RARE - Sharps Four Barrel Pepperbox Derringer – dug in the 1862 Camp of the 10th Massachusetts Infantry at Harrison’s Landing (SOLD)

Being offered is an excavated Sharps .22 cal., 3” barrel, 4-barrel Model 1A; silver-plated frame Derringer. The serial number is stamped on the bottom of the grip frame – “645”, which is quite low, indicative of this being an early production example.  Stamped on one side of the frame is “C. SHARPS / PATENT 1859”. Stamped on the other side is “C. SHARPS & CO. / PHILADA, PA.” It was dug by Billy Johnson at the 1862 Camp of the 10th Massachusetts Infantry at Harrison’s Landing, Virginia.

These unusual, sophisticatedly designed, four-barrel pepperboxes were manufactured by Sharps, beginning in 1859. Sharps received a patent for what would be the most successful design and the biggest money maker for his new venture, a four-barreled pepperbox pistol.

Sharps produced the guns in a wide range of variations, based upon their caliber, and their frame size. Sharps produced thousands of these easily concealable personal protection cartridge guns. Many soldiers, both Union and Confederate, carried these small weapons.

This unique pistol was excavated in the late 1960s or early 1970s in the camp of the 10th Massachusetts Infantry, at Harrison’s Landing. The 10th Mass. had just been enmeshed in multiple episodes of heavy fighting to include the Siege of Yorktown, Seven Pines, Fair Oaks, White Oak Swamp and Malvern Hill.

This is a very rarely dug pistol which was once carried by a soldier in a significant Union infantry regiment. The 10th Mass. was billeted at Harrison’s Landing from July 2 to August 16, 1862. I had several examples of Civil War period dug pistols in the past, but this is the first Sharps pepperbox that I had or even seen. It comes in the glass top display case pictured.