Original U.S. Civil War Allen & Wheelock .32cal Side Hammer Rimfire Revolver - Matching Serial 694

Original Item: One of a Kind. This is a very nice private purchase .32cal Rimfire Revolver made by Ethan Allen and his brother-in-law Thomas Wheelock in Worcester, Mass. These were very popular as "backup" revolvers for officers, used once their larger caliber percussion revolver was spent. About 1,000 of these attractive "pocket" revolvers 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. Ethan 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 still has the original patent markings, but they are quite worn and require a magnifier to read: ALLEN & WHEELOCK. WORCESTER. MS. US.ALLEN'S PAT'S SEPT. 7. NOV. 9. 1858 As the "ALLEN & WHEELOCK" trade name was used from 1856 to 1865, this revolver definitely