Top Guns: 2015 February Regional

What a sale!  Rock Island Auction Company's 2015 February Regional Auction set all kinds of fun records - most notably with over 20,000 sealed bids and the $5.6 million final figure.  That's a lot of participation, strong bids, interest, and exposure.  With all that activity surely, some interesting trends must have become apparent, right?  Let's take a look.

Read our full auction write-up by clicking here.

Most Popular Item

Lot 5598: Two AR-15 Style Semi-Automatic Long Guns with Scopes

Low Estimate: $900
Realized Price: $3,450

As we mentioned the last time we "awarded" this title, it can be tricky to calculate.  After all, how does one measure live bids (especially multiple live bidders all of whom may try bidding at the same dollar amount)?  That said, based largely on sealed bids (pre-auction bids of a fixed amount), the winner far and away was lot 5598 and its AR platform rifles chambered in .450 Bushmaster and 5.56 mm.  Before these modern sporters even hit the auction block, there were more than 50 bids placed on them, making for some fierce competition.  Other, classic guns also had over 40 bids a piece such as the two Lugers in lot 1844, the Vickers machine gun in lot 3998, the four Marlins in lot 128, and the Union Switch & Signal 1911A1 in lot 3895.  There was no shortage of participation in this massive auction!

Highest Performing Item Overall (Based on Highest Percentage Over Estimate)

Lot 1895:  Large Assortment of Nazi-Style Daggers, Accoutrements, and Artifacts

Low Estimate: $1,000
Realized Price: $8,625

First things first, this title is technically a tie.  Lot 1895 (shown above) and lot 3805 (Seven German Style Edged Weapons) both destroyed their low estimate by a whopping 650%.  However, since Lot 1895 had the higher of the two sale prices, I'm giving it the edge here.  Do you see anything in that lot we might have missed that made it such a sleeper?

Second, for this "highest performing" item, I would love to show you a beautiful antique firearm or some gun with a great story to tell.  We're primarily a firearms auction house after all, and we like to show those off to collectors.  However, the numbers do not lie.  This is what the data shows and you'll soon see it's no error, leading me to our second "award" of the article.

Highest Performing Genre (Based on Highest Percentage Over Estimate)

Lot 3805: Seven German Style Edged Weapons

Lead by strong performances in several lots, our genre of "swords," with its wide focus on a variety of edged weapons, takes the cake with an average of selling 159% OVER the low estimate.  To give an example, that's not a $100 item selling for $159.  That's a $100 hypothetical item selling for over $250!  You can imagine the multiplication that occurs at larger amounts.  Sword and dagger collectors have a lot to celebrate!  Publicizing results such as these, especially with so many German and Nazi related items involved, often treads a thin line with many who feel such detestable symbols ought not be "glamorized."  In that light, we're not publicizing these results to glorify National Socialism in any way, but instead as a tool for collectors and investors so that they may better understand and pursue their hobby.  Besides, if it makes anyone feel better, a large group of Soviet militaria also smashed its estimate by 494%.  While not containing any edged weapons, it goes even further to show the high level of interest in military, non-firearm collectibles.

Lot 1836: Large Grouping of Soviet and East Asian Militaria Including Various Badges and Medals, Two Field Radios, and Other Related Items

Highest Selling Colt

Lot 5658: Early Three Digit Serial Number 613 Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Navy Semi-Automatic Pistol

Low Estimate: $2,250
Realized Price: $7,475

This Colt M1911 is a very early specimen.  So early, in fact, that it bears the three digit serial number 613, was manufactured in 1912, and was part of the first batch of M1911 pistols sent to the U.S. Navy!  This resilient pistol blew past its high estimate of $3,500 and found a new home for $7,475.  It's another piece of evidence that supports the ever-growing popularity of World War II items, whether belonging to the Axis or the Allies.

