Allen & Wheelock Centerhammer Lipfire Revolvers
Content:
Overview
The lipfire is a unique cartridge designed and patented by Ethan Allen under number US30109 in September 1860. It has a type of rimfire case where the rim only covers 1/8 of the case circumference, hence the name lip.
Fulminate was at that time quite expensive, so the lip was a cleaver idea to make a cheaper cartridge, since you need only one-eighth of the fulminate.
Strange enough, the center hammer lipfire revolver does not appear on any patent drawing until September 1861. It can therefor be assumed that production of the revolvers had already started well before the patent filing date.
The revolvers have the unique Allen system where the trigger guard serves as a lever to eject the spent cases.
Two models can be distinguished: the .44 Army and the .36 Navy. Both are six-shot revolvers and other than size the only visual difference between the two revolvers is the barrel, which on the Army is half octagonal, half round while on the Navy the barrel is fully octagonal. The marking ALLEN & WHEELOCK WORCESTER. MASS. U.S. / ALLEN’S PAT’S SEPT.7.NOV.9 1858 is located on the left side of the barrel.
The Lipfire Army was the very first large-caliber cartridge revolver (.44”) to hit the American market. It was not until 1868, so 7 years later, that the cartridge conversion of the Remington model 1858 revolver appeared.
Ethan Allen was clearly infringing on the S&W/Rollin White patent of the fully bored through cylinder. After 4 years of litigation against Allen & Wheelock, Rollin White finally won the lawsuit in November 1863, forcing Allen to stop the manufacturing of the lipfire revolvers and all other cartridge revolvers.
It is known that after the expiration of the patent in 1869, a number of revolvers were produced again from the remaining stock of parts of 1863. A number of these revolvers were converted directly in the factory to be able to shoot both rimfire and lipfire.
The Army version was only available with a 7.5″ barrel while the Navy could be supplied in barrel lengths of 5″, 6″ and 8″. It is certain that the Army has been produced first because the early models have a top hinged loading gate while the later models have the bottom hinged loading gate. Only the second type loading gate occurs on the Navy.
These revolvers are considered by collectors as martial weapons, but despite what the name “Navy” or “Army” suggests, no official contracts with the US government are known.
Many lipfire revolvers have been converted by their owners in later years to fit the more readily available rimfire cartridges. The most elegant way was to ream out the chambers which then allowed to use both lipfire and rimfire cartridges. However, the cheapest and fasted way was simply cut down the rear of the cylinder. Some revolvers have been found with cut down cylinders and an altered hammer allowing to shoot centerfire cartridges.
Centerhammer Army Lipfire Revolver - Prototype
This revolver is to my humble opinion one of a small batch of prototype revolvers that have been produced to file the patent US33328 of September 1861. The revolver doesn’t have any markings except for the serial number 1 on various parts. I base my conclusion on the fact that this revolver is identical to the revolver that Ethan Allen has used for the filling of the patent. This patent revolver is kept in the archive of the Smithsonian Institution and has the serial number 3 visible on the hammer. Clicking on the picture below will bring you to the Smithsonian webpage where this revolver is showcased.
Several points need to be noted:
- This is definitely a first type: it has the loading gate hinged on the top. In his book “Ethan Allen and Allen & Wheelock, Their guns and their legacy”, Paul Henry states that all type 1 revolvers have the side plate screw entering the frame from the right. However, these prototype revolvers have the screw entering from the left side of the frame. This change of side has according to Paul Henry only been introduced on the Type 2.
- The cylinder pin latch has a very elegant shape (and is identical to the one on the patent drawing) but is rather fragile. On all production revolvers I have observed, this latch is much thicker and much more solid.
- The grip has the wide “bell” shape. These are rarely seen on production models. The vast majority has the narrow grips.
- The system to rotate the cylinder is of the early type, but has an additional spring (not seen on any production model)
- The serial number can be found on the frame, side-plate, hammer, barrel, trigger guard, wooden grips and several internal parts, but is absent on the cylinder.
- The revolver is in a remarkable state of conservation, however, unfortunately has been re-blued.
Centerhammer Army Lipfire Revolver - Second type
This revolver represents the second type, distinguished by the much more practical bottom hinged loading gate. Note the shape of the grip which is much smaller than the bell shaped gip of the early models. In addition, the spring latch cylinder pin retainer has been made more solid and a main spring tension adjustment screw has been added.
From the P.O. Collection
Centerhammer Navy Lipfire Revolver - 5" Barrel
This revolver is still fully original (not converted to rimfire).
