Factory records regarding the production of various arms by Ethan Allen’s Allen & Wheelock company are fragmentary at best, particularly for the guns produced during the Civil War era. Much of the information in print is based upon supposition and examination of extant examples, and from period documents that were not from Allen & Wheelock. As such, legitimate production numbers are only best guesses and estimates and actual dates of model introduction are not clear. Additional research published in Ethan Allen and Allen & Wheelock, Their Guns and Their Legacy by Paul Henry provides the best in depth dive into the world of these intriguing firearms. One of the more interesting things that Henry notes is that the firm was not afraid to have guns on the market that featured new designs that had not yet received patent protection.

Allen & Wheelock entered the conventional percussion revolver market in the late 1850s, with their Side Hammer percussion revolver series. This was the first time that Allen had produced a conventional single action revolving repeating handgun that was not based on the pepperbox concept. Only their transitional Bar Hammer revolvers had resembled a “conventional” revolving handgun, and those were for all intents and purposes a double action bar hammer pepperbox frame and action mated with a single barrel. The two primary patents related to the Side Hammer revolver design were #16,367 which was received on January 13, 1857, and #18,836 dated December 15, 1857. These patents covered a number of unique innovations and improvements to revolving handgun designs. The first patent covers the distinctive Allen & Wheelock combination triggerguard and pivoting ratchet type loading lever. This loading lever would see use on both the Side Hammer and Center Hammer percussion revolvers and as an ejector mechanism for the Center Hammer Lip Fire revolvers as well. The second patent related to the rotational disc at the rear of the cylinder which was the part that actually engaged the hand during rotation and communicated the motion to the cylinder itself via pin that connected the rear face of the cylinder to the rotating disc. This would be an important part of the Side Hammer revolver design but by the time the Center Hammer percussion revolvers were being produced, a more conventional ratchet was being used on the rear of the cylinder with the separate rotating plate being eliminated from the design. The final patent referenced in the Side Hammer design was #21,400 which was issued on September 7, 1858, and covered improvements to the cylinder arbor pin to reduced fouling that could lock up the action. It is not clear when exactly the Side Hammer revolvers were put into production, but the fact that Allen regularly incorporated features and designs into production models prior to receiving patent approval suggests that these guns may well have been in production as early as 1856 or so, although most sources suggest the series was introduced in 1857 and remained in production through about 1860-1861 when the greatly improved Center Hammer design replaced the Side Hammer revolvers in the product line. 

The Allen & Wheelock Side Hammer design was a single action, solid frame percussion revolver with an octagonal barrel and a unique ratcheting loading lever that was activated by lowering the triggerguard. The earliest examples of the series used a simple friction fit to lock the triggerguard bow which served as the loading lever handle to the rear of the triggerguard. After a small number of revolvers were produced with the friction catch system, a spring-loaded catch was included incorporated to more securely retain the triggerguard. This same latch would be used to retain the loading lever triggerguard combination on the later Center Hammer percussion and Lip Fire revolvers. The revolvers were produced in three distinct frame sizes. These included the large frame “Navy” revolver in .36 caliber, the medium frame “Belt” revolver in .32 caliber and a small frame .28 caliber “Pocket” model. The Navy revolver was produced with a six chambered cylinder and was available with barrels from 5 ½” to 8”, while the Belt and Pocket models were produced with five chambered cylinders and barrels that ranged from 2” to 5” for the Pocket version and 3” to 7 ½” for the Belt model. All models had unfluted cylinders with cones (nipples) that entered from an angle in the side of the cylinder, as they had on the preceding transitional Bar Hammer Double Action Percussion Revolvers. The cylinders of all models were roll engraved with forest scenes that included several deer. The cylinders were secured with a threaded arbor pin that entered from the rear of the frame. The revolvers included a removable plate on the left side of the frame to make it easier to access the mechanism to effect service and repairs. The revolvers were blued frames and barrels, color casehardened cylinders, hammers and triggerguards and varnished smooth two-piece walnut grips. Like many of the makers of the area, higher grade grips like ivory were available for an extra fee, and special-order features like engraving and high-grade finishes could be obtained on a special-order basis. Sights were a simple groove in the topstrap of the revolver for the rear and a dovetailed brass or German silver blade for the front.

While the Side Hammer series of revolvers were a significant improvement over the earlier pepperbox and transitional Bar Hammer revolvers, they still had some design flaws. These included some of the inherent issues with all of the percussion revolvers of the period that utilized a threaded arbor pin that entered from the rear of the frame, the fragility of the long, thin and curved percussion hammer nose and the inherent fragility of the rotating disc mechanism that communicated the rotation of the plate to the cylinder by a slotted pin. This latter design issue also plagued designs by Edwin Wesson & Daniel Levitt that appeared on both Wesson & Leavitt, Springfield Arms and early Massachusetts Arms revolvers. The inherent design weaknesses meant that the guns were constantly being improved with mechanical design changes. At least four different types of machining on the rear face of the cylinders were used on the Side Hammer revolvers, along with six different side plate designs and six different variations in cylinder arbor pins. Not all variations were found in all models, with the Side Hammer Navy only using two types of side plates, two types of cylinder machining and four types of cylinder arbor pins. Total production of each model within the Side Hammer series is estimated at between 750 and 1,000 of each type.

