Rupertus Pepperbox: A Sophisticated 8-Shot Rimfire Pocket Gun
Forgotten Weapons
•
5m 53s
The Rupertus Patent Pistol Manufacturing Company was founded in Philadelphia by Bavarian-born Jacob Rupertus. The company made a variety of derringers, pepperboxes, and revolvers and today we are looking at an 8-shot, .22 rimfire pepperbox patented by Rupertus in 1864. It’s a tiny civilian pocket gun, and one that seems to be well made and cleverly designed. The loading port is a rotary piece that prevents any accidental firing during the loading process and also ensures that the loading port cannot come open and let a loose cartridge jam the action when in use. About 3,000 of these guns were made in the mid to late 1860s.
Up Next in Forgotten Weapons
-
The Rarest 1911: North American Arms Co
In the summer of 1918, the US government wanted to increase production of M1911 pistols, but all current manufacturers were working at capacity. So they looked to issue new contracts, and someone realized that the Ross rifle factory was a potential option. Now, the Ross Rifle Company was bankrupt...
-
Tanegashima: Guns of the Samurai
The first Japanese exposure to firearms came from Portuguese traders in 1534, as the southern Japanese island of Tanegashima. They received a matchlock, and quickly recognized its utility and potential - within 10 years matchlocks were in significant production in Japan. The style of gun took hol...
-
Daly Arms "Tom Thumb" - A Tiny Ring-T...
The "Tom Thumb" is a tiny .22 rimfire revolver made in Belgium by an unknown shop and imported into the US to be sold by the Daly Arms Company of New York. These are antique guns, probably made in the 1870s or 1880s, chambered for the original black powder .22 rimfire cartridge. There are other s...
