Allen & Wheelock 1858 Army/Navy .44 Cal / .36 Cal

Make: Allen & Wheelock Model: 1858 Army/Navy Caliber: .44 Cal / .36 Cal BP Action: SA Barrel: 7.5 / 6 Bore: Dark Serial # NSN Condition: Good “Collectors” A Very Rare Opportunity to own this set! Here we present a very rare antique Allen & Wheelock Second Model Center Hammer Lipfire Army Revolver, made circa 1861 in Worcester, Massachusetts, at the start of the American Civil War. These were produced in both .44 Army caliber and .36 Navy caliber. According to Flayderman, these revolvers only had a production of about 250 pieces till both Allen & Wheelock a ran into the Rollins White patent infringement. They were for the most part converted to percussion to resolve the problem. Of those 250 Lipfires manufactured, many were converted, so finding an original revolver still in Lipfire are few and far between. Allen & Wheelock manufactured a total of approximately 700 of these Center Hammer revolvers with the first 250 being First and Second Model Lipfires. Of these 700, the Ordnance Department purchased 536 of these revolvers in 1861. Nearly all those guns were subsequently issued to the 2nd & 3rd Michigan Volunteer Cavalry regiments. As these revolvers were purchased on the open market, they were not marked with any U.S. military sub-inspection or final inspection marks (including cartouches), as are found on the guns acquired via official Ordnance Department contracts. Surviving examples are rare.This Allen & Wheelock Army Revolver is a .44 caliber, six-shot, Lipfire single action revolver that had a 7-1/2” half-round and half-octagon barrel that utilized a unique ratcheting loading lever that formed the trigger guard of the revolver. The frames, cylinders and barrels of the revolvers were blued with the hammers and the combination loading lever and trigger guards color casehardened. The grips were smooth two-piece walnut that were usually varnished but appear to have been oil finished on some examples. Despite the relatively small number produced, the revolvers were manufactured in three distinct variants.The overall condition is fine. Bright, original gray patina. The action is strong, except one chamber has a slight timing issue (late). The bore is bright with a nice shimmer and sharp rifling. Solid, fine grips with light handling evidence. Markings are clear and legible. Fully functioning loading lever. Here is a very RARE and attractive revolver from one of the 19th Century’s most prolific makers! Factory records regarding the production of various arms by Ethan Allen’s Allen & Wheelock company are fragmentary at best, particularly for the guns produced during the Civil War era. Much of the information in print is based upon supposition and examination of extant examples, and from period documents that were not from Allen & Wheelock. As such, legitimate production numbers are only best guesses and estimates and actual dates of model introduction are not clear. Additional research published in Ethan Allen and Allen & Wheelock, Their Guns and Their Legacy by Paul Henry provides the best in depth dive into the world of these intriguing firearms. One of the more interesting things that Henry notes is that the firm was not afraid to have guns on the market that featured new designs that had not yet received patent protection. With the Army sized Center Hammer Percussion Revolvers only meeting with limited success and no actual military contracts, Allen decided to offer a smaller .36 caliber version of the handgun as well, which was likely intended for the civilian more than the military market. While the large frame Army revolvers were only offered with a 7 ½” octagon to round barrel, the new .36 caliber Center Hammer “Navy” Revolver had a smaller “medium” sized frame with an octagonal barrel and was available in 5”, 6” and 7 ½” barrel lengths. Like the larger Army revolver, the Navy was produced with a six-chambered unfluted cylinder, blued finish, color casehardened hammer and loading lever/triggerguard combination, brass front sight and varnished smooth walnut grips. Like the Army model these guns were assembly or batch numbered and were not serial numbered per se. Like the Army production estimates are only educated guesses, but most sources place production of the Center Hammer Navy Revolver at around 500 pieces and this may well be accurate. They do not appear on the market with anywhere near the frequency of the Army sized version and the rarity of the early “hinged pawl” action version suggests that most of the guns were produced after November of 1863 when production transitioned from the early action to the later, easier and cheaper to produce action. Like the Army sized revolvers, no military contracts were received for the Navy revolvers, but some were likely acquired on the open market in small numbers. The Allen & Wheelock Center Hammer Navy revolver offered here is in about FINE condition. It is a one of the early production, revolvers with the complicated lockwork and the hammer suspended f