The early production Side Hammer Navy Revolvers utilized a side plate secured by three screws, but later production guns used a smaller side plate secured by a single screw. The arbor pin evolved during production with four types used during production and two different types of machining are found on the rear face of the cylinders of the guns. In his book Ethan Allen and Allen & Wheelock, Their Guns and Their Legacy author Paul Henry breaks down the production types of Side Hammer Navy Revolvers down to three primary versions and further subdivides those as “early” or “late”. In general, the key feature of the 1^st model Side Hammer Navy revolvers are the friction closure triggerguards, while the 2^nd and 3^rd model guns use the spring catch system. Minor evolutionary changes occur as the revolvers were produced with the smaller single screw side plate being introduced with the 3^rd model guns.

While Allen did not receive any military contracts for the Side Hammer Navy revolver, many of those guns did see service during the American Civil War. The Ordnance Department acquired 338 of the Navy sized Side Hammer revolvers on the open market for $14.13 each. Additionally, there is evidence that at least some of the revolvers saw use with the 1^st Massachusetts Light Artillery. It is not clear, however, if those revolvers were obtained by the State of Massachusetts, by the regiment privately, or if they were part of the Ordnance Department purchased noted above. 

Offered here is a NEAR FINE condition example of the rare Allen & Wheelock Side Hammer Navy Revolver with an 8” barrel, which is the most desirable of the barrel lengths for this model. According to Paul Henry’s typology for these revolvers this gun is an “Early 3^rd Model” with the single screw side plate, “Type 4” arbor pin with convex head, spring catch for the triggerguard and the later type cylinder machining on the rear face. The revolver is “serail number” or rather “assembly number” 461 and that number is found on the left of the grip frame, under the grips, on face of the rotating plate, on the rear face of the cylinder, on the cylinder arbor pin, on upper face of the triggerguard loading lever and in both grips. The left flat of the barrel is roll marked with the typical two-line address and patent marking found on these guns and the Cetner Hammer revolvers and reads:

ALLEN & WHEELOCK. WORCHESTER, MASS. U.S.

ALLEN’S PT’S. JAN. 13. DEC. 15. 1857 SEPT. 7. 1858

As noted, the gun remains in NEAR FINE condition and retains some strong traces of original bright blue. The blued is primarily in protected areas, like the recesses of the frame and around the recoil shield, as well as some of the rear of the barrel. The balance of the revolver has a somewhat mottled brownish-plum patina with some areas of pewter gray exposed metal and showing scattered freckles of surface oxidation and discoloration. The triggerguard retains some nice faded and dulled mottled case coloring, primarily on the inner face and the casehardened hammer has rich, dull dark bluish-black patina. The cylinder retains some traces of bluish mottling mixed with a smoky gray patina. The revolver remains quite crisp with clear roll engraving on the cylinder that is almost completely visible and retains fairly clear markings on the barrel, although the die appears to have “chattered” as part of the marking shows double strike “shadowing” to the letters. The metal of the revolver is mostly smooth with only some lightly scattered freckles and tiny areas of minor surface oxidation and some light pinpricking around the face of the cylinder, edges of the top strap and the muzzle. The percussion cone recesses do show some more moderate oxidation, some light pitting and some minor flash erosion. All of the six original cones are present, but one has been broken and only the base remains intact. The action of the revolver functions perfectly, an uncommon situation for many Side Hammer revolvers, as the somewhat delicate action was easy to damage. Even the thin, curved hammer nose is undamaged and not repaired. The hammer noses of these guns are often found broken or have repairs. The loading lever functions smoothly and correctly and locks into position as it should when the triggerguard is closed. The original pinched German silver blade front sight is in place in the dovetail at the end of the barrel. The grips are in fine condition and retain the large majority of their varnished finish and show only some light to moderate wear and scattered bumps, dings and mars from handling, use and storage.

Overall, this is really attractive, crisp and desirable example of one of the less commonly encountered Allen & Wheelock percussion revolvers. These 8” barreled “Navy” sized Side Hammer Percussion Revolvers do not show up on the market very often and are significantly less common than the Center Hammer Army revolvers and seem to appear at about the same rate as the much less often encountered Center Hammer Navy Revolvers. This is a well-marked all correct and original example of the first of the large frame Allen & Wheelock percussion revolvers that would be a fine addition to an Allen & Wheelock collection, a collection of Civil War era secondary martial revolvers and most appropriately to a collection that centered around the 1^st Massachusetts Light Artillery. These guns rarely appear on the market and particularly in such nice condition, so don’t miss your opportunity to acquire this rare Allen & Wheelock Side Hammer Navy Revolver for your collection.