volcanic repeating arms

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Volcanic Repeating Arms 1

Volcanic Repeating Arms

Volcanic Repeating Arms

Former type Private

Industry Weapons

Fate Acquired

Predecessor(s) Smith & Wesson Company

Successor(s) New Haven Arms Company

Founded 1855

Defunct 1866

Headquarters Norwich, Connecticut - New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Key people Oliver Winchester

Products Rifles, Pistols, Ammunition

The Volcanic Repeating Arms Company was a U.S. company formed in 1855 by partners Horace Smith and

Daniel B. Wesson to develop Walter Hunt's Rocket Ball ammunition and lever action mechanism. Volcanic made an

improved version of the Rocket Ball ammunition, and a carbine and pistol version of the lever action gun to fire it.

While the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company was short lived, its descendants, Smith & Wesson and Winchester

Repeating Arms Company, became major firearms manufacturers.

History

The original 1848 "Volition Repeating Rifle" design by Hunt was revolutionary, introducing an early iteration of thelever action repeating mechanism and the tubular magazine still common today. However, Hunt's design was far

from perfect, and only a couple of prototypes were developed; the only one known is currently in the Firearms

Museum in Cody, Wyoming. Lewis Jennings patented an improved version of Hunt's design in 1849, and versions of

the Jenning's patent design were built by Robbins & Lawrence Co. (under the direction of shop foreman Benjamin

Tyler Henry) and sold by C. P. Dixon. Horace Smith was also hired by Courtlandt Palmer to improve the Jennings

Rifle, patenting the Smith-Jennings in 1851. It is estimated that less than 2000 of these two models were made until

1852, when financial troubles ceased production.[1][2]

In 1854, partners Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson joined with Courtlandt Palmer, the businessman who had

purchased the Jennings and Smith-Jennings patent rights, and further improved on the operating mechanism,

developing the Smith & Wesson Lever pistol, and a new Volcanic cartridge. Production was in the shop of Horace

Smith in Norwich, Connecticut. The new cartridge improved upon the Hunt Rocket Ball with the addition of a

primer. Originally using the name "Smith & Wesson Company", the name was changed to "Volcanic Repeating

Arms Company" in 1855, with the addition of new investors, one of which was Oliver Winchester. The Volcanic

Repeating Arms Company obtained all rights for the Volcanic designs (both rifle and pistol versions were in

production by this time) as well as the ammunition, from the Smith and Wesson Company. Wesson remained as

plant manager for 8 months before rejoining Smith to found the "Smith & Wesson Revolver Company" upon

obtaining the licensing of the Rollin White "rear loading cylinder patent. Winchester forced the insolvency of the

Volcanic Arms Company in late 1856, took over ownership and moved the plant to New Haven, Connecticut, where

it was reorganized as the New Haven Arms Company in April 1857. B. Tyler Henry was hired as plant

superintendent when Robbins & Lawrence suffered financial difficulties and Henry left their employ. While

continuing to make the Volcanic rifle and pistol, Henry began to experiment with the new rimfire ammunition, and
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rimfire_ammunitionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oliver_Winchesterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rollin_Whitehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_Haven%2C_Connecticuthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rimfire_ammunitionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rimfire_ammunitionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_Haven%2C_Connecticuthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rollin_Whitehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oliver_Winchesterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Norwich%2C_Connecticuthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daniel_B._Wessonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Horace_Smith_%28inventor%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Benjamin_Tyler_Henryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Benjamin_Tyler_Henryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cody%2C_Wyominghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Magazine_%28firearms%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Winchester_Repeating_Arms_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Winchester_Repeating_Arms_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Smith_%26_Wessonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pistolhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carbinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lever_actionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rocket_Ballhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Walter_Hunthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daniel_B._Wessonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Horace_Smith_%28inventor%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ammunitionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pistolhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Riflehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oliver_Winchesterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_Haven%2C_Connecticuthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Norwich%2C_Connecticuthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Weaponshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Privately_held_companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Types_of_business_entity


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modified the Volcanic lever action design to use it. The result was the Henry rifle. By 1866, the company once again

reorganized, this time as the Winchester Repeating Arms company, and the name of Winchester became

synonymous with lever action rifles.[2][3][4]

In popular culture

A .41 caliber Volcanic Repeating Arms pistol was featured in the television show Pawn Stars in 2012. The episode,

titled "Bear-ly There", included a segment where the pistol was purchased by the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop for

$6,500.

