Anybody know this guy ?

[Eddie Southgate]

 I have a flint lock with the name Pete Allen stamped on the back side of the plate . It is on a rifle (unmarked ) that was thrown (correct term ) together in the late 1970's or early 1980's by a friend of a friend . The rifle is about as ill built as they get but was made with good quality parts . Looks like it as built by a gaggle of 12 year old girls at a strawberry tea party in one afternoon . The lock looks to be of very good quality and I plan to use it and the Douglas barrel along with maybe the thimbles and patch box to build another rifle . Just wondering who Pete Allen was . The stamp is not done with individual letters and I cant imagine anyone having a stamp made to just make a few locks so I am thinking he probably made quite a few but I have never seen another . Any info is appreciated . Sorry but I don't currently have a working camera to add pictures .

    Thanks,
     Eddie

[smokinbuck]

Eddie,
To the best of my knowledge Pete Allen is still among the living. He makes actions that are used quite often on competition rifles, mostly UH rifles from what I have seen. There's probably a number of fellows here that can give you better and more complete information.
Mark

[HIB]

Eddie, Try Minnesota and Track of the Wolf. If he's not there he is close by. HIB

[Mike Brooks]

Pete Allen runs/ran Allen Foundry in MN and supplied many of our little industries parts since before I got started building in '80. I don't know how active he is these days. He used to have a booth at F-ship as well.

[Keb]

Muzzleloader Builders Supply still advertises his locks but are mostly out of stock. I've used a few and like his big flint locks.



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[Don Stith]

Pete moved to a More northern part of MN late last fall and did not get the new building completed before winter set in
  Greatly cut back his ability to do the machine work on locks and mold work.  Hope he will be in better shape this winter.  At one time he did most of the cast parts for TOW and several others.  Mold maker,machinist, jack of all trades as well as a champion shooter at one time

[smylee grouch]

I was told many years ago that Pete and Jim Goodeion shared there shop together in Blaine Minn. but don't know if that was true or not. Both very good crafts men.

[Brent English]

I still have a cast tomahawk around somewhere that I bought from Pete in the late 70's at Friendship.  Used to throw it in matches and occasionally win.  Good to know he's still doing things.

[Eddie Southgate]

Thanks for the info . Top left is the one I got . Seems to be a really well built lock , it's a shame the stock  is such a piece of $#@* .  Looks like someone with a split personality built it . One side of the forearm is as flat as one of the CVA two piece stocks and the other has a slightly egg shaped curve to it . The flat side is very flat and cut down too thin to do anything with but scrap . The thimbles and trigger guard are good quality and the butt plate ain't bad but the butt ugly patch box has got to go . He used a good Douglas .45 barrel but it looks like he had a hard time deciding where he wanted his rear sight as there are two filled dove tails and a third with the rear sight installed . Looks like he took a half round file a filed a swag into one of the fillers in one of the earlier dove tails .  Don't really understand that but it looks like it was done on purpose .

  Eddie

[HIB]

Gentlemen, When Pete Allen was making locks and an occasional rifle he was, as stated above by several of us, working and living in Mn. The above info is correct and he should be easy to find. He was an excellent marksman.

Re:Rear sight location-there are several original Kentucky rifles in collections across the country that have this same evidence of sight replacement or relocation on the barrel. The original location, usually above the rear ram rod thimble, was for the buyers assumed eye sight [clear site picture] as the owner advanced in age his eyes may have change thus requiring movement of the rear sight to maintain clear sight vision. This may be part of the answer in old guns but may not apply to this messed up example.

Also, Douglas barrels were all we had in a quality made product in the 60's and 70's. My two 50 year old Douglas barrels still shoot quite well. Today the problem is me !!. Be happy you have one of Pete's locks and an excellent quality barrel. Throw the rest a way or use as firewood.  HIB

[smokinbuck]

Just saw a mention of Pete Allen:
Pete Allen Foundry & Manufacture.
10591 Nassau Street NE
Blaine, Mn 55449-5207
763-786-2186
Mark