Description:Patented by Roger N. Lambert of Upton, Mass. 27 February, 1832, #x6945. The "x" means that this was a restored patent, which had to be applied for again after the Patent Office burned down in 1836. These cane guns are reputed to be the first firearms made by Ethan Allen, who was making cutlery for the leather industry on the farm of his brother-in-law, Charles Thurber in nearby Milford, Mass. They are seldom found with markings other than the occasional "LAMBERT'S PATENT". The bar hammer, box lock action is reasonably straightforward but other features are less so. To operate, the top of the cane is pulled to the rear, withdrawing the action from its chamber inside the shaft. This also draws the attached barrel to the rear, out of the tip of the cane, allowing a spring to move the tip to the side, away from the line of the bore. The rear of the cane is then bent downwards, forming the grip. The same action also cocks the hammer and drops the trigger so it is available to fire the mechanism.
Rating Definition:Fine, with most of the original red finish on the exterior of the cane. The action has a light gray patina with some light pitting. The action is fine. PICTURED Flayderman, 7C-019.5, Paul Henry, "Ethan Allen and Allen & Wheelock Firearms," p.12.