Antique Allen and Thurber Single Shot Rifled Percussion Overcoat Pistol

Up for sale today is an Allen and Thurber single shot rifled percussion overcoat pistol in .32

caliber. These pistols are a fascinating slice of mid19th-century American firearms history.
They were designed for personal defense and target shooting and

were often referred to as overcoat pistols due to their compact size and concealability.

A gentleman named Ethan Allen (no relation) took various relatives and/or partners into his

firearms manufacturing firm during different periods of time and moved the business to various

towns on different occasions during the mid-1800’s. Because of this the Allen name often

appeared on a variety of firearms in conjunction with the names of other people.

The hammer cocks and fires while both the hammer and nipple show obvious signs of frequent use.

This is a pistol well documented in American firearms history with a personalized, truly antique

persona. Who was the person with the initials “M.D.”? The actual provenance is lost to time but

after 175 years or so the evidence remains that he (or she) once lived and owned this special

firearm. Add this unique piece to your collection while you can. While there may be others out

there, this one is truly one of a kind.