Nightstand Percussion Pepperbox Revolvers:

The development of 'Percussion Caps' in the 1820's led rapidly to the popularity of a multi-shot type of muzzle loading handgun that was widely made & used for perhaps some 50 years .. this style of self defence "pocket gun" became so popular as to even have it's own  U S  title of 'THE GUN THAT WON THE EAST.'  .. The "Glock" of it's day?

200 years ago - Pepperboxes managed to pack multiple shots - mostly 5 or 6 - into a short Derringer sized weapon. 

The Deringers were usually only single-shot .. but they were quite powerful big bore units whereas the pepper-boxes generally were smaller bores.

 - What killed the pepperbox's onward march - was the fact that the percussion caps they used also quickly made possible the self-contained metallic cartridge - as with William Mason's Model 1873 Single Action Army "Peacemaker" sold by Colts.

Anyway - from around 1830 to the 1860's PEPPERBOX'S worked well for close range self-defence all around the world.

They were muzzle heavy and not at all suited to extended range hunting or target shooting - those guns using a double- action Bar Hammer had little means of aiming other than point'n'shoot ..

Most pepperbox pistols were smooth-bores .. which is fine for general usage ,, bear in mind that the old muskets were reasonably (but variably) accurate out to 100 yards. - I'd suggest that modern calibre revolvers and pistols would function perfectly well as smooth bores at common pistol ranges out to 50 plus yards -  if it were not for U S ATF (BATF & E) regulations that limit ownership of smooth-bore Class 3 cartridge pistols.

 

I'd bet some US Citizens Would Quite Like a 24 or 18 Barrelled 'MARIETTE' Pepperbox to keep loaded on their Night-Stand

.. Given the rules it's easier just to rifle modern cartridge pistol's bores. - and there aren’t any U S Federal controls on the ownership or possession of antique or replica muzzle loading black powder guns because they aren’t legally considered firearms as per 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(3):

Marty K.