Allen & Wheelock · Pistol

Allen & Wheelock Pocket Model Side-Hammer Revolver

Name: Allen & Wheelock Pocket Model Side-Hammer Revolver
Brand: Allen & Wheelock

Revolving · .28 Caliber Percussion (Cap and Ball) · introduced 1858

Also known as Allen & Wheelock Sidehammer Pocket Revolver, Allen & Wheelock Pocket Sidehammer

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About the Allen & Wheelock Pocket Model Side-Hammer Revolver

The Allen & Wheelock Pocket Model Side-Hammer Revolver is a single-action .28-caliber percussion cap-and-ball revolver produced in Worcester, Massachusetts between roughly 1858 and 1861. It is distinguished by its side-mounted hammer (offset to the right of the frame rather than in the traditional top-center position), a five-shot round cylinder typically roll-engraved with a forest scene, and a short octagonal barrel. A compact concealable arm of the Ethan Allen patent series, it was also offered in a slightly larger .31-caliber chambering.

Allen & Wheelock's side-hammer layout placed the hammer on the right of the frame so the top strap and sighting groove stayed clear, a distinctive design signature of Ethan Allen's percussion revolvers before the firm pivoted to metallic-cartridge arms in the 1860s.

Allen & Wheelock Pocket Model Side-Hammer Revolver specifications

General

Type: Pistol
Action: Revolving
Firing mechanism: Percussion
Trigger: Single action
Calibres: .28 Caliber Percussion (Cap and Ball), .31 Caliber Percussion (Cap and Ball)
Magazine capacity: 5 rounds
Magazine: Rotary magazine

Dimensions

Barrel length: 121 mm (4.8 in)
Overall length: 267 mm (10.5 in)

Barrel

Rifling: Right hand

Materials

Barrel: Steel
Receiver / frame: Steel
Stock: Wood
Finish: blued

Performance

Muzzle velocity (typical): 180 m/s (591 fps)
Effective range: 15 m

History

Introduced: 1858
Discontinued: 1861
Production status: Discontinued
Country of origin: US
Designer: Ethan Allen

Available calibres

.28 Caliber Percussion (Cap and Ball).31 Caliber Percussion (Cap and Ball)

Features

Side mounted hammer
Single action
Octagonal barrel
Roll engraved cylinder
Loading lever
Walnut grips

Barrels marked "ALLEN & WHEELOCK WORCESTER, MASS. / ALLEN'S PATENT JAN. 13, 1857, SEPT. 7, 1858." Roughly 1,000 of each caliber are estimated to have been produced. Barrel lengths varied on the pocket frame; overall length figures reflect a longer-barrel example.