Highest Selling Winchester

Lot 3003:  Desirable Ulrich Engraved Factory Documented Winchester Model 1866 Lever Action Rifle with Factory Letter

Low Estimate: $20,000
Realized Price: $25,875

No surprises here.  This Winchester had the highest estimate of the entire auction and surpassed its low estimate to ring in at $25,875.  Manufactured in 1876, this Third Model 1866 Winchester letters to all the features seen on the gun: factory engraving, silver plating, and an octagon 24" barrel.  On the left side of the receiver (shown above) is even a nice panel scene of a bull elk.  It just goes to show that high end collectibles can always be found in our Regional Sales along with the scores of firearms that still have many years of service left in them.

Highest Selling German Arm

Lot 1589: Ludwig Loewe Model 1893 Borchardt Semi-Automatic Pistol with Stock and Case

Low Estimate: $5,000
Realized Price: $12,650

Important to both German firearm collectors as well as enthusiasts of early semi-automatic weapons, this M1893 Borchardt earned a more impressive sum that we expected thanks to its accompanying accessories, matching numbers on its frame, trigger, and rear toggle link, and of course two determined bidders.  One of the best parts about winning this firearm?  Getting to go home with it the same day because it's an antique!

Highest Selling Civil War Item

Lot 1000: Civil War New Haven Arms Henry Lever Action Rifle

Low Estimate: $18,000
Realized Price: $25,875

Again, this should come as no surprise as this item enjoyed the second-highest estimate in the entire auction, though it is always comforting to see accurate estimates on auction items.  As sort of an "honorable mention" in this category, I'd also like to include lot 3241 (shown below) which outperformed the Henry shown above.  It's a handsome Civil War Era Second Model Lemat revolver, arguably the pinnacle of handheld firepower at the time with its 9-shot cylinder and fearsome "grapeshot" underbarrel.

Lot 3241: Desirable Civil War Era Second model LeMat Percussion Revolver

Low Estimate: $7,500
Realized Price: $14,950




This has been an interesting exercise in data.  The items in this article aren't cherry-picked items we selected to make us look good.  These are items that are the results of collectors, dealers, and investors all fighting for the items and firearms that they want.  This is raw data showing some interesting trends in new areas such as militaria and edged weapons, as well as confirming some well-known information on old favorites such as Winchesters, Colts, and Civil War pieces.  If there's a genre you'd like to see us cover in future post auction round-ups, please leave a comment below.  It was a great February Regional and we can't wait to build on it with the spectacular items appearing in our April Premiere Firearms Auction.  Use either of the links below to see some high resolution, full color photos of the gorgeous, rare, and historical firearms in our upcoming sale.  Thank you again to everyone for your participation!  We couldn't do it without you.


-Written by Joel Kolander

Click here to see our 16 page preview booklet

Click here to view our Photo Preview

The Silver Standard of Winchesters

Gold inlaid Winchesters always attract attention at auction. Most times, that gold embellishment was reserved for special presentation or exhibition pieces that were the pinnacle of American firearms artwork.  They, as well as gold washes, could be added for what today seems like ridiculously low prices, but relatively could be an additional 10% on top of the price of the gun. However, silver was also used frequently to decorate Winchesters for exhibitions, well-to-do buyers, and for presentations.

Rock Island Auction Company has sold and written about some amazing "golden" Winchesters we were entrusted with earlier this year. Little did we know that mere months later we would find ourselves in the middle of a "silver rush!" These are truly amazing firearms that set a silver standard for early lever guns.

Spectacular Winchester Factory Presentation, Deluxe, Silver-Plated Model 1866 Lever Action Rifle

This beauty is a third model 1866 that was manufactured c. 1873 with silver covering its frame, trigger, crescent buttplate, factory swing swivels, and forearm cap. The only remaining parts are the piano-finished English Walnut stock & forearm, the blued bolt, barrel, & loading gate, and the casehardened hammer & lever. There is a remarkable percentage of silver plating remaining and it enjoys a myriad of patina colors, as well as inscriptions on both sides of the frame. The right side reads, "David Ross," and the left side reads, "Presented to the 2nd Regt. Rifle Association/By the/ Winchester Rifle Club/ New Haven/ Conn." Many times on a silver plated gun, much of the silver has worn away and only traces of it are left in corners or protected areas of the firearm. Not this Winchester!

