This gun is clearly an "out of the soil" piece, rather than something found in a barn or outbuilding. It was excavated a number of years ago with permission from the landowner on a spot near the Sayler's Creek battlefield. This historic fight was one of the last of the Civil War. It is ironic that such an early pistol would be recovered there, but the Pepperbox was a serviceable weapon and deadly at very close range. Might this have been Confederate-carried? Quite possibly. This was the sort of sidearm that officers or even the occasional enlisted man might purchase privately and carry in his belt or haversack for a little added insurance.

 

This one is in almost perfect excavated condition and is just missing a small bit of the trigger guard. The wooden grips have, of course, eroded. I do not believe the pistol is loaded but it's pretty hard to tell either way. The one exposed nipple is not capped. The gun is totally frozen and nothing moves. No repairs have been made to the pistol and what you see here is, minus the dirt, what came out of the ground.

 

One of my primary collecting empases involves excavated pistols. I already have a Pepperbox. Otherwise, this one would not see the light of day. If you enjoy dug guns as much as I do, you'll be all fired up to add this to your collection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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