Jezebel’s Pepperbox Pistol

Statistics
1840, USA, Cap & ball. Caliber .32, Base Range 10, Capacity 5, Rate of Fire 1, Damage 1D6, Malfunction 96.

Description
Purchased in 1840 for $11.50 at Valentine & Howell near Arkham, Jezebel’s pepperbox pistol sports five .32 caliber barrels fired by an underhammer, a frame and ring-trigger made from German silver, and a polished walnut grip. At the request of Lady Jezebel, the frame and barrels are etched with floral engravings, and the grip features the constellation of Virgo inset with stars of colored glass. The name “Jezebel” is inscribed on the backstrap. The pistol case is made from rosewood carved with orchids, hollyhocks, and morning glories. The hinges, corners, and clasp are made from German silver, and the escutcheon keyhole is engraved with the zodiacal sign of Virgo. Along with the pistol, the box features an ornate powder flask, a ramrod, twenty-four .32 caliber balls, percussion caps, cleaning equipment, and a bullet mold and casting ladle.

Notes
The general mechanism of the revolving magazine evolved from the pepperbox gun of the early nineteenth century. A pepperbox features a cluster of smooth-bore barrels which are rotated into position and fired individually by a pull of the trigger. Predating the advent of the cartridge, pepperbox guns are muzzle-loaded, and require a separate percussion cap for each barrel. The cones holding these caps were originally placed on the outside of the barrel-cluster, but evolving design began partitioning or shielding them more carefully. Interestingly, pepperbox guns are often “self-cocking,” an early form of double-action that requires a single trigger pull to rotate the cluster, cock the hammer, and fire the weapon. Pepperbox guns began fading in popularity before the Civil War, mostly replaced by the more efficient revolver.

Pepperbox pistols are subject to “chain fire.” This occurs when loose gunpowder escapes from a chamber and spreads into the cluster, the action, or somewhere else it’s not supposed to be. When the percussion cap is detonated, the stray powder ignites, often triggering a chain reaction that fires all chambers simultaneously! Shooters prevent chain fire by greasing the mouth of each chamber with lard or tallow. Chain fire is more common in old pistols, in which corrosion may worry holes between the chambers of a cluster. In terms of game mechanics, when a user of a pepperbox pistol gets a critical failure on her Firearms (Pistol) roll, chain fire discharges all remaining chambers and causes 1D4 damage to the shooter. A subsequent Mechanical Repair roll is required to mend the firearm, or it’s considered permanently disabled.

White Leviathan > Chapter 1—Kingsport 1844 Handouts
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Author: A. Buell Ruch
Last Modified: 22 August 2023
Email: quail (at) shipwrecklibrary (dot) com
White Leviathan PDF: [TBD]