Listed among the “Pistols” obtained for the war is a lot of 536 Allen’s revolvers at a total cost of
$9,130.50. Of these, 198 were bought from William Read & Sons of Boston, December 31, , for $22 each. More correctly known as Allen & Wheelock, they were produced in Worcester, Massachusetts by Ethan Allen and his brother-in-law, Thomas P. Wheelock. Allen, pioneer gunmaker (no relation to Ethan Allen of Ticonderoga fame) patented features of the gun January 13, (No. 16,367), December 15, (No. 18,836), and September 7, (No. 21,400). A .44 caliber percussion six-shooter, the Allen & Wheelock is a single action gun having a creeping lever ramrod of distinctive form; the lever arm is bent around to form the trigger guard, pivoted in the frame below the barrel, and working on the bottom side of the loading plunger. The principle is the same as the Savage and Root patent creeping levers; the means are quite differently arranged.
A solid and strongly built gun, the Allen & Wheelock had no official use, only the few purchased, though Allen’s salesmen were active in the South in early ’61. It is presumed the Reed pistols were ,44’s; a .36 “Navy size” was also made, and a .31, using the same loading lever but with a side hammer, the
like the Joslyn and Colt. In the .44 A & W, the cylinder pin removes from the front, above the lever plunger. The .44 nipples were in line with bore; in the sidehammer, recessed in holes. A final model of cartridge side-hammer A & W appeared toward the end of the war.
Big Allen's revolver used trigger guard hinging forward to |
A solid and strongly built gun, the Allen & Wheelock
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