AP179 - “Dragoon” Saw Handled Pepperbox Revolver.
An unusually large bore and unusually stocked “Dragoon” pepperbox pistol: in 80 bore ( .38” cal.” percussion Dragoon Model pepperbox. There is no visible serial number (not unusual) but most probably made by Blunt & Symes, New York, USA. The overall length is 9½”  with six 5½” barrels, fluted in .38” smoothbore. The rear of the barrel cluster and nipples is half shrouded at the top half; all nipples bar one appear to be in good condition and not damaged from drey firing.
 
It has an extremely unusual saw-handle grip – the vast majority of pepperbox pistols have smooth and bag shaped grips. The ring trigger actions an in-line hammer, in the style of the Mariettte pepperboxes;  this is generally deemed more efficient for ignition than the perpendicular hammer. It is not clear whether Blunt & Symes bought-in Birmingham actions and barrelled them themselves, or made the complete gun: the lack of British proof-marks would support the former and they did import extensively from Europe.  Very many Blunt and Symes made guns are un-named, although they do have some stylistic indicators: the saw-handle being but one; in reality (and use) the saw-handle grip does make it much easier to handle and point, giving support with the much longer than normal barrels. It is understood that Orison Blunt of New York was a gunmaker in his own right whilst John George Symes was a sporting goods dealer; one concludes it was a financial and marketing partnership, although one well known and successful across a wide range of designs and types of firearms..
 
A number of Civil War photographs are known with soldiers carrying large bore pepperboxes, clearly as personal purchases rather than federal or State issue