Original U.S. Pre Civil War Bacon & Co. .30cal Underhammer Percussion Pepperbox Revolver in Original Case with Accessories - Matching Serial 26

Original Item: Only One Available. Pepperbox revolvers were so named because of the similarity of the front view of the weapon was so reminiscent of a Pepper Pot of the time being a circle of round holes. This is a somewhat rare example of a percussion pepperbox in .30 caliber, made by the relatively short lived "Bacon & Company" founded by Thomas K. Bacon, a very ingenious gunmaker in the mid 19th century, though sadly he never never achieved the level of success that his designs warranted before his death in 1873. He associated with several different New England gunmaking firms, including Ethan Allen, Allen and Thurber, and three others which bore his name.

This is the first percussion pepperbox we have had made by any of the "Bacon" firms, and it is certainly an interesting design, being both single action and featuring an "underhammer" design with two "triggers". It measures 8 1/4" in overall length with a 4" barrel cluster, and in form is relatively similar to the Allen pepperboxes, featuring the same floral "Bank Note" style engraving on the frame, which is also present on the flash guard. Removal of the grips shows that serial number 26 is stamped on the grip frame, the main spring, the trigger spring, and on the inside of BOTH grip scales. We also can see that it is stamped on the barrel cluster between two of the cap nipples, which makes this a fantastic "ALL MATCHING" example, with no parts swapped out over the years!

The cylinder is marked on the side between the barrel flutes with:

BACON & CO.          NORWICH C-T.

CAST STEEL

The Pepperbox is in very good used condition, with a lovely lightly worn patina of age, fully operational as best we can tell, but NOT sold for firing. The metalwork displays an overall polished patina from years of cleaning and light use, but there is no major oxidation pitting or other damage. The metalwork displays and overall peppered gray patina from years of use and cleaning. The revolver actually cycles very well, with accurate indexing and a crisp dry fire. These do not appear to have a cylinder lock in the design, so the cylinder can be rotated at full cock, but it only will rest with one of the chambers in firing position. The walnut grip scales are in great shape, showing some light wear, but no major damage, and a lovely color.

To make this offering even better, it came to us with a fantastic original wood case, which measures approximately 9 1/4" x 5 ½" x 2", and has different compartments inside, all velvet lined. These are for various accessories one might use with the pistol, including a bullet mold, a small powder flask, and some spare round bullets. The case is lovely, and actually still has a functional lock in the front, along with the key to use it! We almost never see these with functional locks. It shows wear to the interior, and looks to be period to the pistol, so we assume they were purchased as a set, maybe directly from Bacon himself!

A lovely cased example of an interesting stepping stone in 19th Century American firearms by the rare Bacon & Co., ready to add to your collection!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: circa 1855
Caliber: .30"
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 4 inches
Overall Length: 8 1/4 inches
Action: Single Action Only
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

More on Thomas K. Bacon:

Thomas K. Bacon was a very ingenious gunmaker in the mid 19th century, though sadly he never never achieved the level of success that his designs warranted before his death in 1873. He associated with several different New England gunmaking firms, including Ethan Allen, Allen and Thurber, and three other companies which bore his name. He originally had been a "jobber" for Ethan Allen, also of Norwich, but when that company moved to Worcester, Bacon opened "Bacon & Company", which was a manufacturer of single-shot, underhammer, and pepperbox pistols. Unfortunately this venture did not turn out successfully, and after a failed attempt to raise capital, closed in 1857.

Bacon then worked with Manhattan firearms, also located in Norwich at that point, but decided to start another firm under his own name in 1858, Bacon Manufacturing Company. This company started out by manufacturing Colt-style pocket percussion revolvers, and then turned to the production of small cartridge revolvers in .22, .25, .32 and .38 rimfire. Unfortunately at the time Smith & Wesson still held rights to the Rollin White patent for a bored through cylinder, which resulted in lawsuits and subsequent royalties being paid. Bacon was forced to put the Rollin White and Smith & Wesson patent information on all of the revolvers produced after this point.

In 1863, the chief shareholder of the Bacon Manufacturing Company became displeased with Thomas Bacon’s performance with the company, and forced him out. With Bacon gone, the company continued in business through 1868 but with lackluster sales and minimal success. The firm was subsequently reorganized in 1868 and was reestablished as the Hopkins & Allen company, remaining in business through the second decade of the 1900s.

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