Allen & Wheelock Belt Model Side-Hammer Revolver
- Category
- Pistol
- Barrel
- 152 mm
- Weight, empty
- 650 g
- Introduced
- 1858
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Allen & Wheelock Belt Model Side-Hammer Revolver is a five-shot, single-action .32 caliber percussion (cap-and-ball) revolver built in Worcester, Massachusetts by Ethan Allen and Thomas Wheelock. A scaled-down, medium-frame version of the firm's larger .36 Navy side-hammer, it carries the characteristic hammer mounted on the right side of the frame and a pivoting trigger guard that doubles as the ball-loading lever. Chambered mostly in .32 (with some in .31 and .34) and fitted with an octagonal barrel, it filled the mid-size 'belt' role for civilian carry between the compact Pocket model and the full-size Navy.
The offset side hammer was Allen & Wheelock's signature answer to a real problem: with the hammer thrown out to the right of the frame, the shooter's sight line down the barrel stayed clear, while the cleverly hinged trigger guard swung down to ram each ball home without the separate Colt-style loading lever.
Octagonal barrels were offered in 4, 5, 6, and 7.5 inch lengths; the majority were made in .32 caliber, with .31 and .34 examples also produced. Cylinders carry scroll engraving with animal scenes that vary by caliber. Roughly 1,000 belt-size examples are commonly cited, though surviving records suggest the true figure was likely higher.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Allen & Wheelock
- Category
- Pistol
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1858 to 1861
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 152 mm
- Overall length
- 260 mm
- Weight, empty
- 650 g
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Revolving
- Firing mechanism
- Percussion
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Revolving cylinder
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 200 m/s
- Effective range
- 30 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Octagonal barrel
Side hammer
Single action
Five shot cylinder
Trigger guard loading lever
Scroll engraved cylinder
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 1,909 pistols | 650 g | 794 g | Lighter than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 1,911 pistols | 260 mm | 196 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 1,941 pistols | 152 mm | 102 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 1,962 pistols | 5 | 8 | Holds fewer rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the Allen & Wheelock Belt Model Side-Hammer Revolver
How much does the Allen & Wheelock Belt Model Side-Hammer Revolver weigh?
The Allen & Wheelock Belt Model Side-Hammer Revolver weighs 650 g (1.43 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Allen & Wheelock Belt Model Side-Hammer Revolver?
The Allen & Wheelock Belt Model Side-Hammer Revolver is chambered in .32 Caliber Percussion (Cap and Ball).
How many rounds does the Allen & Wheelock Belt Model Side-Hammer Revolver hold?
The Allen & Wheelock Belt Model Side-Hammer Revolver holds 5 rounds, fed from a revolving cylinder.
How long is the Allen & Wheelock Belt Model Side-Hammer Revolver?
The Allen & Wheelock Belt Model Side-Hammer Revolver is 260 mm (10.24 in) long overall, with a 152 mm (5.98 in) barrel.
Who makes the Allen & Wheelock Belt Model Side-Hammer Revolver?
The Allen & Wheelock Belt Model Side-Hammer Revolver is made by Allen & Wheelock (United States). It was designed by Ethan Allen.
When was the Allen & Wheelock Belt Model Side-Hammer Revolver introduced?
The Allen & Wheelock Belt Model Side-Hammer Revolver was introduced in 1858 and discontinued in 1861.
How does the Allen & Wheelock Belt Model Side-Hammer Revolver operate?
The Allen & Wheelock Belt Model Side-Hammer Revolver uses a revolving action, and its firing mechanism is percussion.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- American Civilians
- United States
Provenance
Confidence in this record
68%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/allen-and-wheelock-belt-model-side-hammer-revolver' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "allen-and-wheelock-belt-model-side-hammer-revolver", "name": "Allen & Wheelock Belt Model Side-Hammer Revolver", "manufacturer": { "id": "allen-wheelock", "name": "Allen & Wheelock", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1856, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-07-06 11:00:16", "updatedAt": "2026-07-06 11:00:16", "version": "702314fea3428c68a244945f7299358c9cb380d34dc55aad3ff9c091c036dd07" }, "category": { "id": "pistol", "name": "Pistol", "description": "Handguns designed to be fired with one or two hands" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1858, "barrel_length_mm": 152, "weight_empty_g": 650, "action_type": "revolving"}