A Complete Overview of Allen’s Pistols and Revolvers

A Complete Overview of Allen’s Pistols and Revolvers

Ethan Allen is best known for his innovative pepperbox pistol designs. Beyond the famous pepperboxes, however, he designed and manufactured an extraordinary variety of pistols and revolvers, including both percussion and cartridge firearms.

This page provides a comprehensive overview of the full range of pistols and revolvers produced by Ethan Allen, highlighting the remarkable diversity of firearms he manufactured during a career spanning more than forty years. The overview is organized by firearm type and, where possible, presented in the chronological order of each model’s development.

For more detailed information on individual firearms, simply click on the images in the overview below or use the navigation menu to explore each model.

Percussion Pistols

  • From 1831 to 1840

  • GRAFTON

Ethan Allen's earliest firearms were the "Pocket Rifle" pistols, likely named for their "rifled" barrels. There are three distinct models in this category: (1) The "Under Cock Pocket Rifle" – A single-shot, under-hammer percussion pistol. (2) The Second Model Pocket Rifle – Also a single-shot under-hammer design, but with a completely different construction compared to the first model. (3) The "Tube Hammer" Pistol – Allen's first double-action pistol, which laid the groundwork for his later Bar Hammer pistols and pepperboxes.

  • From 1837 to 1865

  • GRAFTON, NORWICH and WORCESTER

The Bar Hammer pistols feature a distinctive bar-shaped hammer, operating solely in double-action. Primarily designed for self-defense, they excel in close-range effectiveness. These pistols brought Allen the first commercial success. The pistols have gone through quite some design changes over the long production period going all the way to the civil war.

  • From late 1840's to around 1865

  • GRAFTON, NORWICH and WORCESTER

The Shotgun Hammer single-action pistols are also known as Center Hammer pistols or Boot pistols. The reason behind these names is fairly easy to guess. For individuals seeking a straightforward, durable, and reasonably priced firearm with considerable firepower, this pistol stood as an excellent option.

  • From mid 1840's to around 1854

  • NORWICH and WORCESTER

The Side Hammer target pistols were specifically designed for precision shooting and they are an improved and heavy version of the standard single-shot pistols. The pistols have adjustable front and rear sights, a fairly light trigger pull and an extra finger grip under the trigger guard.

  • During the 1850's

  • WORCESTER

Despite their simple appearance, the Double Barrel Single Trigger pistols boast a unique feature of a single trigger that independently operates both hammers. These pistols were exclusively manufactured during the Worcester period.

  • During the 1850's

  • WORCESTER

The Detachable Breech Target pistols are among the finest quality firearms produced during the Worcester period. Production started in the Allen & Thurber period and continued into the Allen & Wheelock period with minimal design changes.

  • From around 1858 to 1865

  • WORCESTER

The Inline pistols, also known as the “Straight Line Single Shot” or “Straight Away,” feature a straightforward design characterized by the alignment of the percussion nipple and barrel in a single straight line. Early models have a nice look with a perfect fitting barrel. In contrast, later versions incorporated a variety of barrel styles and lengths.

Percussion Revolvers

  • From 1856 to 1862

  • WORCESTER

The Bar Hammer percussion revolvers were the very first revolvers designed and produced by Ethan Allen. Often referred to as transition revolvers since they bear a strong resemblance to the pepperboxes.. The revolvers were produced in 3 distinctive frame and cylinder sizes: Large, medium and small.

  • From 1858 to around 1862

  • WORCESTER

The Side Hammer percussion revolvers were a huge improvement over the transitional Bar Hammer revolvers. These more sophisticated firearms featured unique innovations, such as a trigger guard that doubled as a loading lever. They were produced in three distinct frame sizes: a 6-shot Navy, a 5-shot Belt, and a 5-shot Pocket model.

Allen Wheelock Centerhammer Army and Navy Percussion Revolver

  • From 1861 to around 1866

  • WORCESTER

Ethan Allen likely designed the Center Hammer percussion revolvers with military applications in mind, as their introduction coincided with the start of the Civil War. Both the .44 Army and the .36 Navy are six-shot revolvers. Aside from their size, the main visual distinction between the two lies in the barrel design: the Army model features a half-octagonal, half-round barrel, while the Navy model has a fully octagonal barrel.

  • Around 1865/1866

  • WORCESTER

The Providence Police revolver is an odd one. No markings have ever been observed on these revolvers and it is a mystery how the revolver got it's name. These revolvers have undoubtedly been produced by Ethan Allen as they exhibits all the distinctive characteristics of the Allen workshop.

Cartridge Revolvers

Allen Wheelock Center Hammer Lipfire Army and Navy

  • From late 1860 to 1863. Restart of limited production in 1869

  • WORCESTER

The Center Hammer Lipfire Army and Navy revolvers were the first large-caliber cartridge revolvers to enter the American market. However, Ethan Allen infringed upon the S&W/Rollin White patent for the fully bored-through cylinder. After four years of litigation, Allen was compelled to cease production of the lipfire and all other cartridge revolvers. Manufacturing resumed once the patent expired.

  • From 1858 to 1863. Restart of production from 1869 to 1871

  • WORCESTER

The Sidehammer Lipfire revolver features a distinctive design with an overhead rack and pinion ejector system. Most of these revolvers were produced during the Allen & Wheelock period, while examples from the Ethan Allen & Co era are much rarer.

  • Likely only in 1863 and again very limited quantity in 1869

  • WORCESTER

The Lipfire pocket revolvers are typically unmarked, leading to speculation that they were released just before the court ruling in the patent dispute with Rollin White, possibly as a deliberate provocation to Smith & Wesson.

  • From 1858 to 1863. Restart of production from 1869 to 1871

  • WORCESTER

The .22 rimfire 7-shot Side Hammer revolvers were the very first cartridge revolver developed and produced by Allen & Wheelock. This development coincided with Smith & Wesson’s introduction of their Model 1 revolver and Allen’s revolvers clearly infringed upon S&W patent. Their distinctive feature is the hammer positioned on the side of the frame. Production halted in 1863 due to patent issues but resumed once the S&W patent expired.

  • From 1858 to 1863. Restart of production from 1869 to 1871

  • WORCESTER

Production of the .32 side-hammer rimfire revolvers began shortly after the introduction of the .22 rimfire models. Apart from the upscale in size, the .32 revolvers are nearly identical in design to the .22 versions, featuring the characteristic side-mounted hammer. However, they have a 6-shot capacity. Production ceased in 1863 due to patent conflicts and resumed after the expiration of the S&W patent.

Cartridge Pistols

  • From 1861 to 1871

  • WORCESTER

The Side Swing single-shot pistols and derringers are straightforward pocket firearms designed with a barrel that swings to the side for easy loading and unloading. Despite the variety of frame shapes, barrel styles, and calibers, they all share the same fundamental design.

Continue exploring Ethan Allen’s firearms

Click on the image or title to open a new window
Worcester Cased standard pepperbox Allen & Thurber
Pepperboxes

Ethan Allen’s pepperbox stands out as one of the most recognized weapons among his creations. An introduction to the fascinating world of Allen pepperboxes.

Rifles & Shotguns

Although rifles have never been a major concern for Ethan Allen, he has nevertheless designed and produced a substantial number of models. An overview of all the principle models.