Manufactured circa 1840s into the early 1860s with production estimated at a few hundred of all configurations, with the double rifles not mentioned. This example of an Allen & Thurber double barrel muzzle loading rifle has a round barrel with a solid rib marked "ALLEN & THURBER.", a blade front sight, and a buckhorn rear sight. (Note that this type of rifle is usually found with octagonal barrels). An exquisite floral scroll engraving on a punch dot background is featured on the frame, hammers, forearm hardware, breech, Swiss style buttplate, oval buttstock overlay, and double spur trigger guard, with the scroll pattern extended to the patch box. The trigger guard also has fine checkering on the rear spur. Nicely figured checkered forearm and straight grip stock and adjustable triggers. While only a few hundred of this type of Allen rifle was produced, examples have been encountered with many variations and varying degrees of decoration. According to the consignor's notes, this rifle with the aforementioned characteristics was the only one known to the late firearms expert and author Frank Sellers.

Fine. The barrels retain 20% faded original blue finish in the protected areas with the balance a smooth gray patina. The crisp frame has silvered out original case colors with the balance a mottled gray patina. The buttplate has a mottled gray patina. The forearm and stock are both excellent with a small chip missing near the rear of the trigger guard and some minor dings and pressure marks. Overall the checkering remains crisp. Mechanically excellent.