i need help appraising and identifying this 5 shot .75 caliber pistol

[dstacy8]

ive came across this pistol thats been in the family for a long time and i know absolutely nothing else about it. no one knows. ive been to many gun collectors and appraisers and they also know nothing

it weighs at least five pounds. its a five shot. its been only shot 3 times. measured the caliber just over .75... revolver.

[jack404]

only one i ever saw like it ( and from my memory) was German about 1848 or so

[hrf]

Maybe a modern concoction, I don't think allen head screws date to 1840s...

[Buffalochip]

Originally Posted by hrf

Maybe a modern concoction, I don't think allen head screws date to 1840s...

Socket head screws (aka allen head) have been around for about a century but, as you pointed out, this gun would likely date to the 1840s if if is original. It may be a modern concoction, but it may very well be that the original screws were replaced with allen heads. What purpose do they serve? It appears to be very well made and that calibre and mass leads me to wonder if it might be a naval weapon--or perhaps for a stagecoach? One certainly wouldn't want to carry that thing around loaded--it would make you lean to one side.

[Jolly Bill]

dstacy8;

Welcome to the Forum.

Pretty neat looking piece of machinery.

I'm sure I'm not the only one to wonder, how do you know "its been only shot 3 times"?

[Jim Hauff]

Quick research indicates the concept of "HEX HEAD" screws goes back into the 1860s, but no "practical" applications until the 1890s. In "concept" a progressive German gunsmith may have used them during the percussion cap era - then 1860s may fit both criteria. Curious piece indeed. The nipples look pristine, the "embellishment" looks a bit crude - certainly not a M... gun!

[3/2 STA SS]

Originally Posted by Jim Hauff

Quick research indicates the concept of "HEX HEAD" screws goes back into the 1860s, but no "practical" applications until the 1890s. In "concept" a progressive German gunsmith may have used them during the percussion cap era - then 1860s may fit both criteria. Curious piece indeed. The nipples look pristine, the "embellishment" looks a bit crude - certainly not a M... gun!

Jim,
You said ''nipples'' you might as well say MU.......

[RJay]

I don't think I've ever seen a Pepper Box of that large of caliber! That looks like a Mu** gun from hell. It does indeed look like some type of " crowd control " devise, I know it would impress the heck out of me.

[Buffalochip]

FOUND IT! Very rare elephant muff gun with prototype hex nuts.

[rhmc24]

I would like to see more and better pictures. At this point my vote is that it is a recent project piece. People do make things - here's a couple of mine:

[dstacy8]

i correct myself, only three of the barrels have been fired out of. and when i got it we fired it three times.... so just assuming we thought three times. and we think that the original screws were replaced with hex heads. but other than that we know absolutely nothing about the gun.
does anyone know a price range or an exact identification....

[Jim K]

I agree that that gun has some features (aside from the Allen type set screws) that look modern. The "engraving" was done with an electric pencil, then filled with gold paint. The grip looks very improbable for a large caliber pistol. I get the feeling that it might be a limited production repro, rather than a "one off" home workshop project gun.

I wonder if dstacy8 can determine just how long the gun has been in his family.

Jim

[dstacy8]

i have no idea how long its been in the family. it was gave to me bout a year ago, other than that the person before me isnt around anymore and people say he had it for at least 20 yrs and was handed down to him

[Twaits]

That's really cool. Are you interested in selling it?

[dstacy8]

yes... i have no use for it.

[Twaits]

Originally Posted by dstacy8

yes... i have no use for it.

PM sent. Sorry, I may have sent you two. I wasn't sure the first one went through

[dstacy8]

i sent a PM back.