Description:

ca 1867 Sharps & Co. Breechloading 4 Shot Pepperbox Pistol. This antique four-shot pepperbox was manufactured in 1867 by the Sharps and Hankins Co. of Worcester, Mass. It is the Model 1A which has a forward-sliding “breech loading” action. The barrels are 2 ½ inches in length. The frame is nickel-plated brass and the grips are carved scrolled leaf motif Gutta-Percha. Caliber/ Gauge: .22 SHORT RF; Serial Number: 6328 Working Order: Firearm has not been tested; Background Check: Not Required; Keywords: Firearms, Guns; Ref: BD1248

  • Dimensions: 2.5" Barrel
  • Circa: 1867
  • Notes: The story of the Sharps four-barrel pistol begins, officially, on December 18, 1849. On that date, the United States Patent Office issued patent number 6960 for a revolver to Christian Sharps, then residing in Washington, D.C. This "revolver" was, actually, not a revolver at all, but a pepperbox in which the barrels didn't revolve! It was fired by a striker which did revolve, though, on a center post to hit, in sequence, the percussion caps which were placed on nipples on the ends of the barrels. The side hammer served both as a cocking lever and as the force behind the striker. The pistol was not produced on a commercial basis until 1859, after Sharps had become sole owner of the Fairmont Rifle Works in West Philadelphia. By this time, the metallic cartridge had been introduced and Sharps was able to develop his design into a practical repeating pistol. Patent number 22753 was issued to Sharps on January 25, 1859, again for a "revolver". The first model was .22 caliber. Made with a brass frame, it had a spur or stud trigger, and was a single-action, four-shot repeater. Approximately 85,000 of these little pepperboxes were made in the ten years between 1859 and 1868. In 1862, William Hankins joined the firm and the company became "Sharps & Hankins". With the money brought into the company by Hankins, they were able to acquire a new factory. The new factory was first used for the manufacture of metallic rimfire cartridges but was later used to make both rifles and pistols. The Sharps and Hankins (third model) pistols differed from the first and second models in many ways. They were larger, .32 caliber, and had iron frames. With only one exception, the Sharps & Hankins pistols had the barrel release button on the left side of the frame instead of underneath the frame, as was most common on the earlier pistols. Some are found with the firing mounted in the frame instead of on the hammer, a few are also found with extractors. When the partnership was dissolved in 1867, production of this model was stopped entirely. The fourth, or "birdshead" model was the last Sharps pepperbox produced. Production ceased with the death of Christian Sharps in 1874. Christian Sharps (1811-1874) was the originator of a line of sturdy, practical, and popular military and sporting rifles and handguns that were associated with several events that shaped American history in 19th century, including armed conflict in Kansas during the 1850s, the Civil War, the era of the Plains buffalo hunter, and the rise of modern long-range competition shooting during the 1870s. Sharps worked at John Hall's Rifle Works in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, where he learned the principles of arms manufacturing. His first breechloading rifle design was patented in 1848, and the toggle-linking trigger guard and vertically operating sliding wedge breechblock of later Sharps rifles and carbines date from that patent. These features are still with us today, and have seen use in both rifle and artillery breech mechanisms. The spring lever-toggle-breech mechanism of the Borchardt-Luger semi-automatic pistol also had its roots in Christian Sharps' lever-linked breech.
  • Condition: The frame is in very good shape showing at least 50% original nickel plating. There are spotted areas of finish chipping on the frame and barrels. The bores are very good and the grips rate as fine. The action is very tight and positive. There does not appear to be any visible replaced parts.

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LOCAL PICK UP - ARIZONA FIREARMS BUYERS
Arizona residents MUST pick-up in person at Bradford's Auction Gallery with a scheduled date of pick up. Details and information will be included on the winning bidders invoice. Any local Arizona Buyer of Post 1898 firearms MUST complete all necessary registration forms at Bradford's Auction Gallery. Local Buyers MUST have a Valid ARIZONA ID with Current Physical Address. If your Arizona ID does not reflect your current address you MUST provide us with a secondary form of ID that contains your correct address. Arizona Gun Dealers must have a signed copy of their Federal Firearms License in order to accept delivery of modern weapons. ANY DENIED BACKGROUND CHECK WILL RESULT IN A REFUND MINUS A 25% RESTOCKING FEE.

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