Pepper Box Revolver The "Pepperbox" revolver was popular, primarily as a self-defense weapon, from the 1830's through the end of the Civil War. Multiple barrels revolved around a central spindle, each fired in turn as it aligned with the hammer. This piece replicates a London-made pepperbox and has a double-action mechanism, whereby pulling the trigger both cocked and dropped the hammer and rotated the next barrel into firing position.