Estimate: $130,000 - $200,000 

Documented Ultra Rare, Deluxe, Special Order, Factory Engraved, Gold Inlaid Presentation Winchester Model 1873 Rifle with Seven-Leaf Express Sight and Factory Letter

Estimate $30,000 - $50,000

This gun simply commands attention where ever it goes! The dark wood against the bright silver plated receiver, the gold inlay, and of course the seven-leaf express sight are a dynamite combination sure to be a bright spot in any collection. It is a virtual grocery list of special order features and exceedingly rare as detailed in the book "Winchester New Model of 1873, Volume I" by James D. Gordon. He is quoted as calling the seven-leaf sight, "the rarest and most interesting rear sight found on Model 1873's." At the time of his writing, Gordon was able to positively identify the serial numbers of 10 rifles known to have been fitted with it. To add to its rarity, Gordon also notes that while the majority of the rifles with seven-leaf express sights also had special order features such as engraving, plating, deluxe wood, etc, only two of them had "rare matted barrels." This particular gun does not disappoint in the special order department; it has the silver plating, 26-inch octagon barrel with matted top flat, single set trigger, factory engraving on several components, deluxe checkering on the deluxe, fancy grain wood, a pistol grip, an ebony insert, and the left side of the receiver is gold inlaid with the factory documented presentation text, "A.I.N. Duran Hoopstadt." Meanwhile the right sideplate features an engraved hound's head surrounded by scrollwork and a punch-dot background.









Supporting documents from the Cody Firearms Museum state that this particular rifle was shipped from the Winchester warehouse on Dec 27, 1882. The describers here at RIAC have done an excellent job detailing the rifle's provenance, as follows:

"Research identifies "Hoopstadt" was a town in South Africa located in what was once the Boer Orange Free State. Considerable fighting between the British and Boers took place in and around Hoopstadt during the Boer War (1899-1902). The document further states that "Duraan" is a common Afrikaner name and that Albertus Duraan (b. Orange Free State c. 1848) is very possibly the "A.I.N. DURAN" who was the recipient of this rifle. In addition to the special features, the top of the matted barrel flat is roll-stamped with the Winchester two-line legend with King's Improvement patent dates."

Click to see a larger version of the factory letter.

Very Fine Factory Engraved Silver-Plated New Haven Arms Co. Volcanic Carbine with 16-Inch Barrel

Estimate: $30,000 - $45,000 

Not only is the brass receiver still abundantly plated with silver, but it's a historically significant firearm to boot! For those that don't know the story, Oliver Winchester, a New York clothing manufacturer at the time, discovered a portion of the Smith & Wesson company that wasn't doing well. Being a savvy investor, in 1850 Winchester raised some capital with others and purchased the lagging business department known as the Volcanic Repeating Arms Co. Within seven years, Winchester had moved Volcanic to New Haven, Connecticut, the site of one of his clothing factories, and was the primary stockholder. To accompany the new location, the company was renamed the New Haven Arms Company.

This rifle would have been manufactured around 1860, in the time period when New Haven Arms existed. We know this thanks not only to the serial number, but also because of the legend rolled on top of the barrel that simply reads, "Patent." That particular mark was introduced in April of 1857 after Oliver Winchester had acquired Volcanic.

Honorable Mentions

1. Extremely Rare Factory Engraved Colt Paterson No. 2 Belt Model Revolver with Eight Inlaid Silver Bands.








With it's estimate of $80,000 - $150,000, this silver banded and engraved Paterson is potentially the second priciest gun in this article, so why the honorable mention? Well, it was featured previously when we unveiled our amazing selection of Colts at the 35th Annual Colt Show, and there are so many other guns to show you!





2. Desirable New Haven Arms Co. Silver-Plated No.1 Lever Action Pocket Pistol with Patriotic Motif FactoryExcellent and Deluxe Engraving

Estimate $11,000 - $16,000

Look at all the silver on this historic New Haven Arms Volcanic pistol!  The high-polish on the walnut grips is very attractive and the factory engraving with its patriotic theme and scrolls is yet another embellishment that remains crisp and in fine condition.  Hints of the bright original bluing remain and when you put them all together you have an excellent collectors piece that must have cost quite a pretty penny back in the day.  It's fun to imagine how sharp this gun would have looked coming straight from the factory.




