| An unusal design from the fertile mind of Ethan Allen, this little boot pistol is a departure from the standard of placing the nipple at a 90 degree angle to the charge. This design placed the nipple at the rear of the barrel, on the same axis, thus the Straightline. Manufactured in Norwich, CT, USA - circa 1845 Overall Length: 7 inches |
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This simple little pistol was designed to be easily concealed in the top of a boot or inside the belt. The smooth lines with no protrusions made it an easy to draw weapon and the octagonal rifling added a little accuracy to compensate for the short barrel. The blued barrel has faded to a faint plum color and the grip screw appears to be an old replacement. |
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The frame on this little utilitarian pistol bears no engraving at all, unlike the vast majority of the Allen's designs. Allen's pistols can usually be dated and the actual manufacturing facility determined by the style of engraving on the frame and backstrap. |
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As with the frame, the backstrap is a simple design with no ornamentation. Overall, this pistol shows signs of frequent use, The frame and hammer are somewhat pitted from the corrosive powder and the grips bear a few nicks and scratches. I like weapons with a hidden history. |
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This photo show the reason for the Straightline name. The nipple is horizontally mounted, on the same axis as the barrel, creating the straight line. The barrel has octagonal rifling which must have made this weapon tough to load as the bullet would have to be shaped to the lands as it was being inserted. |
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Stamped on the underside of the barrel at the junction with the frame is the number "73". It has been debated whether this number is a serial number or simply the number of the batch that contained this particular pistol. There is insufficient documentation remaining from the earlier Allen's production facility in Norwich to determine exactly what this number represents. |
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