Original pepperbox?

[JB White]

Got a call from an old friends son saying he bought a few items at an estate sale. The kid is gun savvy, in his mid 20's, but raised on Browning rifles and new Colt pistols.

He caught me at a bad time, but what I did get from him is this:

Allen & Thurber
Bar hammer
about .31 caliber
"looks old" (no kidding)
Dirty, looks like it sat in the attic for a good number of years.
Seems to want to function OK.

I told him it probably dates to the mid/late mid 1800's and to just oil it for now until we can find out more. I probably won't see it for months but he's excited now. Anything else I should ask him? Anything more I can tell him?

[musketjon]

Any thing more to tell him?? Hell YA!!!!! How about some PICTURES!!!!!
Jon

[JB White]

Ok..got ahold of him and he sent these:

Allen & Thurber (Norwich)









Looks like the real deal to me.

[free1954]

sure looks like it's been around awhile.

[Dick Hosmer]

It's real, and look at those screw heads!! Clearly, Bubba never found it.

[JB White]

He got a pretty good deal from what he told me. Bought this pepperbox and a Sauer 44 mag for well under $300. The Sauer is an under valued working gun but worth what he paid. In essence he was just given the pepperbox even though it's what caught his eye.
I guessed that it's worth somewhere between $700 and $1000 not knowing what collectors are interested in. Does that range sound about right?

I have also heard that some of these earlier pistols had a lacquered finish? If so, what kind of clean-up tips can I relay back to him? There really isn't a whole lot out there as far as detailed information goes.

[Lee T.]

Check out www.horstheld.com
He has one of these for sale. (a cased pistol in much nicer condition)
I don't know how realistic Horst is with his prices, but he always has a lot of things listed.
Based on his price, I'd say 700-1000 is in the ball park.

[JB White]

Thanks for that. I don't think he's ready to sell yet as the novelty hasn't worn off.

[clintonhater]

Based on his price, I'd say 700-1000 is in the ball park.

Based on this GB listing: http://www.gunbroker.com/item/628767369, which nobody, evidently, thinks is worth even as little as $290, though it appears to be in far better condition than the one above, I'd say 700-1000 is way out of the park. Pepperboxes are cute, but lots of them were made.

[JB White]

Based on this GB listing: http://www.gunbroker.com/item/628767369, which nobody, evidently, thinks is worth even as little as $290, though it appears to be in far better condition than the one above, I'd say 700-1000 is way out of the park. Pepperboxes are cute, but lots of them were made.

But that one has been over cleaned and doesn't work.
From the sellers description:

***Allen and Thurber black powder pepper box, made in aprox.1848 marked worchester MA. The grips have been replaced and the trigger pull does not move the hammer or rotate the barrel....***

I'm not saying the price is right or wrong for either because I surely don't know, but you can't compare an original working model to one being sold basically as a parts gun..