Lot 3692
Rare Antique Allen Thurber & Co Worcester Production Percussion Pepperbox .31 cal. Pistol. The gun is a classic Allen's patent pepperbox, based upon his 1845 patent, which represented a significant improvement over his 1837 patent mechanism. The 1845 patent simplified and improved the functionality and ease of production of the pepperboxes internal mechanism. The right side of the barrel hammer is marked in reference to these patented improvements in two lines: ALLEN's PATENT/ 1845. The barrel is marked inside one of the flutes in a single long line: ALLEN THURBER & Co and WORCESTER. The barrel marking allows us to date the production of the gun to somewhere between 1854 and about 1856. The flash guard is removable and is hand engraved with light floral splays and the frame is similarly hand engraved with floral patterns. The backstrap is engraved with light, decorative boarder designs. As the popularity of the pepperbox began to wane, Allen eliminated the engraved embellishments to reduce cost and try to remain competitive with the new conventional percussion revolver designs that were beginning to dominate the market. Caliber/ Gauge: .31 cal.; Serial Number: 86 Working Order: Firearm has not been tested; Background Check: Not Required; Keywords: Firearms, Guns; Ref: BD1594
- Provenance: The serial number "89" and the letter "H" are stamped on the frame under the left grip, inside both grips, mainspring, cylinder, trigger guard, and the underside of the bar hammer.
- Dimensions: 3.5" Barrels;
- Circa: 1854-1856
- Notes: The various firms owned and operated by gun maker Ethan Allen eventually resulted in a true powerhouse of American arms manufacturing during the middle of the 19th century, Allen & Wheelock. Unlike the major American arms producers of the era like Colt and Remington, Allen's companies concentrated upon manufacturing arms for civilian sale rather than focusing on trying to obtain government military contracts. The company was founded in 1831 when Ethan Allen started to make cutlery in Milford, MA. Allen's primary line was the knives and tools needed for cobblers. Allen then moved his small facility to North Grafton, MA where he added a cane gun to his line of shoemakers tools. In 1836 Allen introduced his ?Pocket Rifle?, a single action, under hammer, long-barreled rifled pistol in .31 caliber. With the initial success of this product, Allen pursued the design and patent of a double action pocket pistol, and eventually the pepperboxes that would be his mainstay product line for the next 20 years. In 1837 he brought his brother-in-law Charles Thurber into the business, creating Allen & Thurber, and in 1842 the company moved to Norwich, CT, where it would remain until 1847. In 1847, the firm moved to Worcester, MA, where it would remain until it went out of business in 1871. In 1854 Thomas Wheelock, another of Allen's brothers-in-law joined the company, and it was rebranded as Allen, Thurber & Company. In 1856 Charles Thurber retired, and the company known as Allen & Wheelock came into existence. In 1865, after Wheellocks death the previous year, the company was renamed for the last time E. Allen & Company. The new company included more of Allen's extended family, his sons-in-law Sullivan Forehand and Henry Wadsworth. After Allen's death in 1871, the 34-year-old company would change names again, this time to Forehand & Wadsworth, and the Allen name would be left to history. During that 34-year history, the company produced thousands of firearms ranging from single shot percussion pocket pistols and multi-barrel percussion pepperboxes, to rather innovative and complicated large frame percussion revolvers and even some of the first truly successful cartridge revolvers. The development of Allen's ?Lip Fire? self contained cartridges were truly revolutionary, especially because the rimfire cartridges of the era that were offered in the Smith & Wesson #1 and #2 revolvers were only .22 and .32 respectively, while Allen offered self-contained handgun cartridges in the much larger calibers of .36 and .44. Unfortunately Allen's production of his Lip Fire and Rim Fire series of revolvers was brought to a screeching halt due to litigation from Smith & Wesson, who were defending the bored through cylinder patent of Rollin White, which they had purchased exclusive access to. He managed to produce his side hammer rimfire revolvers for about 3 years, from 1859 to 1862, before the patent infringement suit shut down the production of that product line as well. His revolutionary Lip Fire revolvers saw a much shorter production life, with the guns being patented in 1860 and being out of production by mid-1862. 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's innovations in revolver actions, and self-contained cartridge designs earned him numerous patents. His use of large-scale production techniques and interchangeable parts also made his a leader within his industry. While certainly not as famous as Samuel Colt, Eliphalet Remington or Oliver Winchester, the contributions of Ethan Allen to the American firearms industry were important and long lasting, and his high quality arms offer a worthy and wide array of collecting possibilities.
- Condition: This pistol is in great condition with signs of normal wear commensurate with a 165 year old pistol. Cylinders index perfect, action is strong, and crisp. Please see the pictures for details and complete condition.
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