Bacon Pepperbox
- Category
- Revolver
- Barrel
- 102 mm
- Weight, empty
- 480 g
- Introduced
- 1852
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Bacon Pepperbox is a six-barrel .31 caliber percussion pepperbox revolver produced by Thomas K. Bacon of Norwich, Connecticut in the mid-1850s. Unusual among period pepperboxes, it combined a single-action lock with an underhammer arrangement rather than the common double-action bar-hammer layout. The revolving cluster of muzzle-loaded barrels was offered in 3-inch, 4-inch, and 5-inch lengths, with the 4-inch ribbed cluster being standard. Blued and fitted with two-piece walnut grips and simple scroll engraving, it was a compact personal-defense arm made in very small numbers late in Bacon & Co's existence.
Pepperboxes bridged the gap between single-shot pistols and the practical revolver, offering multiple ready shots before the Colt-pattern revolving cylinder took over. Bacon's single-action underhammer design was a comparatively rare and elegant take on the type.
Early Bacon-era production was marked 'BACON & CO NORWICH-CT' and 'CAST STEEL' on the barrel ribs; assembly-numbered examples are known. The maker later reorganized as the Bacon Manufacturing Company.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Bacon Manufacturing Company
- Category
- Revolver
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1852 to 1857
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 102 mm
- Overall length
- 216 mm
- Weight, empty
- 480 g
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Revolving
- Firing mechanism
- Percussion
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 6
- Magazine
- Rotary
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 200 m/s
- Effective range
- 10 m
- Maximum range
- 40 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
- Six-barrel cluster
- Underhammer design
Single-action lockwork- Scroll-engraved frame and recoil shield
Two-piece walnut grips
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 404 revolvers | 480 g | 1.05 kg | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 415 revolvers | 216 mm | 260 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 431 revolvers | 102 mm | 127 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 434 revolvers | 6 | 6 | Holds more rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the Bacon Pepperbox
How much does the Bacon Pepperbox weigh?
The Bacon Pepperbox weighs 480 g (1.06 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Bacon Pepperbox?
The Bacon Pepperbox is chambered in .31 Caliber Percussion (Cap and Ball).
How many rounds does the Bacon Pepperbox hold?
The Bacon Pepperbox holds 6 rounds, fed from a rotary magazine.
How long is the Bacon Pepperbox?
The Bacon Pepperbox is 216 mm (8.50 in) long overall, with a 102 mm (4.02 in) barrel.
Who makes the Bacon Pepperbox?
The Bacon Pepperbox is made by Bacon Manufacturing Company (United States). It was designed by Thomas K. Bacon.
When was the Bacon Pepperbox introduced?
The Bacon Pepperbox was introduced in 1852 and discontinued in 1857.
How does the Bacon Pepperbox operate?
The Bacon Pepperbox uses a revolving action, and its firing mechanism is percussion.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
60%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/bacon-pepperbox' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "bacon-pepperbox", "name": "Bacon Pepperbox", "manufacturer": { "id": "bacon-manufacturing", "name": "Bacon Manufacturing Company", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1858, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-07-06 11:00:16", "updatedAt": "2026-07-06 11:00:16", "version": "a14dda7f2cf6a4b0e04b0e6f94de3df4a93efb2cc1bed85e8d3e002bd5a4ad5e" }, "category": { "id": "revolver", "name": "Revolver", "description": "Handguns with a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1852, "barrel_length_mm": 102, "weight_empty_g": 480, "action_type": "revolving"}