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LOT 1240
Extremely Rare C.B. Allen Cochran Patent Under Hammer Percussion Turret Revolver Serial Number “60” with Factory Engraved German Silver Grips - Serial no. 60, 36 cal., 4 1/2 inch round bbl., brown/casehardened/German silver finish, silver grips. Manufactured in the late 1830s by Springfield, Massachusetts, gun maker C.B. Allen, this is an extremely rare piece of American antique firearm history; less than 150 are believed to have been manufactured. John Webster Cochran, at the young age of 18, designed a cannon with a revolving cylinder and was granted a patent in 1834. In 1835, he demonstrated this cannon in Europe and gained the attention of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, who appointed him “Master of Cannon” and ordered construction of a full-size 12-pounder gun. Cochran completed it by September of that year and demonstrated it to the Sultan in February 1836, where it fired 100 times within 15 minutes. For his efforts, the Sultan gave him a handsome reward, and he would return to the United States to continue his experiments. Two patents were granted to John Cochran in 1837 for the revolving rifle, and the C.B. Allen carried out the manufacture of these in rifle and handgun form as seen here. The serial number “60” is marked on the right
of both the frame and barrel
at the breech. The matching
serial number also appears
on several other components
such as the turret, turret pin,
top strap and underside of the
grips. The revolver features a
7-round horizontally mounted
turret cylinder held in place by an axis and the top strap. There is a lever mounted in the top strap, which when pressed allows manual rotation of the turret by hand. The rear sight also serves as a latch for the flip-up top strap, securing the top strap when in the sighting position. The top strap is marked “COCHRANs/PATENT” above “C.B. ALLEN/SPRINGFIELD/MASS.” Iron frame, barrel, turret cylinder and components with German silver bag type grips, which feature a broad wedge of floral engraving at the tops. This experiment in the turret revolver is recognized by collectors as one of the distinct oddities in American arms development, with this design known to have the risk of chain fires and potentially causing harm to the shooter during a time when small arms of this type were very new, lending to their rarity; made right around the same time of the famous Colt Paterson revolvers. CONDITION: Fine overall, with untouched original smooth brown patina on the exposed iron surfaces, strong patterns of vivid original case colors showing on the protected underside of the top strap, attractive bright patina on the German silver grips with some slightly darkened patina at the edges, with sharp engraving, markings and edges overall. One cracked percussion nipple, otherwise mechanically fine. This unique Cochran turret revolver with extremely rare factory engraved German silver grips would be a centerpiece of any advanced antique firearms collection!
Estimate: 20,000 - 35,000
According to Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms fewer than 150 Cochran Turret Revolvers are believed to have been produced.
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