Does anyone recognize this pistol?

[bihans]

I would appreciate help from anyone that might recognize or have a recommendation for identfying this pistol. The model indicates V.R. Tower 1869. It's a 6 shot percussion pistol that I've found here in Afghanistan. Very skeptical about weapons over here but I know there are some that are good finds. Anyone have knowledge about these types of pistols? Thanks

[sunsetIE]

Its an olden day revolver, commonly referred to as a pepperbox

Pepper-box - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This type of weapon was popular in North America from 1830 until the American Civil War, but the concept was introduced much earlier, in the 15th century several single shot barrels were attached to a stock, being fired individually by means of a match.

Around 1790 pepperboxes were built on the basis of flintlock systems, notably by Nock in England and "Segallas" in Belgium. These weapons, building on the success of the earlier two-barrel turnover[3] pistols, were fitted with three, four or seven barrels.[4] These early pepperboxes were hand-rotated.

The invention of the percussion cap by Joshua Shaw, building on Alexander Forsyth's innovations, and the industrial revolution allowed pepperbox revolvers to be mass-produced, making them more affordable than the early handmade guns previously only seen in the hands of the rich. Examples of these early weapons are the English Budding (probably the first English percussion pepperbox), the Swedish Engholm and the American threebarrel Manhattan pistol.

[Battery Command Post]

I would appreciate help from anyone that might recognize or have a recommendation for identfying this pistol. The model indicates V.R. Tower 1869. It's a 6 shot percussion pistol that I've found here in Afghanistan. Very skeptical about weapons over here but I know there are some that are good finds. Anyone have knowledge about these types of pistols? Thanks

I would be very sceptical of this gun, for three reasons:

1. I have have never heard of the Tower of London producing this type of weapon (they may have of course), but 1860s/70s British Army issue handguns tended to be big calibre manstopping weapons
2. The Queen Victoria crown seems lopsided and asymmetrical. It could be the photo, but real stampings of this type are from very well made dies.
3. The construction of the multi-barrel looks like it was made from six metal tubes, welded onto a central tube. Real pepperbox pistol barrel assemblies were, i believe, fashioned from a single billet of metal.

I would say it's a nice souvenir, but not a real antique gun.

Rob

[Walkwolf]

Agreed. Not a martial weapon IMO, and '1869' is a rather late date for a pistol
of this type to still be in production - advancements in firearm technology
had improved quite drastically by this time..........

[stuka f]

"Tower" is a well known, turn of the century (19th to 20 th), faker!
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[big ned]

IT is a 100% fake pistol produced in the Khyber/Afghan region, probably no older than 10 years tops. This weapon was 80 years out of date by 1869, and pepperboxes were not issued to H.M. forces at any time, they were private purchase pieces.Also service issued pieces were never intricatly engraved like this piece, which is also in an Asian style, completely wrong.

Regards, Ned.