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Buffalo Bill Center of the West

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    • Current HoursDecember 1–February 29: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Thursday–Sunday
    • Hours & RatesPlan your visit to the Center of the West.
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    • Facility RentalsThe Center is the perfect place for your next event.
    • Visiting YellowstoneYour best stop on the way to or from Yellowstone.
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    • Pre-K ProgramsSet up a guided tour for your preschool class.
    • Field TripsInvestigate outdoor adventures for adults and children.
    • Highlights MapsDiscover collection highlights in each of our museum.
    • Games and InteractivesLearn about the collection through online interactives.
    • Lectures & FilmsPlan for future talks and view past program videos.
    • Western EssaysDelve into historical information on western topics.
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    • Clothing and Accessories
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    • Media
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    • Greater Yellowstone Natural HistoryLearn more about the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
    • Western ArtDelve into the lives and works of western artists.
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    • ConservationFind out how we preserve Center collections.
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    • Patrons BallAttend our annual gala fundraiser.
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    • Our next raffle car: a 1967 Pontiac GTOBuy your tickets online for this amazing prize!
    • Give TodayMake a donation to programs and operations.
    • Why I SupportSee what motivates donors to give to the Center.
    • We have a winner for the car raffle for 2019Winner: from Lusk, Wyoming, with ticket #0553
    • Raptor ExperienceHelp provide care for our avian friends.
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Home > Cody Firearms Museum > Guns of the Week: September 8 – 12

Guns of the Week: September 8 – 12

September 12, 2014 by Ashley Hlebinsky

Guns of the Week: September 8 – 12, 2014

Unloading the Myth – Is Everything Better with Bacon?

Bacon Removable Trigger Guard Pocket Revolver, .32 short rimfire. Gift of Olin Corporation, Arms Collection, 1988.8.3223

Bacon Removable Trigger Guard Pocket Revolver, .32 short rimfire. Gift of Olin Corporation, Arms Collection, 1988.8.3223

Thomas K. Bacon was associated with many companies throughout his life. He initially worked with Ethan Allen, but in the late 1840s, he formed Bacon & Company. In 1857, he stopped production to work for the Manhattan Firearms Company. He left a year later to form Bacon Manufacturing Company.

In the 1860s, he produced an array of handguns, including this Removable Trigger Guard Pocket Model Revolver. This .32 short rimfire caliber, six shot revolver was unique because the trigger guard unscrewed and served as a lock for the center pins. Only about 300 were made because of a lawsuit with Smith & Wesson in regards to infringement on the Rollin White Patent.

In 1863, shortly after that lawsuit, Bacon’s shareholder Charles Converse forced him out of the company. The company lasted until 1868, when, due to poor sales, the rest of the shareholders formed Hopkins & Allen. During that time, Bacon created the Bacon Arms Company, but that did not last either. While he made many impressive and collectible firearms, suffice it to say many of his colleagues in the mid nineteenth century seemed to think everything was not necessarily better with Bacon.

Unloading the Myth – A Pocket Pistol and Pocket Knife in One

Marston Three-Barrel Derringer, Retractable Knife Blade Model, .22 rimfire. Gift of Olin Corporation, Winchester Arms Collection, 1988.8.71

Marston Three-Barrel Derringer, Retractable Knife Blade Model, .22 rimfire. Gift of Olin Corporation, Winchester Arms Collection. 1988.8.31

The Marston Three-Barrel Derringer, chambered for .22 rimfire, was made between 1858 and 1865 in New York City by William W. Marston. Approximately 1500 were produced.

Of that 1500, about 300 were manufactured without retractable knives. While the ones produced without knives are more rare, the Retractable Knife Blade Models are considered by many to be more desirable. This pistol, on display at the Cody Firearms Museum, is a model with a sliding knife that has a flat spring clip to lock the blade into place. It is identified as an early model because of it’s “clip point” shape. Later models had a spear point blade.

Unloading the Myth – The Many Incarnations of Allen

Ethan Allen, from Massachusetts, was a well-known manufacturer who produced many types of firearms that were respected for their quality and durability. Allen was originally known for his pepperboxes that were competitive with Colt’s early revolvers. He was also one of the first Americans to produce handguns for commercial sale based on interchangeability of parts. The company was known by many names, as Allen partnered with brother-in-laws Charles Thurber and later Thomas P. Wheelock.

About 1500 Allen 22 Sidehammer Rimfire Revolvers were made between 1858 and 1865. They were chambered for .22 rimfire, with a 7 shot cylinder. This particular model is an Eighth Issue, made in 1865. The barrel address is stamped “Ethan Allen & Co”. Most of these revolvers were stamped “Allen & Wheelock,” until Thomas Wheelock passed away in 1864, when the company reverted back to being Ethan Allen & Co.

Allen 22 Sidehammer Revolver, Eighth Issue - new donation

Allen 22 Sidehammer Revolver, Eighth Issue, new donation.

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Filed Under: Cody Firearms Museum
Tagged With: .22 caliber, .32 caliber, Bacon & Company, Bacon Arms Company, Bacon Manufacturing Company, blade, bowie knife, clip point, collectible, Colt, company, cylinder, derringer, Ethan Allen, firearm, gun, handgun, handguns, Hopkins & Allen, Knife Pistol, Manhattan Firearms Company, manufacturer, Marston, pepperbox, pocket pistol, Revolver, revolvers, rimfire, Rollin White, Smith & Wesson, spear point, Thurber, trigger, trigger guard, unloading the myth, Wheelock

 

About Ashley Hlebinsky

Ashley Hlebinsky is the Robert W. Woodruff Curator of the Cody Firearms Museum. Over the past four years she has worked between the Smithsonian’s National Firearms Collection and the Center in various capacities. She joined the Center as a full-time staff member in July 2013. She earned her Bachelor and Master of Arts in American History and Museum Studies from the University of Delaware. While earning her degrees, Ashley was a competitive ballroom dancer in New York City and has recently begun teaching dance in Cody when she’s not locked away in the gun vaults.

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