Original U.S. Civil War Era Allen & Wheelock 1845 Patent .32cal Medium Frame Bar Hammer Percussion Revolver circa 1858 - Matching Serial 42

Original Item: Only One Available. Here we have a very interesting "Bar Hammer" revolver by Allen & Wheelock, the first percussion revolver with a single barrel produced by Ethan Allen. These are often called the "transitional model" by collectors, as in terms of action design, they are pretty much identical to the Pepperbox revolvers that Allen was so famous for, except that they have a single barrel. The cylinder advance system and other internals were adapted from the patented pepperbox design, which forestalled any potential patent litigation from Colt.

Allen had first developed his Gun business by taking his brother-in-law Charles Thurber as his partner, originally setting up shop in Norwich, CT, which as a major gun making center at the time. They were one of the earliest makers of pistols in the city, and sources usually cite 1842 as when they began production, though some use 1835 as the start date. Ethan Allen, no relation to the Revolutionary Ethan Allen, had applied for various patents, most notably early on for a "TUBE HAMMER" ignition system in 1837, which was renewed in 1845 with significant improvements to the design. In 1847, the company moved the production plant to Worcester, Mass., and continued production. After Charles Thurber passed away in 1856, Ethan Allen later took into his business another brother-in-law, Thomas Wheelock, who worked with the company until 1865.

One of the first projects the new partnership of Allen & Wheelock worked on was a percussion revolver design more similar to those from Colt and Remington, with a revolving cylinder and stationary barrel. These were made in three distinct sizes, the small, medium, and large frame variations, with the small frame in .30cal, while the medium and large were in .32cal. They were very similar except for the size, and differentiating the medium and large frame types is often dependent on the length of the cylinder, with the medium cylinder being 1.5 inches long, while the large frame is 1.625 inches long. All were double action only and featured a distinctive "Bar Hammer" at the rear of the frame, and adaptation of the "Tube Hammer" used in the pepperbox revolvers. It is estimated that probably only around 1000 were made of each frame size, so each of these is definitely quite rare.

This is a very nice example of the "Medium Frame" Bar hammer Revolver, which is Five Shot in .31 caliber measuring 7 3/4" overall with a 3" barrel and 1 1/2" cylinder. It is stamped with serial number 42 * on the right side of the barrel, on the cylinder, on the underside of the frame, and inside of the trigger guard. Removal of the grips shows that serial number 42 is stamped on the inside of both grip scales and on the mainspring, and there is even 42 stamped on the cylinder arbor pin. That makes this a very desirable "ALL MATCHING" example, with no parts swapped out over the years! It also still retains almost all of the beautiful rolled forest hunting scene on the cylinder, containing one dog chasing a running buck with another dog and a doe in the background.

The bar hammer is still in great shape, showing only light oxidation, and the original patent marking is crisp:

PATENTED
APRIL 16, 1945

There is also the company name marking on the top strap above the cylinder.

ALLEN & WHEELOCK.

The company was known by various names over the years. From 1856 to 1865 it was known as Allen & Wheelock (Worcester), so this pistol is from that period, after the patent renewal was granted. These revolvers were only really made from 1857 into the early 1860s, so with the low serial number we estimate it was made about 1858. Later, his two Sons-in-law, Sullivan Forehand and Henry Wadsworth, continued the business after Ethan Allen's death in 1871. Most interesting that all these names have become an integral part of the U.S. arms industry.

The revolver is in very good condition, with a lovely patina of age, fully operational as best we can tell, but NOT sold for firing. The action functions correctly, with a good cylinder lockup and a crisp dry fire, and accurate indexing. The metalwork overall shows a lovely aged patina, showing years of careful cleaning but no major restoration. We checked the bore, and it is still in very good condition, showing clear rifling with a partly bright finish. There is some past oxidation and fouling in the grooves, as to be expected from a black powder era revolver. The walnut grips are in very good condition, still retaining much of the original "piano varnish" finish, and showing no major damage.

A lovely example of an early American percussion revolver design, one of only 1000 ever made by Allen & Wheelock. Ready to research and display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: circa 1858
Caliber: .32"
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 3 inches
Overall Length: 7 3/4 inches
Action: Double Only
Feed System: 5 Shot Revolver

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