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AS PICTURED AND DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK VOLCANIC FIREARMS BY LEWIS
LOT 3189
Fine Documented Smith & Wesson No. 2, Type I Lever Action Repeating Pistol - Serial no. 138, 41
Volcanic cal., 8 inch bbl., blue/brown finish, rosewood grips. This No. 2, Type lever action repeating pistol was
manufactured by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson c. 1854. This scarce pistol has the desirable Type I features
which include: (1) frame with pronounced hump behind the trigger, (2) uncrowned, flat, muzzle, (3) flat magazine shroud locking spring with screw, (4) single spring screw on the bottom of the frame behind the cartridge elevator and (5) loading lever with spur. The pistol has a part-round/part-octagon barrel with ten shot magazine, pinch-top brass front sight blade and the steel, clam-shell shaped, follower found on later production Type I pistols. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped with the legend: “SMITH & WESSON/ NORWICH. CT./CAST-STEEL” in three lines followed by “PATENT”. The steel frame has a screw-fastened, fixed, rear sight, hammer with fine knurling on the spur and two-piece, rosewood, grips with flared butts. The sides, top of the frame, backstrap, sideplates and back of the hammer are decorated with the simple open scroll engraving that was standard on S&W No. 2 pistols. The serial number is stamped on the back of the rear sight, left side of the hammer and left side of the butt beneath the grips, and penciled on the inside of both grips. All of the visible serial numbers match. The barrel is browned, the frame was originally blue and the hammer, trigger and lever are color casehardened. The grips have a high polish piano finish. This pistol is pictured and described on page 30 of “VOLCANIC FIREARMS” by Edmund Lewis and Stephen Rutter. Smith & Wesson manufactured approximately 500 large frame, 41 caliber, No. 2 lever action pistols between 1853 and 1855. The first production, No. 2, Type I, pistols are very scarce.
CONDITION: Fine. This pistol is all original and retains 70% of the original factory finish on the barrel assembly. The surfaces are
smooth with sharp edges and crisp S&W markings. The iron frame has an even silver patina. The edges are sharp, the side plate joints are tight and the engraved scrollwork is crisp. The case colors
on the contact points of the hammer, trigger and lever have
silvered. Small amounts of color casehardened finish remain in
protected areas. The grips are fine overall and retain most of the original piano finish with a few scattered handling marks. This is a fine example of a scarce and historically significant S&W No.2, Type I Volcanic, lever action pistol.
Provenance: The Dr. Gerald Klaz Collection.
Estimate: 14,000 - 22,500
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One of approximately 500 Smith & Wesson Large Frame No. 2 Lever Action Pistols produced.