Forehand Arms Co Revolver Serial Numbers

Jun 16, 2014 FOREHAND ARMS CO. WORCHESTER, MASS, U.S.A. 7, '86 & JANY, 11, '87 Serial number is in the 371xxx range. The back of the clyinder has the last 4 digits of the serial number on it, and 22 in the star extractor just below those numbers. There are no other markings on the gun. Forehand and Wadsworth (Forehand Arms) was in business from 1871 to 1902. Unfortunately, there are no serial number records for this company that has been closed for 116 years.

HOPKINS & ALLEN

Hopkins & Allen was best known for inexpensive pocket revolvers. Firms like H&A, H&R and Iver Johnson have been called “Armorers to the Nation’s Nightstands” in recognition of the common use of their products. At its peak, H&A was one of the largest American firearms manufacturers with production quantities approaching those of firms like Colt and Winchester.When H&A was formed in 1868, it took over production of Bacon Manufacturing Co. revolvers. Later, it acquired other makers such as Davenport Firearms (1901) and Forehand & Wadsworth (1902). The high-quality Merwin Hulbert & Co. (q.v.) revolvers produced in the 1870s and 1880s are usually found marked with the Hopkins & Allen name on the barrels.Trade names used by H&A on revolvers included Acme, Allen 22, American Eagle, Americus, Aristocrat, Black Prince, Blue Jacket, Blue Whistler, Buckeye, Bulldog, Captain Jack, Creedmoor, Czar, Dictator, Double Action No., Dreadnaught, Duchess, Duke, Encore, Essex, Excelsior, Expert, Forehand Model, Hinsdale, Imperial Arms, Life Guard, Metropolitan Police, Monarch, Morley, Mountain Eagle, Non XL, Old Hickory, Pointer, Range Model, Ranger, Red Jacket, Safety Police, Scott, Swamp Angel, Terror, The Challenge, Toledo Firearms, Towers Police Safety, Tramps Terror, Universal, Wolverine, XL, XLCR, and Xpert. Often these guns would not have the H&A name on them. Other firms also used some of these names for their products. Trade names reported on H&A long guns included Chichester, Cannon Breech, Douglas Arms, Dreadnought, King Nitro, KK, Seminole, and Worlds Fair. This is a recently revised and expanded section. Readers with comments and suggestions are invited to contact the editor.

Choose your Firearm

By Photos

By Model

By: John Hackett

This month’s old gun is a Forehand Arms Co. 5-shot top break revolver. It has a 3 ¼” barrel and chambered for .38 S&W. At first glance it doesn’t look like much, kind of like the 1,000’s of other cheap revolvers made around 1900. But it is a little different. Forehand revolvers were a little better quality than a lot of revolvers on the market during the day. And also this company has roots that date back to the early 1800’s, and arguably to one of the finest gunmakers that America has ever seen, Ethan Allen.

Ethan Allen Started his gunmaking career in Grafton MA in 1831. Allen was one of the first American producers of commercial handguns with interchangeable parts. In the 1830’s Allen’s guns were highly prized for their workmanship and rugged construction. Allen’s guns are still prized by today’s collectors for the same reason.

Forehand Arms Co Revolver Serial Numbers

The company Allen founded went through many name changes over the years; E. Allen – Grafton MA 1831-37; Allen & Thurber – Grafton MA 1837-42, Norwich CT 1842-47, & Worcester MA 1847-54; Allen & Thurber & Co. – Worcester MA 1854-56; Allen & Wheelock – Worcester MA 1856-65; E. Allen & Co. – Worcester MA 1865-71; Forehand & Wadsworth – Worcester MA 1871-90; and finally Forehand Arms Co. – Worcester MA 1890-1902. Forehand Arms Co. was bought out by the Hopkins & Allen Arms Co. of Norwich CT.

By the time this month’s old gun was made the quality that made Allen famous was no longer there. But Forehand still made a good gun, just not a superb one. And as such, collector interest just isn’t there for this type of piece, and the values reflect it. The value of this particular gun should be about $50 to $200.

The top break style of revolver was very common in the early 1900’s.

Forehand Arms Co Revolver Serial Numbers Diagram

The “F&W” (Forehand & Wadsworth) marking was used on grips even after the company name changed to Forehand Arms Co. The practice of using up old parts was very common around 1900, and does not necessarily mean the gun isn’t original.

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