Vaughan Wiltshire 

UK

Here is a picture of Vaughan Wiltshire holding the Perrins Pepperbox Pistol that he donated to the Worcester City Museum in 2003.

This is a six shot 120 bore self cocking bar hammer percussion pepperbox revolver made in Worcester by John Perrins sometime between 1840 -1850.  The pistol is eight inches overall, barrels length of two-and-three-quarter inches with Birmingham proof marks.  The rounded frame is engraved with scrolls and Perrins Maker Worcester.  It has a checkered walnut butt with a steel engraved butt cap with a hinged trap.

During the 1840s many pistols were being made in Birmingham so John Perrins has put Maker on the gun frame to show that he was both the maker and retailer.  To emphasize this point further, an early trade label describes Perrins & Son as Gun and Pistol Makers.

The pistol was bought by Vaughan Wiltshire in 2001 from the Edmund Greenwood Collection of Percussion Pepperbox Revolvers auctioned by Wallis & Wallis of Lewes East Sussex in early 2001.  Edmund Greenwood was a member of the Arms& Armour Society of Great Britain and had built up a collection of 179 pepperbox pistols and multi-barreled firearms over 45 years.  Earlier provenance is not known.