Allen & Wheelock Lipfire Army Revolver
Allen & Wheelock · Pistol · Discontinued · 1860
Also known as: Allen & Wheelock Center Hammer Lipfire Army, .44 Lipfire Army Revolver
Overview
The Allen & Wheelock Lipfire Army Revolver is a six-shot, single-action, center-hammer revolver chambered for the proprietary .44 Allen Lipfire self-contained metallic cartridge. Manufactured in Worcester, Massachusetts from about 1860 until November 1863, it featured a 7.5-inch half-octagon, half-round barrel, a bored-through cylinder, smooth two-piece walnut grips, and a distinctive cam-action trigger guard that operated the cartridge ejector. Production ceased after the firm was found to infringe the Rollin White bored-through cylinder patent held by Smith & Wesson, making it one of the rarer American cartridge revolvers of the Civil War period.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1190 g (42.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 343 mm (13.50") |
| Barrel Length | 191 mm (7.52") |
| Action Type | Revolving |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Revolving Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 210 m/s (689 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 287 J (212 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 30 m (33 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .44 Allen Lipfire · primary — also known as .44 Lipfire, .44 Lip Fire, .44 Allen
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Revolving Cylinder
- Features: Center Hammer, Half Octagon Half Round Barrel, Cam Action Trigger Guard Ejector, Color Casehardened Hammer, Brass Blade Front Sight, Bored Through Cylinder
Service history
Operators
- Union Army (private purchase) · adopted 1861
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 250 · Production years: 1860-1863
Estimates range from about 250 to 500 units; production ended in November 1863 by court order over the Rollin White bored-through cylinder patent.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Ethan Allen
Discontinued: 1863
Notes
The Lipfire used a unique cartridge with the priming lip protruding from the case rim, struck by a notched hammer; this circumvented Smith & Wesson's rimfire patent but still infringed the Rollin White bored-through cylinder patent. Many surviving examples were later converted to percussion after production was enjoined.
Background
Ethan Allen devised the lipfire cartridge to sidestep Smith & Wesson's lock on the rimfire patent, placing the priming compound in a small lip on the case head. Though clever, the design still relied on a bored-through cylinder, and a patent-infringement suit shut down production, leaving only a few hundred examples and making the Lipfire Army a prized Civil War-era collector's revolver today.