Allen & Wheelock 44 Lip Fire “Army” Double Action Revolver, 1860-63 Antique
SOLD FOR: $2481
LSB#: 210218WW19
Make: Allen & Wheelock
Model: Lip Fire Army Revolver
Serial Number: 156
Year of Manufacture: 1860-1863
Caliber: .44 Lip Fire
Action Type: Single Action, Lip Fire, 6-Shot Revolver
Markings: The left side of the octagonal portion of the barrel is marked “ALLEN & WHEELOCK WORCESTER. MS. U.S. / ALLEN’S PAT’S. SEPT.7.NOV.9.1858.”. The left side of the grip frame, the front face of the cylinder, the insides of the grip panels, and the cylinder retaining pin are all marked with the serial number “156”.
Barrel Length: 7 1/2” Half Round, Half Octagonal
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a pinched brass blade dovetailed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a V-notch cut in the rear of the top strap.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece smooth wood panels. There are scattered nicks and compressions. The grain lines are tangible. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips rate in about Very Good condition as Antique.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright and the rifling is worn yet defined. There is some scattered erosion and pitting in the bore.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 5% of its metal finish. There are remnants of bluing on the barrel. There is scattered pitting throughout. The cylinder shows a distinct turn line with pitting and dings. The screw heads are tool marked with deep slots. The markings are a bit faded but legible. Overall, this handgun rates in about Very Good condition as Antique.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The cylinder locks up with slight play. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: From College Hill Arsenal, “The Allen & Wheelock Center Hammer Lip Fire “Army” revolver was the large bore, .44 caliber revolver in the series. Like all of the Allen “Center Hammer” revolvers, it used a single-action mechanism but fired Allen’s proprietary, self-contained .44 Lip Fire cartridge. It is estimated that between 250 and 500 of these revolvers were produced from about mid-1860 until November of 1863, when a court order ended production of Allen revolvers with bored through cylinders. As a result of the relatively small production numbers, this scarce revolver is often missing from even advanced collections of Civil War era secondary martial revolvers.” This example is number 156 with all parts matching in about Very Good condition as Antique. Don’t pass up the opportunity to add this to your collection. Please see our photos and good luck!