contoured with the weapon's profile and covered in wooden grips. An offered caliber was 32 and the barrels measured 4 inches long.

Pepperboxes like that offered by Stocking were intended from the outset to serve the civilian market as a self-defense measure. However, their usefulness went beyond this and many types were purchased by officers of military forces when possible - most often through private dealings as these weapons were not standard-issue guns. Pepperboxes continued in popularity through to the end of the 19th Century by which point the revolver was firmly entrenched as a trusty sidearm and the semi-automatic pistol was beginning to take form.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications



Basics [+]
Manufacturer(s)
Stocking & Company - USA
Operators
France; Russia; United Kingdom; United States National flag of France National flag of Russia National flag of the United Kingdom National flag of the United States
Service Year
1850
National Origin
United States


PISTOL / SIDEARM
Compact design for close-quarters work or general self-defense.


Overall Length
200 mm / 7.87 in
Barrel Length
101 mm / 3.98 in
Action
Revolving Barrel Assembly; Spring-Loaded Hammer
Caliber(s)*
.32 Ball
*May not represent an exhuastive list; Calibers may be model-specific dependent; Always consult official manufacturer sources.
Feed
Six-Round Rotating Barrel
Sights
None.


Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information.

Stocking Pepper Box - Base Series Name


Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon representing special forces
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Images



1 / 1
Image of the Stocking Model 1850 (Pepperbox)
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)