3.  Factory Engraved Silver-Plated Volcanic Lever Action Navy Pistol

Estimate: $16,000 - $25,000

The first thing you may notice about this gun, is that you have to look a little harder for the silver plating.  Rest assured, it's there!  Traces of silver remain, and the condition on the rest of the gun is as strong as ever.  Look at all that bluing, the gorgeous high polish wood, and the vivid case hardening on the trigger and hammer.  This gun is a stunner that easily earns its honorable mention status.

I hope you enjoyed looking at all these silver beauties, but the best part is... these aren't all of them! When the Online Catalog for our December 2014 Premiere Firearms Auction is posted in the coming weeks, you'll be able to see guns with all kinds of precious metal finishes, works from Master Engravers, unbelievable high condition pieces, and brightly colored case hardening. If you think you can't wait to see them, imagine how it feels to have to wait to show them! All in good time, collector friends.






-Written by Joel Kolander

Samuel Colt's Henry Rifle

Click here to search all of our items by New Haven Arms

For those not familiar, Rock Island Auction Company sent out a series of emails containing some of the highlights in our May 2014 Premiere Firearms Auction. These messages covered a number of popular genres and gave a first look at some firearms that are bound to attract the attention of some of the world's foremost collectors and investors. This blog, and the ones to follow, are a reprint of those emails for those who do not receive that type of communication. As an added bonus, these blogs will also include many photos that did not appear in the original emails in order to keep them at a reasonable size. We hope you enjoy these collectible firearms and their multitude of photos!

If you like what you see below, be sure to check out our auction highlights in the Photo Preview, 4-page Sneak Preview, or our full 16-page mailer. To search our entire auction listing please visit www.rockislandauction.com/search.

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Our first item truly takes its place not only as a star of this article, or even of this genre, but as a featured piece of our entire May Premiere Auction. People love Henry Rifles for their history, innovation, and distinct look. Collectors also revere Samuel Colt for his game changing designs, place in both frontier and U.S. military history, and some of the most beloved firearms in history. If one were to somehow roll those two honored figures together, you'd have one of the most desirable pieces of collectable firearms history. Rock Island Auction Company has come across a gun that has done just that. We present for your viewing pleasure the stunning Henry Rifle from the Samuel Colt Collection.

Lot 1009: Extraordinary Historic Early Production Henry Rifle from the Samuel Colt Collection

This rifle was acquired by the original Colt's Patent Firearms Mfg. Co. Museum shortly after then production of Henry rifles commenced in late 1861. Many of the museums initial pieces were personally acquired by Samuel Colt with the intention of forming a collection that showed the evolution of repeating arms. Expert and author R.L. Wilson, then the Colt Firearms Historical Consultant, wrote in a 1978 letter that this rifle, serial number 205, "joined the Colt Museum Collection c. 1860-1861. It shows no signs of ever having been fired... Note that Colonel Colt died early in 1862, and there can be no question but that he examined #'s 205 and 250 personally." As one can see the rifle remains in pristine, near new condition. It is also accompanied by a host of documents from R.L. Wilson testifying to its fantastic condition, historic provenance, and details of manufacture.

Only one other Henry rifle on the face of this earth can also claimed to be owned by Samuel Colt and that is the other serial number, 250, mentioned in R.L. Wilson's letter. It is an iron frame Henry that was also part of the Samuel Colt's museum and it currently is on display at the Museum of Connecticut History in Hartford. Wilson also states that, "By state law only duplicate arms can be disposed from this historic collection, and for that reason only #205 was allowed to leave. Furthermore, only via trade could the arms considered duplicates be permitted to depart the Colt Museum." In other words, barring a change to Connecticut State Law, iron frame Henry #250 is staying put.

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The second Henry on our list is one of the most desirable variations of the beloved rifles. Iron frame Henry rifles were only made during the earliest productions and it is estimated that between 200 and 275 examples exist. This particular rifle, serial number 64, is one of the 90 known examples as listed by Les Quick in his book The Henry Rifle.

