New Allen & Wheelock longrifle

[steef]

Members

I purchade a new rifle from a dealer last month and i am very happy to own it ,its a Allen & Wheelock target percussion rifle.
I hope you have more info for me about this rifle then flayderman has , its a very beautiful rifle .
Manufactured circa 1840s into the early 1860s with production estimated at a few hundred. This example of an Allen & Wheelock side hammer muzzle loading rifle has an octagonal barrel marked ALLEN & WHEELOCK CAST-STEEL", a globe front sight, a sporting type rear sight, and a false muzzle. Scroll engraved silver receiver, trigger guard, patch box, buttstock overlay and buttplate, with the scrollwork extended to the breech plug and hammer. The patch box also has an engraved stag scene. Double set triggers and a sight mount on the receiver. Nicely figured checkered walnut straight grip stock with crescent buttplate with compartment on upper tang. Included is a bullet starter.
BBL: 32 inch octagon
I measured the muzzle between the lands and grooves 0.365 - 0.382.
Hurricane or Nord wil post the pictures i made in this topic

Best regards

Steef

[smokinbuck]

Steef,
That is a very nice rifle, a good addition to anyone's cpllection. If the bore is as nice as the rest of the rifle it should be a good shooter also.
Mark

[steef]

Hi Mark

Yes the bore is very good no pitting or spots just nice ,shiny and good rifling.
they told me its a nice rifle to shoot maxi balls.
thx

Steef

[Curt J]

What an elegant rifle! Every detail, from the burl walnut to the engraving, is first rate.

[steef]

What an elegant rifle! Every detail, from the burl walnut to the engraving, is first rate.

Curt

Thanks , i was thinking the same about this rifle ,that is why i did buy it .
I discovered today that the patchbox has a number inside the door NR: 3 , the rest of the gun has no serial number.
I hope some members have more info about this rifle.

Steef

[JV Puleo]

It will be some sort of tracking number... so that the parts could be reassembled correctly as it went through the shop. Allen & Wheelock was a big manufacturer making everything from cheap single shot pocket pistols to beautifully finished target rifles like this one. They didn't serial number anything they made which is why its almost impossible to estimate the total quantities of any of their large number of different guns.

You might want to look up this book by the late Paul Henry...

http://www.gunandswordcollector.com/Templates/book%20pages/henry.html

[steef]

Hi

I did some research on the net and saw a edwin wesson target rifle ,this rifle is almost identicle like my rifle .
The story tells that this rifle was a bench rifle and also was used true the civil war by sharp shooters .
Not only the wesson rifle, also saw other target rifles almost the same as my Wheelock rifle .
Does anybody now more about these rifles specially the use in the civil war and why the action of these rifles are the same just the barrelmakers name are different ,did the action came from the same gunmaker or ..........
Lots of questions hope you can help me .

Steef

[Hungry Horse]

The replica made by Mowrey was supposed to be a copy of an Allen and Thurber rifle, and was quite similar to this one in many respects. It was a plain version, offered in brass, or steel action, and furniture, but lacked the hump in the frame this one has. this rifles extensive use of nickel silver indicates it might be of later manufacture. This gun could have been made after the civil war. Target shooting became very popular in the '70's and '80's, no doubt inspired by the sharpshooters that served both sides.  Even though cartridge weapons were quite common, muzzleloaders still ruled the range.

                     Hungry Horse

[steef]

Hi Hungry Horse

Thx for the info , but it can't be of later date because Allen & Wheelock was just in business for eight years from 1857 to 1864 in Worcester Massachusetts.

Steef

[cobracoach]

I love the old target rifles. Very nice lines on this one! Found this when doing a search, http://vintageammo.com/BOOKS%20FOR%20WEB%20PAGE.htm . It is item #12