Allen & Wheelock Providence Police Model Revolver
Allen & Wheelock · Pistol · Discontinued
Also known as: Allen & Wheelock Providence Police Model, Allen Providence Police Revolver, E. Allen & Co Providence Police Revolver
Overview
The Allen & Wheelock Providence Police Model is a compact five-shot, single-action .36 caliber center-hammer percussion revolver built in Worcester, Massachusetts by Ethan Allen's firm. It features a short octagonal barrel (commonly 3 to 5 inches), a spur trigger with no trigger guard, and a solid frame with no attached loading lever, and is regarded as Ethan Allen's final percussion revolver design. Fewer than about 700 were made in the early-to-mid 1860s, and although Allen collectors associate the model with the Providence, Rhode Island police, no documentary evidence confirms it was ever actually issued to that force.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 490 g (17.3 oz) |
| Overall Length | 188 mm (7.40") |
| Barrel Length | 76 mm (2.99") |
| Action Type | Single Action Revolver |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Revolving Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 215 m/s (705 fps) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .36 Caliber Percussion (Cap and Ball) · primary — also known as .36 cal, .36 percussion, 9.1mm
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Percussion Cylinder
- Safety mechanisms: Hammer Safety Notches
- Features: Octagonal Barrel, Center Hammer, Spur Trigger, Single Action, Five Shot Cylinder, No Loading Lever, Solid Frame
Service history
Operators
- Civilian
Production
Estimated total produced: 700 · Production years: circa 1858-1866
Estimated at fewer than 700 revolvers produced from the late 1850s into the mid 1860s; considered Ethan Allen's final percussion revolver design.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Ethan Allen
Discontinued: 1866
Notes
Offered with 3, 4, and 5 inch octagonal barrels; the varying barrel lengths argue against a standardized police contract. Two construction variants are known, one with a small side-plate screw and one with an internal pin securing the side plate. Guns are typically unmarked; surviving blue finish is extremely rare. Sometimes attributed to E. Allen & Co.
Background
Allen collectors have long called this the Providence Police model on the belief that the Providence, Rhode Island police department bought them, yet no surviving record proves the force ever carried one. The mismatched 3-, 4-, and 5-inch barrels found on survivors quietly undercut the police-contract legend, since departments of the era ordered guns to a single standard length.