Lot 1090: Extremely Rare Iron Frame Henry Rifle with Provenance

This rifle also enjoys quite the rich history. The included family history traces the rifle back to L.D. Rasdall, who in 1862 enlisted in a Confederate Cavalry unit raised in Bowling Green, Kentucky known as Buckner's Guides. Using information such as sales records, limited personal sales of Henry rifles to Confederate soldiers, Rasdall's place of enlistment, and previously recovered Henry rifles, it becomes likely that Rasdall obtained this rifle around the time of his enlistment and carried it during the Civil War. It remained in the Rasdall family for three generations.






Henry rifles, even in rough condition, can easily command 5-figure price tags and those in better conditions drive prices even higher. Henry rifles with the scarce iron frame can easily fetch six figures, even with little original finish. Examples such as this with its plentiful original condition and known, traceable history should draw some exciting bids come auction day. Rare, iconic firearms with fascinating histories will always attract experienced collectors.

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Moving from Henry rifles to Volcanics, we come across an extremely fine New Haven Arms Volcanic lever action carbine. Manufactured circa 1857, this rifle, with its 16 1/2 inch barrel, bears the legend on top of its barrel that began to appear once Oliver Winchester took control on the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company in April of 1857 and reorganized it as the New Haven Arms Co. While Volcanics were not successful (thanks partially to its anemic rounds), these innovative rifles paved the way for the Henry rifles and other early, iconic Winchesters. This example is serial no. 7.

Lot 3000: Very Fine New Haven Arms Company Volcanic Lever Action Carbine with 16 1/2 Inch Barrel

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Finally, we come to this wonderful factory engraved, New Haven Arms Volcanic lever action carbine. This example was manufactured slightly later than the above example, circa 1859, but was given a more special treatment before leaving the factory. The brass receiver and buttplate were silver-plated and engraved with a scroll and border pattern with punch dot backgrounds. The straight grain American walnut stock enjoys a high polish "piano" finish.

Lot 1020: Rare Factory Engraved New Haven Arms Co., Volcanic Lever Action Carbine with Inscribed 25 Inch Barrel

Besides holding a critically important place in firearms history, this particular Volcanic rifle is a carbine with the scarce 25-inch barrel, which is made even more desirable by the inscription "John K Henry" upon it. It's a high condition example of a revolutionary firearm with factory embellishments and a rare configuration - a combination certain to draw the interest of collectors everywhere.

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We have over a dozen New Haven Arms in our May 2014 Premiere Firearms Auction! There are Volcanics, iron frames, martially inspected examples, low serial numbers, factory engravings, U.S. contracts, first year productions, and those with historical provenances to the 1st District of Columbia Cavalry, the 3rd U.S. Veteran Volunteer Infantry, and of course, firearms icon and pioneer, Samuel Colt.

Click here to search all of our items by New Haven Arms

The Evolution of "That Damned Yankee Rifle..."

Some stories just get better every time you hear them and chances are, if you've been collecting for any length of time, you've heard the legend behind the Henry rifle. That's right, that unassuming looking rifle of a modestly sized production that was the grandfather of the Winchesters that changed the shape of our nation and likely the world. But how does such a humble little rifle so amply carry such loads of praise and heaps of historical significance? Very little was known about Henry rifles, and their namesake since the New Haven Arms Co. left very few records after control of the business shifted to one Mr. Oliver Winchester. But I get ahead of myself...

Rock Island Auction Company will auction off several of the items mentioned in the following story in our June 2013 Regional Auction.  That auction will be held June 28th, 29th, & 30th, with a full preview day on Thursday, June 27th.  Pictures of those items will be listed below along with links to them on our website if you wish to submit a sealed bid online.

Walter Hunt

Walter Hunt
The first person that is partially responsible for the Henry rifle and the subsequent success of Winchester Repeating Arms is the un-notably named Walter Hunt. This native New Yorker was a mechanic and an inventor who started his business in 1826 in the city of his birth. Walter Hunt is now recognized by revered institutions such as the Smithsonian Museum as one of the most productive inventors of his time, but he had an unfortunate habit for not patenting his inventions. His list of inventions is best described by R. Bruce McDowell.

