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LOT 3001 Fine Volcanic Repeating Arms Company No.2 Navy Lever Action Pistol - Serial no. 561, 41 Volcanic cal., 8 inch bbl., blue/ brass finish, varnished walnut grips. This No. 2 Navy Lever Action Pistol was manufactured by the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company c. 1856. This pistol features the distinctive octagon barrel with integral 10-shot magazine, brass receiver and cocking lever with finger hole. The eight-inch, Type I, barrel has a nickel-silver, cone-shaped front sight and small, iron, clam-shell shaped follower. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped with the legend:
“THE VOLCANIC/ REPEATING ARMS CO./PATENT NEW HAVEN CONN. FEB. 14. 1854” in three lines. The receiver has a notched, dove-tail mounted, rear sight, hammer with knurled spur and two-piece walnut grips. The serial number is stamped on the right side of the loading lever, left side of the butt beneath the grips and on the inside of both grips. All of the visible serial numbers match. The barrel and lever are blued, the receiver has the natural brass finish, the hammer, and trigger are color casehardened and the cartridge elevator, bolt and rear sight are fire blue. The grips have a varnished piano finish. The Volcanic Repeating Arms Company operated from 1855-1857 and manufactured approximately 1000 No. 2 Navy pistols with eight-inch barrels. CONDITION: Fine. This pistol retains 60% of the original blue finish. The pistol shows minimal handling wear. The blue finish on the barrel
has aged to an attractive plum patina with light edge wear. The barrel legend is crisp. The brass receiver is in very fine condition with only very slight handling marks with perfect side-plate joints. The brass has an attractive, un-touched, patina. The hammer, trigger and lever have 40% of the muted case colors. Traces of fire blue are present on protected areas of the rear sight, bolt and cartridge elevator. The grips are also fine with much of the piano finish and numerous scattered handling marks. This is a fine example of a historically important Volcanic Repeating Arms Company No. 2 Navy Lever Action Pistol. Provenance: The Dr. Gerald Klaz Collection. Estimate: 10,000 - 15,000
LOT 3002 “30 Bullet Holder” for Volcanic or New Haven Arms Pistols - Offered here is possibly a one-of-a-kind “30 Bullet Holder” for either a Volcanic Repeating Pistol of a New Haven Arms Repeating Pistol. The design appears to allow for rapid loading of .31 Volcanic cartridges via a sliding door that, when opened, would drop the cartridges down the pistol’s magazine tube. It is constructed of six pewter tubes soldered together with one end closed off and the other acting as the aforementioned door. This may be the product of an ingenuitive period craftsman looking for a way to speed the reloading process of his own pistol. CONDITION: Very good. Some oxidation present, mostly at the solder joints. The overall construction is strong with some areas of the joints less filled than others. The door is jammed shut and appears to have been repaired long ago. This would make a great addition to any Volcanic or New Haven Arms pistol collection! Provenance: The Dr. Gerald Klaz Collection. Estimate: 3,000 - 5,000
LOT 3003
Scarce New Haven Arms Co. Iron Frame Walch 10-Shot Superposed Load Percussion Pocket Revolver - Serial no. 2892, 31 cal., 3 1/4 inch octagon bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. These 10-shot pocket revolvers and the larger Navy Model 12-shot revolvers were manufactured around the early 1860s. The Pocket Model was manufactured by New Haven Arms Company for John Walch’s Walch Fire-Arms Co. of New York City alongside the famous Henry rifles. Only around 1,000 of the 3,000 Walch pocket revolvers were manufactured with iron frames, typically found within the 1500-3000 range. The barrel has a brass post front sight and “WALCH. FIRE-ARMS. CO. NEW-YORK/PAT’D FEB.8.1859” (partial) marked on top. Serial number “2892” marked on the left side of the grip frame and underside of the right grips. CONDITION: Good with smooth gray/brown patina overall, some scattered very light pitting, and defined edges in the metal. Grips are very good with scattered scratches, crazing at the bottom edges, and a few small chips. Mechanically fine. Estimate: 2,250 - 3,500
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Approximately 1,000-1,500 Walch Ten-Shot Revolvers were produced with irons frames, and were produced in the the New Haven Arms Factory at the same time as Henry rifles