The Volcanic Pistol is available as a weapon in Rockstar Games'Red Dead Redemption and in the card gameBang!.

Under the name of "Volcano Gun", Volcanic Pistol appears in Techland's Call of Juarez and Call of Juarez: Bound

in Blood. In both games it's most powerful handgun.

The 1855 Volcanic pistol was featured during an episode of the television show Sons of Guns in 2012. The episode is

titled "World's Largest Machine Gun" from season 3.

Examples of Volcanic Repeating Arms

A Smith and Wesson

Volcanic pistol, circa 1855,

in .31 caliber

The Jennings (top) and Volcanic (bottom)

rifles

Volcanic Pistol .41 cal

Notes

[1] Jim Taylor. "Leverguns: A Short History" (http://www.leverguns.com/articles/taylor/history.htm). .

[2] Charles Winthrop Sawyer (1920).Firearms in American History. Charles Winthrop Sawyer.

[3] "A Guide to Ammunition Collecting" (http://cartridgecollectors.org/glossary.htm). International Ammunition Association. .

[4] Daniel Coit Gilman, Harry Thurston Peck, Frank Moore Colby (1904). The New International Encyclopdia. Dodd, Mead and Company.

References

Flayderman, E. Norman: "Flayderman's Guide to Antique Firearms and their Values 9th edition" Gun Digest

Books, 2007

Houze, Herbert G.: "Winchester Repeating Arms Company; Its History and Development from 1865 to 1981"

Krause Publication. 1994

Lewis, Col. B. R.: "The Volcanic Arms"; American Rifleman, November 1957

Madis, George: "The Winchester Book"; Art and Reference House. 1985

McDowell, R. Bruce; "Evolution of the Winchester"; Armory Publications, 1985

Edsall, James: "Volcanic Firearms - And Their Successors"; Pioneer Press, 1974
http://cartridgecollectors.org/glossary.htmhttp://www.leverguns.com/articles/taylor/history.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AVolcanic.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AJennings_and_Volcanic_rifles.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3ASmith-et-Wesson-Volcanic-1854-1855-cal-31-p1030158.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sons_of_Gunshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Call_of_Juarez:_Bound_in_Bloodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Call_of_Juarez:_Bound_in_Bloodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Call_of_Juarezhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Techlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bang%21http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Red_Dead_Redemptionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rockstar_Gameshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pawn_Starshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Henry_rifle


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External links

Volcanic Rifles & Pistols (http://www.winchestercollector.org/guns/volcanic.shtml)

Winchester .44 Carbine "Yellowboy" (http://website.lineone.net/~braithwaitej/mainsite/overview/guns/

winchester.htm)
http://website.lineone.net/~braithwaitej/mainsite/overview/guns/winchester.htmhttp://website.lineone.net/~braithwaitej/mainsite/overview/guns/winchester.htmhttp://www.winchestercollector.org/guns/volcanic.shtml


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Article Sources and Contributors 4

Article Sources and ContributorsVolcanic Repeating Arms Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=508282132 Contributors: 0mniaV1nc1t, AZman66, Aldis90, Alpha Quadrant, AngelOfSadness, Bibliomaniac15,

Bostonbruins34, Fluzwup, Gazimoff, Hmaag, Hmains, John of Reading, Kartano, Mike Searson, Nightscream, PhilKnight, Quebec99, SamBlob, Sector001, Sturmvogel 66, TaintedMustard,

Tamfang, Triquetra, Ulric1313, 10 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsImage:Smith-et-Wesson-Volcanic-1854-1855-cal-31-p1030158.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Smith-et-Wesson-Volcanic-1854-1855-cal-31-p1030158.jpg

License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0 Contributors: Rama

Image:Jennings and Volcanic rifles.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Jennings_and_Volcanic_rifles.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Original uploader was

Fluzwup at en.wikipedia

File:Volcanic.JPG Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Volcanic.JPG License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0 Contributors: Hmaag, 1 anonymous

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