SCARCE ALLEN AND WHEELOCK CENTER-HAMMER LIPFIRE .36 CALIBER NAVY REVOLVER

$1,595.00

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Item Code: 490-6720

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Ethan Allen, with his various partners, was a significant figure in the history of American firearms manufacture though overshadowed in popular (well, at least collector) memory by Colt, Remington, Smith and Wesson, and others. This is a very good example of his scarce “lip-fire” center-hammer revolver in .36 Navy caliber. The lipfire cartridge was self-contained, metallic cartridge- essentially a rimfire cartridge, but with the priming compound placed only in one spot of the rim, which was raised only on that portion of the circumference of the shell. This saved money in the amount of priming compound used, but required extra machining to notch the rear of the cylinder chambers and, more importantly, could only use its own proprietary rounds, limiting its appeal to the Army and making it a private, secondary martial, purchase by individuals.

The pistols have a number of interesting features. The center hammer is thought by some to have improved the strength of the frame, and was certainly less awkward than the company’s sidehammer arrangement. The cylinder pin could be easily removed, but the cylinder did not have to be removed to for loading or ejection of the spent shells: there was a hinged loading gate and an ejector rod on the right side actuated by lowering part of the triggerguard as a lever. A fatal flaw, however, was that it was found to infringe on the Rollin White patent on bored-though cylinders held by Smith and Wesson, who shut down production of the revolver, with Allen and Wheelock then taking a step backward in innovation and reverting to a percussion version of the pistol. Estimates for production of this version range about 250 to 500, from 1861 to about November 1863 (the date of a court judgement on the cylinder patent issue) and production was most likely near the lower number. The pistols are numbered, this one shows number 96 on the cylinder pin and loading gate, but these seem to be batch numbers rather sequential serial numbers.

The markings are good. The left side of the barrel is stamped, ALLEN & WHEELOCK. WORCESTER. MS. US. / ALLEN’S PAT’S. SEPT. 7. NOV. 9. 1858. This is very clear, with just a some very small dings and a little salt and peppering on the left end, toward the muzzle. (Please see our photos, and note Flayderman is incorrect in his transcription of the markings.) The metal is smooth overall and the octagonal 4-1/16” barrel has good, muted blue on the flats, worn to gray along the edges. The hammer has good blue, as does the cylinder pin and cylinder, the latter shading toward plum. The forward part of the triggerguard shows thin blue; the rear more thin brown like the grip strap. The frame shows rubbing on the top, more one the right than the left, with the lower frame showing caramel on the right and some thin blue on the left. The rear of the frame and buttstrap show as thin brown and gray from handling, but with some faint blue showing on lower left of the frame and stronger blue on the screw. The grips have good color and surface, but the left has a chip out at the front and hairline midway back on the bottom.

This would make a good addition to a collection of Allen firearms or Civil War cartridge pistols.  [sr][ph:m]

DISCLAIMER: All firearms are sold as collector's items only - we do not accept responsibility as to the shooting safety or reliability of any antique firearm. All firearms are described as accurately as possible, given the restraints of a catalog listing length. We want satisfied customers & often "under" describe the weapons. Any city or state regulations regarding owning antique firearms are the responsibility of the purchaser. All firearms are "mechanically perfect" unless noted, but again, are NOT warranted as safe to fire!

 

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