Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Herb Houze
rimfire breechloader. Barrel part round, part octagon or full octagon, usually of 2-1/2" to 2-7/8" length. Pivots to the right for loading and automatic extraction.
Walnut grips. Blued or plated finish.
Serial numbered. Barrel marking: E. ALLEN & CO./WORCESTER MASS. and ALLEN’S PAT. MCH 7 1865.
First model; as above, with part round, part octagon barrel:
5A-089 First Model
| 5A-089 | Values—Good $675 | Fine $2,250 |
Second model; as above, but with octagon barrel; less often seen:
| 5A-090 | Values—Good $750 | Fine $2.500 |
Allen & Wheelock Single Shot Center Hammer Muzzle-Loading Rifle
Single Shot Muzzle-Loading Center Hammer Percussion Rifle by Allen & Wheelock (a.k.a. “No. 10 Inside Cock”). Made c. 1850s. Quantity unknown; very limited.
Made in various calibers and barrel lengths. Also made as a smoothbore shotgun.
Iron mountings; lock casehardened, the barrel browned. Wooden ramrod beneath barrel.
Walnut buttstock with crescent shaped buttplate; no forestock. Stock usual; earlier production had narrow iron forend.
Serial numbered. Barrel marking: ALLEN & WHEELOCK.
A distinctive feature is the center hung hammer slightly offset to the right to allow for sighting, and the long integral iron frame extending full length of the wrist. Rare:
5A-091
| 5A-091 | Values—Good $450 | Fine $1,500 |
Allen Single Shot Sidehammer Muzzleloader
Single Shot Muzzle-Loading Sidehammer Percussion Rifle by Allen & Wheelock, Allen & Thurber, Allen Thurber & Co. Made c. 1840s into early 1860s. Total quantity estimated at a few hundred.
Various calibers; octagonal barrels, varying in length and weight, but generally around 28" to 32".
Iron mountings; lock area generally casehardened; the barrel browned.
Walnut buttstock, patchbox sometimes present. Buttplate usually crescent style, although shotgun type encountered. Iron or German silver forend. Wooden ramrod beneath barrel.
Serial numbered.
Markings known indicating manufacture by Allen & Wheelock, Allen & Thurber, and Allen Thurber & Co. Note that barrels were made available to the trade, and these will sometimes be observed retaining Allen markings, the balance of the weapon being by an individual gunsmith. A distinctive Allen feature is the metal frame extending back to form the straight grip. In arriving at an evaluation, consideration must be given not only to condition, but to quality of workmanship, sights, engraving (if present), patchbox. Values shown are for plain, unembellished specimens. This model may be encountered in a great many variations and varying degrees of decoration (i.e., engraving) with special sights or buttplates, false muzzle, patchbox, etc., all of which will affect value upwards, with considerable increases for elaborate, fine condition specimens:
5A-092
| 5A-092 | Values—Good $600 | Fine $2,750 |
Allen Combination Rifle-Shotgun
Combination Rifle-Shotgun, with Side-by-Side or Over-Under Barrels by Allen & Thurber, and Allen Thurber & Co., Allen & Wheelock and E. Allen & Co. Percussion muzzle-loader. Made c. 1840s into the late 1860s; total quantity limited.
Caliber/gauge combinations known include what may be the standard, 38 caliber and 12 gauge. Barrel lengths about 28" to 34".
Iron mountings.
Walnut buttstock and forend, patchbox may be present. Wooden ramrod beneath barrel.
Serial numbered. Barrel rib markings of the four types as indicated above.
These arms are very scarce and very little information is known or recorded about them. Values shown are for plain specimens. As with the preceding single shot percussion rifle, any embellishments or accessories will alter price upwards:
Side-by-Side:
| 5A-093 | Values—Good $875 | Fine $3,500 |
Over/Under:
5A-094
| 5A-094 | Values—Good $1,100 | Fine $4,000 |
Allen & Wheelock Sidehammer Breechloader
Breech-Loading Sidehammer Percussion Rifle by Allen & Wheelock. Made c. 1855-1860; total quantity less than 500.
36 to 50 caliber. Barrel lengths vary; part round, part octagon. The breech mechanism often known as the “FAUCET” or “TAP” breech, due to the lever opening device’s resemblance to a water faucet. Takedown feature apparently standard on all models. Takedown bolt on underside of frame.
Iron mountings; lock casehardened, the barrel browned.
Walnut stocks, with earlier specimens sometimes having patchbox.
Serial numbered. Barrel marking: ALLEN & WHEELOCK/ALLEN’S PATENT JULY 3, 1855. Also marked AT & CO. inside the lockplate.
This quite distinctive rifle is further evidence of the tremendous versatility of Allen. The unusual breechloader is encountered in many different variations of style and quality, all of which will affect value upwards and add premiums; a number of fine engraved specimens have also been encountered. At least one of these “tap actions” is known as a military model carbine with a number of distinctive features not seen on others. It is assumed made for military trials of the post-Civil War era; documentary evidence has yet to surface: