# allen compound bow



## shawn d

I also have an Allen that was handed down to me from a cousin. The only thing he advsied was never to get rid of it due to the historyof the bow. The bow is now a item to hang on the wall to admire.


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## Africanbowhunter

Allen built several models of his compound bow The Gladd rod limb was the first TINK NATHAN


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## toxo

*Allen bows*

Saw many of Allens bows....... Allen was responsible for putting Tom Jennings out of business when Alen won the law suit over the patent infrigment in the 80s. That is when PSE, Martin and Bear looked at Jennings and Bear bought them!!!!!


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## typical

*original Allen*

I have what I believe to be an original Allen. I got it new in '76 or '77. Does anyone know what it might be worth?


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## toxo

*allen worth*

Nothin!!!!!!! Only what some one would pay you for it. Bows hold NO value!!!!A friend of mine hadover 100 different original bows and they were worth NOTHING!!!!! He finally got rid of them for pennies on the dollar!!!!!!!!!


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## Africanbowhunter

EBAy can give you soem price Old bow are bring more & more these days Tink


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## toxo

*old bows*

good luck!!!!!!!


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## concept

*module*

as with alen,who holds the definitive patent on module?


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## Africanbowhunter

a 1948 Bear Archery Catalog # 4 sold on eBay for $1680.00 last week Old bow like black widows sell for over $600 on ebay


Tink


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## toxo

*bows worth*

intrinsic value.......that is all their worth. Not to criticize any one.....but some people think bows are worth alot.......good luck trying to make money on them!!!!!


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## Africanbowhunter

OK But dont say bow have no value They ar shooters after 40 year and shoot as wellas many modenr bows Old thign have historial value BTW Good luck


TINK


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## toxo

*Allen bows*

For the evolution of bows it might have some historical merit but money wise it is not worth much. Like I said and stand by my words the friend had one of each bear recurve/longbow ever made and could never get any money for them. They do not increase in monetary value. Now a museum might consider some of them.......but even Museums do not pay much either. Most things are donated.


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## Africanbowhunter

OK Toxo you win OK?

I just bough a Hoyt Pro Medalsit Target bow in minty condition for $275 and there were 13 bids Maybe you buddy didnt know how to market his bow or didnt use e bay

Nice chattign with you Sir Bye TINK


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## toxo

*WIN?*

I do not win......Irespect you very highly for what you have done for the hunting community but we can agree to disagree. Even Mark Twain said,"It is a difference of opinion that makes horse races."


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## RobinHood123

*Allen Bows*

Allen Bows were originated is a small town in Missouri by the name of Billings. That happens to be the town in which I was born and raised. Several years ago me and my father cleaned out the shop in which he had worked out of. It had been locked up and untouched for many years. While there were no complete bows in there, many componets used to make the original bows were still there. It was kind of interesting to see some of compound history.


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## Jr. bowman MI

Arent allen the makers of the allen lighted sight?


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## spectr17

A buddy had one of Allen's bows, it was the Speedster if I remember right. Missouri MDC wouldn't allow them for hunting for a few years. That same buddy stuck colored pins into an ink eraser for sight pins. It actually worked pretty good unless you bumped them, duct tape was all that held the mess together.

Ah the olden days. Baker rides, Allen bows, G.I amoeba camo with face grease paint.


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## spectr17

Here's a pic of an Allen Speedster bow.


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## jmoose77

I bought a Allen compound last December for $8.00 in a pawn shop. I might have paid $8.00 more than it's worth but this bow has more value to me just because it's one of the first compounds to come on the market. This bow has sights and two stickers with one saying Allen Original Compound and the other is a calibration chart. The bow has a 28 inch draw and 40-50 lbs of draw weight. I glad to find this old bow and I know it's found a home.


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## AtTheWall

Here's the original compound bow.

My first compound.... the Allen/Jennings original compound. 

Shot my first deer with this bow. Still shoots as sweet as she did back in 1971. 5 turns on the T-Handles brings her up to 55 lbs @ 28" draw.


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## hoot gibson

hi guys , didnt the first allens have turnbuckles on the cables for tuning?? hoot


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## AtTheWall

Yes they did. Note the two little tiller knobs (black plastic) on the inside of the riser on my Allen/Jennings bow. Those two knobs adjusted the Tiller to keep the bow in tune. The bus cable is 7 strand steel cable rolled up on two riser wheels where the tiller knobs are located. Pretty efficient tuning if I say so myself considering this was a first run Bow Engineering initiative. 

The pair of T-Handles (chromed steel) on the outside of the limbs where the limbs meet the riser adjusted the draw weight. These bows were designed to have the poundage backed out when not in use, otherwise excessive heat could over stress the limbs to a point of failure. So after each shoot, the limbs are backed down for storage.

This bow is setup for finger shooting. If you look closely, a single pin sight is mounted on the front of the riser. Draw, anchor and sight on the single pin for aim and release. I still have the distances marked in pencil on the outside of this sight.....but I hunted instinctive since the pin wasn't very "user friendly" when you had to make adjustments afield.


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## Jr. bowman MI

that looks alot like the fred bear whitetail hunter..


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## AtTheWall

This bows particular markings are Dremel Tooled into the top, left side riser. My digital camera has a horrible Macro Zoom so pardon the badly focused pic.

Riser markings tooled:

#6806
40 - 50 #
Ser. 72091108
Allen Pat.


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## AtTheWall

The tiller adjustment knob area right behind the limb pocket (from the archers side). Notice how the cable winds neatly onto an aluminum bar.


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## AtTheWall

A side view of the limb pockets and tiller adjustment knob.


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## AtTheWall

State of the art sights back in the day  A few from the front of the bow looking back to the bowstring.


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## AtTheWall

An archers view of the sight picture.


