Smith & Wesson’s success with the Model 1 revolver had massive repercussions for the American gun industry. With cartridge ammunition becoming the de facto standard, manufactured had to quickly pivot from the old cap and ball design. To make things worse: Smith & Wesson’s lock on the bored-through cylinder also meant that producing a competing revolver wouldn’t be legal until at least 1869 when the patent was set to expire.

Solutions to this problem showed a lot of creativity, and this pepperbox pistol from Christian Sharps was one of the more successful examples.