Original Item: One of a Kind. This is a very nice example of the rare .36cal "Navy" version of the rare "Lip Fire" Revolvers made by Ethan Allen and his brother-in-law Thomas Wheelock in Worcester, Mass. In 1856 the two formed a partnership that lasted until Wheelock's death in 1865, and were most known for their Pepperbox Percussion revolvers, however they also did make many other types of firearms, including the "Side Hammer" rimfire revolvers. These were produced from 1859 to 1862, when litigation from Smith & Wesson brought production to a halt. They had purchased exclusive rights to the Rollin White patent, which governed bored through cylinders, and defended it actively.

In an effort to get around this, Allen & Wheelock introduced a revolutionary "Lip Fire" cartridge based revolver, which utilized a small "lip" on the edge of the cartridge base, where the primer would be stored, as opposed to having a rim going all the way around. This also included such luxuries as a hinged trigger guard that actuated the ejector, a loading gate on the cylinder, and an easily removable arbor pin. Allen also went to a "center hammer" design, instead of the earlier side hammer, which definitely improved the frame strength and ease of loading.

Unfortunately, the Lip Fire revolvers also was found to infringe on the Rollin White Patent, and saw a much shorter production life, with the guns being introduced in late 1860 or early 1861 and being put out of production by the November 1863 court order. Despite these setbacks, Allen persevered, continuing to manufacture percussion revolvers, and long arms, including a drop-breech cartridge rifle and double-barreled shotguns with metal wrists. Allen also produced a successful line of single shot, cartridge derringers that did not infringe upon the Rollin White patent.

Allen was involved in a series of different partnerships, which makes the firearms relatively easy to place in time. The side of the octagonal barrel on this example still bears clear markings:

As the "ALLEN & WHEELOCK" trade name was used from 1856 to 1865, this revolver definitely falls right into the civil war period. The revolver is also marked with serial number 42 on the left side of the frame under the grips, on the back of the cylinder, on the cylinder arbor pin, and on both wood grip scales. As best we can tell this is an "All Matching" example, and it does not look to have any parts swapped out during its service life. We also have noted that it is stamped with W.C. LITTLE in multiple locations around the revolver, but we have no idea what this marking means, and assume it was the owner or a retailer.

Our example is in full operating order and has a very pleasant grey metal finish overall. The "Navy" models were available with several barrel lengths, and this is the shorter 5" barrel version. The cylinder lock is strong, and it indexes and cycles properly when cocked. We did not notice any of the usual finicky behavior we often see in revolvers this age. It still retains its original walnut wood grips, which are in great shape. The bore is bright and shows lands and grooves, but they are definitely worn, with a bit of past oxidation visible. The cylinder arbor pin is easily removed, allowing the cylinder to be removed for cleaning.

The only example of this type of gun that we've ever had. Unusual and more than ready for further research and display!

Specifications: 

Year of Manufacture: circa 1860-65
Caliber: .36cal
Ammunition Type: Lip Fire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 5 inches
Overall Length: 9 3/4 inches
Action: Single Only
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

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