ALLEN & WHEELOCK CENTER-HAMMER .36 CALIBER NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER, SERIAL NUMBER 322

ALLEN & WHEELOCK CENTER-HAMMER .36 CALIBER NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER, SERIAL NUMBER 322

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$1,495.00

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 490-7525

Shipping: Determined by Method & Location of buyer

To Order:
Call 717-334-0347,
Fax 717-334-5016, or E-mail

This is a solid, honest example of the scarce Allen & Wheelock Center-Hammer Navy, a six-shot .36 caliber percussion revolver made in Worcester, Massachusetts, at the very start of the Civil War. Ethan Allen and his brother-in-law Thomas Wheelock built this model after their earlier side-hammer revolvers. Moving the hammer to the center made the frame stronger and the revolver easier to load. These center-hammer revolvers were produced between 1861 and 1862, and the government purchased 536 of them. Collectors classify the Navy as a secondary U.S. martial revolver. Total production is estimated at around 500 guns, so they turn up far less often than their Colt and Remington contemporaries.

The revolver has Allen’s distinctive hinged trigger guard, which doubles as the loading lever. It works a rammer housed beneath the octagonal barrel, so there is no conventional Colt-style lever under the barrel. The gun is serial number “322”. As with other Allen & Wheelock Navies, this is possibly an assembly or batch number rather than a true sequential serial. The cylinder is plain, with rectangular stop slots, and is rebated at the nipple end, which is correct for the model.

Condition: The metal has no original finish and has turned an even, uncleaned brown patina throughout. The octagonal barrel is the best-preserved surface: smooth and mostly free of pitting, with crisp flats and edges. The frame and cylinder have light overall freckling and scattered fine pitting. The cylinder shows a few very light dings. There is no sign of heavy rust or repairs. The screw heads show light use, but are not badly mangled. The frame screw head shows a little disfiguring to the slot. The front sight blade is present.

The hinged trigger guard and loading lever assembly is complete, and the rammer is present under the barrel. The action functions properly at half and full cock, with cylinder lock-up tight. The walnut grips are in good, sound condition with a pleasing dark color. They have the scattered dings, handling marks, and light edge wear expected from age, most noticeable at the toe and lower edges, and the original grip escutcheons are present on both sides. There are no visible cracks or replaced sections to the walnut wood.

This is an attractive, untouched Civil War-era revolver from one of the more interesting secondary martial makers. It would fill an important slot in any collection of Union percussion handguns, and it is offered at a fair price for a scarce model.

Measurements:
Overall length: 10 3/4"
Barrel length: about 6"
Cylinder length: about 1 3/4"
Overall height (hammer spur to butt): about 4".     [stp] [ph:L]

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