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LOT 14
Exceptional New Haven Arms Company Lever Action No.1 Pocket Pistol - Serial
no. 140, 31 Volcanic cal., 3 1/2 inch bbl., blue/gold finish, varnished walnut grips.
This No.1 Lever Action Volcanic Pocket Pistol was manufactured by the New Haven
Arms Company c. 1858. The pistol has a blued barrel and rarely encountered gold-plated receiver with no engraving. The bolt, cartridge
elevator, trigger, loading lever and rear sight are fire-blue. The hammer is color casehardened. The two-piece, flat base, walnut grips
have a high gloss varnish finish. The pistol has the distinctive .31 caliber octagon barrel with integral six-shot magazine, brass receiver and
loading lever with finger hole. The barrel has a round muzzle, rounded T-bar spring, pinch-top front sight and scalloped brass magazine
follower. The receiver has semi-circular cut-outs on both ends of the ejection port and fixed, dovetail mounted rear sight. The top barrel flat is
roll-stamped with the New Haven Arms Company markings: “NEWHAVEN CONN. PATENT FEB.14.1854” in one line. The serial number “140” is
stamped on the left side of the butt beneath the grip and on the inside of both grips. New Haven Arms Company manufactured an estimated
850 No. 1 Lever Action Pocket Pistols between 1857 and 1860.
CONDITION: Exceptionally fine. The barrel retains 80% of the delicate high polish blue finish. The receiver is excellent with traces of the delicate gold
plated finish underneath the grips. The brass receiver is excellent with a beautiful, untouched patina, perfect side-plate joints. The rear sight, bolt, loading lever and trigger have significant amounts of the delicate fire blue finish. The hammer retains most of the casehardened finish with sharp checkering on the spur. The walnut grips are in excellent condition with 95% of the piano finish varnish. This is an outstanding example of a scarce and historically significant New Haven Arms Company Lever-Action No.1 Pocket Pistol that would be difficult to improve upon.
Provenance: The Mac McCroskie Collection.
Estimate: 15,000 - 25,000