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LOT 1009
Factory Engraved Volcanic Repeating Arms Company Lever Action Navy Pistol - Serial no. 1637, 41 Volcanic cal., 8 inch octagon bbl., blue/silver- plated finish, varnished walnut grips. This factory engraved, silver-plated, Lever Action Navy pistol was manufactured by the Volcanic Repeating Arms Co., circa 1856. The pistol has a eight-inch, .41 caliber, octagon barrel with integral magazine, brass receiver and distinctive finger hole lever. The barrel has a brass pin front sight. A dovetail mounted rear sight is located on the receiver. The pistol has two-piece, walnut grips with a high polish piano finish. The barrel has a high polish blue finish. The rear sight, hammer, trigger, lever and cartridge elevator are a fiery niter blue. The receiver is decorated with the open scroll engraving used on factory engraved Volcanic firearms and has a silver plated finish. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the legend “THE VOLCANIC/REPEATING ARMS CO./PATENT NEW HAVEN CONN. FEB.14. 1854” in three lines. These markings indicate the pistol was manufactured before Oliver Winchester reorganized the Volcanic Repeating Arms Co., as the New Haven Arms Co. in 1857. The serial number is stamped on the right side of the frame underneath the grips, on the right side of the finger lever and on the inside of both grips. All of the visible serial numbers match. Volcanic pistols and carbines have a significant place in the development of American firearms. The combination of a self-contained cartridge, integral, multi-shot magazine and self-cocking lever action made Volcanic pistols and carbines the most advanced firearms of their day. The key features of the Volcanic pistols and carbines were refined and incorporated in the Henry rifle and Winchester Model 1866, 1873 and 1876 rifles and carbines. Finally, shirt maker Oliver Winchester’s investment in Volcanic Repeating Arms introduced him to the firearms business.