Description from HiBid
In-House Shipping: $35.00 + 1.5% Shipping Insurance
Lip Fire Single Action Revolver, 1860-1863 Antique. Make: Allen & Wheelock
Model: Center Hammer Lip Fire Army Revolver
Serial Number: 43 (batch numbered)
Year of Manufacture: 1860-1863
Caliber: .44 Lip Fire
Action Type: Single Action, Lip Fire, 6-Shot Revolver
Barrel Length: 7 1/2" Half Round, Half Octagonal
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a brass blade dovetailed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a V-notch integral to the rear of the top strap.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece smooth walnut panels. The inside of each panel is stamped "43". The grips have even handling and finish wear. There are scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good condition as Antique.
Type of Finish: Nickel
Finish Originality: Refinished, numbers match.
Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright. The rifling is sharp where not interrupted by erosion. There is some scattered erosion and pitting in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 6/10.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 85% of its current metal finish. There are areas of finish loss on the trigger guard/ejector lever, the sides of the topstrap, on the front of the ejector housing, and on the left of the barrel toward the muzzle. There is light handling wear in the grip area. Worn areas show surface oxidation and there are other scattered spots of oxidation through the finish. There are some scattered nicks and scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings range from clear to worn and incomplete. Overall, this handgun rates in about Very Good condition as refinished Antique (see Mechanics).
Mechanics: The cylinder stop spring is weak and does not properly stop the cylinder from turning. Otherwise, the action functions correctly. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: Allen & Wheelock was a business partnership between the famous American gunsmith Ethan Allen and Thomas Wheelock based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Their partnership was formed in 1856 and lasted until 1865, their sales were geared towards the commercial market. This is one of their Center Hammer Lipfire Army revolvers, made in 1860 as an improvement on their earlier Sidehammer percussion revolvers. Oddly, this experiment with a cartridge revolver preceded their production of a percussion revolver with the new center hammer design. It was also among the many revolvers produced which fell afoul of the Rollin White patent held by Smith & Wesson. While Allen & Wheelock attempted to claim that their lip fire system was different, with only a portion of the case rimmed, courts saw it differently and forced production to stop in 1863. Flayderman's indicates that approximately 250 were made in total, but observed batch numbers may indicate it was up to 300.
The revolver's design is interesting not only for its unique cartridge design, but also for its creeping-lever ejector rod operated using the trigger guard as a lever. This example is batch number 43 with all parts matching, and is likely from the second batch of revolvers with the later loading gate assembly. It is in about Very Good condition as refinished Antique, retaining much of its new nickel finish, but with a weak spring on the cylinder stop. This is a rare early cartridge revolver that is perfect for collection, especially one focused on the Rollin White workarounds and infringements. Please see our photos and good luck!
