A pocket shooting volcano: the predecessor of a revolver worth a month's salary! (9 photos)

Between 1857 and 1862, about 850 Volcanic pocket pistols were produced by the New Haven Arms Company. Because of the success of the name, and no doubt because of how well it worked in advertising, Winchester continued to sell Volcanic pistols even after the company went out of business.





The pistols were advertised as having 4-inch barrels, but in reality the octagonal barrel was just over 3 1/2 inches, measuring 3 9/16 to 3 11/16 inches long from breech to muzzle.

Like all Volcanic designs, it was a lever-action pistol with a lever mechanism.



The New Haven Arms Company "Volcanic" pocket pistols were early breech-loading revolvers.

A revolutionary principle of operation!

Lowering the lever under the receiver to the "open" position pushed the bolt back, which cocked the hammer and raised the cartridge elevator. Pulling the lever back to the "closed" position closed the bolt and fed a fresh round from the elevator into the breech. It also returned the elevator to its original position at the bottom of the receiver, where it was aligned with the magazine tube and received a new round.





The magazine tube under the barrel was spring-loaded and held six rounds, while the magazine for the long-barreled 6-inch pistol held ten.

This system fed Hunt's improved patented "Rocket Ball" ammunition. The Volcanic cartridges were innovative for their time. They were metal cases with primers, filled with gunpowder and a lead bullet. This system made it possible to significantly speed up the process of reloading the weapon.





Volcanic Sample Price!

The standard version of the No. 1 pocket pistol sold for $12.00 with a polished brass frame, blued barrel and magazine, case-hardened hammer and lever, and two-piece wood grips. For an additional $1.50, the pistol could be had with an engraved silver-plated frame.

Custom grips, such as ivory, were also available for an extra cost. To put that price in perspective, during much of the American Civil War, a Union private was paid $13 a month, so these revolutionary pistols cost almost as much as a typical worker's monthly salary at the time.





Overall, the Volcanic pistols were not successful in sales due to competition from other models such as the Colt Peacemaker and technical problems.

Despite their commercial failure, the Volcanic pistols played an important role in the development of firearms. Their design and cartridges became the basis for the development of more successful models such as the Henry Rifle and the Winchester 1866.

These pistols are an interesting example of early attempts to create a compact and effective weapon that could compete with existing models.





And it's also very beautiful!