Original Rare U.S. Civil War Allen & Wheelock .44cal Army Center Hammer Percussion Revolver c. 1861 - Matching Serial 329

Original Item: One of a Kind. This is a great example of the rare .44cal "Army" version of the "Center-Hammer" Percussion Revolvers made by Ethan Allen and his brother-in-law Thomas Wheelock in Worcester, Mass. Allen was involved in a series of different partnerships, which makes the firearms relatively easy to place in time. The right side of the octagonal barrel is just a bit marred, and the original patent markings are still mostly legible: [AL]LEN & WHEELOCK. WORCESTER. MASS. US.[AL]LEN’s PT’s JAN.13. DEC.15. 1857. SEPT.7.18[58] Other examples we have seen also have the ends of the markings removed or covered, as it looks like the markings were stamped prior to milling the front of the barrel round and fitting the barrel into the frame. As the "ALLEN & WHEELOCK" trade name was used from 1856 to 1865, this revolver definitely falls right into the civil war period. According to Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms only an estimated 700 of these rifles were produc