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## AtTheWall

A state of the art rest......sure beat shooting off the shelf 

This rest has been on this bow since 1970 (something)?


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## Jr. bowman MI

great pics thanks for sharing, Josh


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## hoot gibson

wall, was this bow new when you bought it , or did you buy it just because what it was . hoot


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## jmoose77

Wall, good looking bow. Your bow looks similar to the one I bought. Here is the spec's on mine, #6806 / 40-50# / Ser.72120407 Allen Pat. / 28". .............. jmoose


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## X-52 Mag

*I was there ....*

I was there when Allen did his thing. I was working at Black Widow at the time and Mr. Allen and I shot in the same club together. He did manufacture a lot of Allen Compound Bows in his shop in Billings, Mo. He was killed crossing the street going to the cafe for lunch. He was another great LEFT HANDED shooter as was Fred Bear. I make note of this as I owned the second bow that he built (I too am left handed and as such I shot all his new ideas.)


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## RealDakota

Your pic is actually a drawing from the Allen patent. The Speedster was a 6-wheel bow with solid glass limbs and aluminum hanger brackets.


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## wilsonryanb

*Allen Compound Bows*

This Is My First Time Responding To This Site, But I Am Just Writing Due To A Comment I Seen Someone Had On Here Stating Allen Never Manufactured Any Bows That He Just Had The Patent. I Know For A Fact All Of Allens Bows Were Built By Him By Hand Or By His Son Doug-whom I Knew Personally. I Live 5 Miles From Billings, Mo And Was Friends With Doug After Wilbur Passed. Also There Was A Comment On Here That Someone Had That They Cleaned Out The Shop Where Allen Bows Were Made After It Closed. I Was There With My Father And Doug Allen Cleaning Out The Shop After It Closed All Of The Machinery And Bows Were Taken Out-there May Have Been A Few Pieces Here And There Left, But Doug Gave My Father And Me Multiple Bows And A Lot Of The Machinery That Was In The Shop Used To Make The Bows. These Comments I Viewed Were Dated Back In 2004; Please Get Your Facts Right!!


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## Steelheadrod

Wow I think i just got an original? Allen off e-bay last week, no name or # but had the triangle riser attachment / turnbuckle mount, four pulley,( inside 2 @ 90 Degree angle to the main pully's at the top and bottom of bow, top and bottom pulley's are through a noch cut into the top/bottom of the riser, not held on by a bracket, The center pulley's @ 90 Deg. angle were held on by brackets bolted through the riser about one inch down from the bottom of the cut made for holding the top roller/pulley/cam/whatever. had kind of a structural steel look to the handle ( like stabilizing struts cast into the metal center piece that the risers bolt onto. the triangle plates ( on each side ) both upper and lower,stuck way out from the body of the handle, like an extra 3" , yet the triangle was only about 2 1/2 inches on each other side, and the 3" extension was the part that had the turnbuckles hooked to them. Any ideas?


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## TWO SWITCHBACKS

*allen*

post a photo


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## RealDakota

Steelheadrod said:


> Wow I think i just got an original? Allen off e-bay last week, no name or # but had the triangle riser attachment / turnbuckle mount, four pulley,( inside 2 @ 90 Degree angle to the main pully's at the top and bottom of bow, top and bottom pulley's are through a noch cut into the top/bottom of the riser, not held on by a bracket, The center pulley's @ 90 Deg. angle were held on by brackets bolted through the riser about one inch down from the bottom of the cut made for holding the top roller/pulley/cam/whatever. had kind of a structural steel look to the handle ( like stabilizing struts cast into the metal center piece that the risers bolt onto. the triangle plates ( on each side ) both upper and lower,stuck way out from the body of the handle, like an extra 3" , yet the triangle was only about 2 1/2 inches on each other side, and the 3" extension was the part that had the turnbuckles hooked to them. Any ideas?


Sounds like a Jennings S handle (structural steel look to the riser).


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## usafirst

*My Allen speedster as stolen in a buglary around 1978 ?*

Stolen in the area of West Avenue and 410 in the San Antonio area at the time it was in a tan case. Would love to find another. My original was bought in Michigan around 1978. At the time i as under the impression it was made there but now i am not sure. Would love to find it or another to replace it.


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## bear-of-grayling

The serial number is the date of manufacter. 720911 are the first six digits. !972, 09 september, 11. The last 2 digits are color. You have a 911 bow. Made in 1972.


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## bosshoss98

*Allen bows and history with Allen*

Wow wilsonryanb! Amazing history! Do you have any idea of how many Allen bows were produced? I have a jenni gs first generation arrowstar that looks like the Allen. Thought it was a prototype of the arrowstar now I see it is called a first generation derived from the Allen now.


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## TKR Reptiles

I know this is an older thread, but my Dad has one of the original Allen Speedster from 1977... We got his new PSE setup today, and he got his Allen out to look at... He stored it with the tension off, and it still shoots fine today...

Here are some pics...


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## damoose1987

*Is anyone still here?*

Hi guys,

I know it's been a while since anyone has been here... hopefully there are still some people subscribed to this thread.

I recently found what appears to be an authentic Allen. Just thought I would share with you guys. It seems to be in a bit of a rough condition though. Would it be sacriligeous to tear it down and refinish/polish/revive this bow? It look like a bit of polish on the metal and sanding/re-applying poly on the wood is all that it would take to make it a show piece...

Some of the markings seem to have been removed... here is what I can read:

#7306-2 *****
26"
Ser. 75122202L
Allen Pat.















Thanks Guys,
DaMoose


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## ArcherXXX300

There's one of those on the wall in a shop I shoot at. There is also a very scary looking release next to it also... cool stuff.


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## RealDakota

The short draw, light draw weight, and natural maple finish are a little uncommon in the 7306, but yes, it's in Allen.


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