I'm researching this. Right now I can say that Forehand and Wadsworth made two handguns, a .32 and a .38 cal before 1891. That is the cutoff date for them to be considered "antique". I even found a web site that has parts for Forehand and Wadsworth guns. As I get more information, I'll post it.

im not positive, but i vaguely recall my grandfather describing this place as being located on park ave and chandler, there is a rite aid or walgreens there now--right down the street from foley stadium--

"Sullivan Forehand was first employed by "Allen & Wheelock" in 1860 in an administrative capacity. He subsequently married Ethan Allen's daughter and their two sons were later to enter, with their father in the firearms business. Henry C. Wadsworth, while an officer in the Union Army during the Civil War, also married one of Ethan Allen's daughters. Upon his discharge at the end of the war, he joined the Allen firm. In 1865 the firm name was changed to "Ethen Allen & Co." to reflect the new partnership fromed by E. Allen and his son's in law, Forehand and Wadsworth. Following Allen's death in 1871, the firm was continued by Forehand & Wadsworth and (name was changed to Forehand & Wadsworth Firearms Manufactoring Co. in 1871)" FLAYDERMANS 7th ED. page 382.

Forehand and Wadsworth made Pocket Model revolvers in.32 and in .38. They also made a large frame .44 caliber revolver that I believe was referred to as a Frontier Model. I had one years ago that had come out of Mexico and was pretty rough in shape. I wrote a letter to the NRA and found out what it was.

i also know very little of this company,but more than a few years ago i bought two forehand wadsworth revolvers one was a thirty eight and one was a thirty both were from the same era and had the same look, all i could ever find out is the company was absorbed in 1904, both guns were center break and put a lot of effort in looking and acting like a typical "saturday night special" as much as i hate that term, thanks and cya.

I've only recently become familiar with this company because I recently inherited an old double barrled shotgun manufactured there in 1897. an have no idea of t's worth.

If this building is located on Park Ave. and Chandler it was later the Harrington Richardson Arms Co. They made the M-16 Rifle during the VietNam War. I worked there between 1965-1972. At that time they were owned by the Rowe Family.

I believe the building was also Harrington and Richards firearms but I am not sure.

This became the Harrington & Richardson Gun Manufacturing company on Park Avenue. It stood until it was demolished in the late 1980's or 90's. The land is still vacant.

I know that there was a Harrington & Richardson firearms plant on the corner or Park Ave and Chandler in the 1960s. Not sure if this is the same building. I lived on Windfield Street and we would climb the fence to explore the factory (what were we thinking ?!)

The Firearms manufactory became the Harrington and Richardson Firearms Company Later the New England Firearms Corp.( Now of Gardner, d.b.a. H&R1871 Co.). It was located at Park Ave and Chandler ( I think) Now a Burger KIng. They specialized in Boarding Guns during WWII, and made simple revovers and break top shotguns and rifles.

This is not the Harrington & Richards building that I remember (and photographed) at the corner of Park and Chandler.

This picture is the factory that was built by Allen & Thurber in 1854. The company moved to Worcester from Norwich,Conn in July of 1847 and set up business in the Marrisfield industrical complex. In 1854, a fire distroyed the complex and Allen & Thurber Then known al Allen, Thurber & Co, built the factory that is in the picture that year. In 1856, Charles thurber retired and the company became Allen & Wheelock. Thomas Wheelock was a long time employee of A&T and one of Allen's brother-in-laws. In 1860, Forehand and Wadsworth both married Allen's two daughters and after Wheelock died in 1864, the company became E. Allen & Co. (Forehand & Wadsworth were the & Co) When Allen died in 1871, Sullivan Forenand and Henry Wadsworth took over the company and it became known as Forehand & Wadsworth. I hope to have my book published this year (2005) about Allen & Wheelock and it will explanin it all. Paul Henry

The address of the Harrington & Richardson Arms Company during the 1950s and 1960s was 320 Park Avenue, Worcester, Mass. (Telephone 7-6341). My father's company in Philadelphia was one of their suppliers for precision parts for their military rifle, the M-14.

I have a single shot 12 gauge shotgun. The receiver is stamped "Harrington & Richardson Arms Co. Worchester, Mass U.S.A Pat Feb 20 & 17 1900." So I would reason that there were 2 different firearm plants in Worchester around the same time. I could be wrong though.

i remember when the last building at that site on park avenue was being torn down. i believe it was in 1985 or perhaps 1986. i was walking up park avenue to get to the records and tapes/merchandise store called 'album's' which was then located behind i believe it was a ihop store, 'international house of pancakes ' or some other which was on the same side of park ave as the last factory but just past it at the corner of park ave and chandler street.

i have a rifle made by harrington an richardsons in worchester mass. Patented on feb. 20 & 27 1900.

I have a forehand and wadsworth 32 cal. six shot, double action revolver. from the little info I,ve gathered it was called a suicide gun and on it the patents are Dec. 7, 1885 & Jan. 11, 1887. My revolver does have a serial number on it and I'm researching it further.

I have in my possession a Forehan &Wadsworth, Worcester, Mass Pat. Sept . 24 & Oct. 22, 1861 This seven-shot .22 caliber (?) short cartridge, nickel plated revolver (serial number 18929.) was kept behind the counter of the jewelry store owned and operated by Ellis Gifford in Fall River, Mass. (serial number 18929.) From the discussions noted here it appears that the caliber may be .30, although a .22 short cartridge fits very nicely into the cylinder

hi i worked there whhen i got out of the marine corp in 1971 as a maintence personel philip seger

a .42 Caliber F&W Rimfire cartridge also exists, though not easy to find. Therefore there must have been a .42 caliber firearm also made by this facility at some time in the past. I have a photo of the round I own, if anyone is interested. Thanks for the great info I have found at this site.

I have 3 different addresses fro H&R, culled from their ads: Harrington & Richardson Arms Co., 243 Park Ave Worcester, Mass Harrington & Richardson Arms Co., 320 Park Ave Worcester, Mass Harrington & Richardson Arms Co., 484 Park Ave Worcester, Mass

I have a F & W Russian 32, no s/n but stamped F H S Collick? RAOC (Royal Army Ordnance Corp. Has octagonal barrel and removable 5 round cylinder. No idea as to date. Believe I am a very distant relation to Henry

I have a 7 shot revolver and would like to sell it. Patented in 1861. Do you know who makes a market in this

I worked at a company called Thermoplastics in 1982-83 that occupied a section of The Harrington Richards building at Park and Chandler.(Thermoplastics is now on Cambridge st.) I remember the building as being full of tunnels and pretty run down. There was also a bunker type building down towards Beaver Brook park that I heard the rifles were tested in.

I have a 12 gauge single barrel shotgun that was made by Harrington & Richards arm co. It reads worchester M.A.Pat res 20 & 27 1900 I would like some more information about this gun as it belonged to my great grandfather. I live in Australia and we do not have alot of info regarding this available.

I have a single shot 12 gauge forehand shot gun and i am looking for a firing pin and stock. the only numbers stamped on it is 545

Pete Taylor, do you still have the website where i can buy pats for a forehand and wadsworth handgun? chas574@aol.com is my email. thank you

I have my great- grandfather's single barrell 12 gage that has "Forehand Arm Co. Worclett, Mass." with a Patented date of Feb.4 1896. On top of the barrell it says, "Fine Decardonized Steel". If anyone has any more information, my e-mail is woodhamc60@hughes.net.

I just purchased an Allen & Thurber pepperbox made in 1845 serial number 119. Can anyone give me any information on its history?