Ethan Allen: a brief overview

Ethan Allen 1847R
Ethan Allen around 1847

Introduction

Ethan Allen may not be as famous as Colt or Remington, but he is a key figure in the history of American firearms. 

Allen’s weapons were well regarded for their quality, durability, and relatively affordable price. The pepperbox pistol especially was the main rival of the Colt revolver until the 1850s. Allen’s pepperboxes have been produced in fairly large quantities, and they represent a typical kind of weapon in their era and helped shape the American saga.

A short overview of career, production locations and trade names

In 1831, Ethan Allen began his career by producing knives and cobblers’ tools in a modest workshop in Milford, Massachusetts. This initial venture provided him with valuable experience in metalworking and commercial production. That same year, he relocated his workshop to Grafton, Massachusetts.

It is believed that Allen acquired his first skills in arms manufacturing in his Grafton workshop, where he produced a cane-gun designed by Dr. Roger Lambert. 

Toward the end of 1836, Allen created his first own design, the Pocket “Rifle”, a single-shot percussion pistol with an under-hammer mechanism. 

Original Patent Drawing of Roger Lambert's Cane Rifle

On November 11, 1837, he registered his first patent (US461) for a double-action pistol. This innovation led to the design and production of the tube-hammer pocket pistols and eventually to the design of his famous pepperbox pistols.

In 1837, Allen formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, Charles Thurber, who provided the necessary financial backing to expand the business. Following this partnership, the branding of the products changed to ALLEN & THURBER. In 1845, Allen secured another patent (US3998) for a simplified double-action system, facilitating mass production of his Double Action Barhammer pistols and pepperboxes . Despite most pepperboxes bearing the 1845 patent, Allen had already begun large-scale production well before that date. 

At this point in time, the main competitor to the pepperbox was Colt’s 5-shot Paterson revolver. The Colt was certainly a superior gun; however, Allen’s pepperbox pistols were sold at only a quarter of the price of the Colts, allowing Allen to dominate the market. When Colt faced financial difficulties and was forced to liquidate Colt’s Patent Arms Manufacturing Co., Allen nearly monopolized the American multi-shot weapon market until the mid 1850’s.

Production remained in Grafton until 1842 when it was moved to Norwich, Connecticut, which offered better industrial facilities. The reason for yet  another relocation in 1847 to Worcester, Massachusetts, remains unclear, but business continued under the same name until 1854. At that time, Thomas P. Wheelock, another brother-in-law of Allen, joined as a partner. Wheelock had been with the company since the Grafton days and played a crucial role in the company’s development. The company was then renamed ALLEN, THURBER & CO.

In 1856, after Thurber’s retirement, the company name changed to ALLEN & WHEELOCK and remained so until 1865. Thomas Wheelock passed away in 1864 at the age of 51, and Allen reorganized the business the following year, bringing his two sons-in-law, Sullivan Forehand and Henry Wadsworth, into the partnership. During this era, the company’s products were marked with E. ALLEN & CO.

Following Ethan Allen’s death in 1871, the company was renamed again to FOREHAND & WADSWORTH. The final name change to FOREHAND ARMS COMPANY occurred in 1890 after Henry Wadsworth’s death. Despite Sullivan Forehand’s death in 1898, the company continued under the same name until 1902, when the business and inventory were sold to HOPKINS & ALLEN MANUFACTURING CO., which was unrelated to Ethan Allen’s family.

 

Chronological overview of the trade names and locations

During Ethan Allen’s lifetime
  • 1831-1837         E. ALLEN, Grafton, Massachusetts
  • 1837-1842         ALLEN & THURBER, Grafton, Massachusetts
  • 1842-1847         ALLEN & THURBER, Norwich, Connecticut
  • 1847-1854         ALLEN & THURBER, Worcester, Massachusetts
  • 1854-1856         ALLEN, THURBER & CO., Worcester, Massachusetts
  • 1856-1865         ALLEN & WHEELOCK, Worcester, Massachusetts
  • 1865-1871         E. ALLEN & CO., Worcester, Massachusetts
After his death
  • 1871-1890         FOREHAND & WADSWORTH, Worcester, Massachusetts
  • 1890-1902        FOREHAND ARMS, Worcester, Massachusetts
RIP

Sources:

(1) Ethan Allen and Allen & Wheelock, Their guns and their legacy – Paul Henry (2) Flayderman’s guide (3) Wikipedia

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