"Among his many inventions were the safety pin (to which he sold the rights for only $400), the fountain pen, the foot-operated gong for stages and trolley cars, an advanced nail-making machine, the paper collar for the well-dressed 19th Century gentleman, a self-closing inkwell, a new type of heating stove, an ice boat, a flax-spinning machine and a lock-stich sewing needle which led to the invention of the sewing machine credited to Elias Howe."

It is only fitting that a man so content to watch his inventions be credited to others be the first mentioned in this abridged history. His contribution to the Henry rifle lies in his invention of the Hunt Magazine, the "rocket ball," and a lever mechanism rifle suitable for firing his new ammunition. Through his cooperation with one Mr. Lewis Jennings, an inventor and model maker, Hunt came to make working models of his repeating rifle, which he called the "Volition Repeater," and eventually to simplify it in the design of another rifle to be discussed later, the Jennings repeater. It is popularly, yet incorrectly, accepted that Hunt's rifle failed for several reasons (cost of manufacture, primitive manufacturing equipment, too complicated), and that after its failure Jennings improved on the design and patented it. Those reasons for Hunt's failure have no merit and it is much more plausible that the Volition Repeater was never produced because Jennings was already developing and redesigning a simpler rifle. Also, since Jennings and Hunt were under the mutual employ of one Mr. George A. Arrowsmith, they were likely working on it together. This is especially credible considering the patent dates of both inventors on their respective inventions. It should also be noted at this stage that Mr. Arrowsmith could not fund both inventors so for $10,000 (perhaps already knowing he had a failure on his hands) he transferred the patent rights to a Courtlandt C. Palmer, former railroad president and leading hardware merchant in New York City. Without getting ahead of ourselves, Palmer would eventually finance the production of 5,000 Jennings rifles through the Robbins & Lawrence Company. None of those names sound very important until one is told that the shop foreman of the Robbins & Lawrence Co. was one Mr. Benjamin Tyler Henry.

To his credit, Walter Hunt provided the "Hunt Magazine," the tubular magazine to run parallel and underneath the barrel.  This basic design would be present in all subsequent revisions leading up to the Henry rifle and remains in prolific use today.  Half of this tube would hold a compressed spring when reloading and would hold, as Hunt would phrase it in his patent text, "twelve balls, which I consider sufficient for convenience or utility."


Lewis Jennings
Besides his notable presence in the life of Walter Hunt, Lewis Jennings made several independent improvements to the Hunt rifle. In fact, the only Hunt design characteristics he kept were the sliding internal bolt, the tubular magazine which would still run underneath the barrel, and the "percussion pill" magazine. The Jennings rifle was contracted by Courtlandt Palmer to be produced by the Robbins & Lawrence Company of Windsor, Vermont, then the largest non-government arms manufacturer in the United States. It was also the employer of a shop foreman named Benjamin Tyler Henry, who was in charge of making improvements to the mechanism. Other notable gunsmiths present at Robbins & Lawrence include:

• Horace Smith had been stationed at the Robbins & Laurence plant by Courtlandt Palmer himself to supervise the manufacturing of the Jennings rifles.

• Daniel Wesson, who was employed by Leonard Pistol Works but was inspecting parts and finished pistols of the Leonard percussion pepperbox pistols that were contracted to Robbins & Lawrence.

Unfortunately, despite this "who's who" of American gun makers present, the Jennings rifle was a failure. While the rifle would fire a "naked ball" (that without patch or lubricant) twenty times in a minute, Mr. Lawrence himself stated that, "The result in firing the gun was that the ball leaded the barrel, by building on, to such an extent that in firing twenty shots from a 50-100 calibre bore there would be a hole in the barrel less than 25-100." Apart from this it was called "too complicated" by the Ordnance Department and was still underpowered due to the limited powder in the "rocket ball." It is thought that the only Jennings Repeaters produced were for testing and a patent model. The order of 5,000 from Robbins & Lawrence, never filled to its entirety, was to be converted entirely to Jennings single shot breech loaders, much like the Sharps rifle that would eventually win the endorsement of the Ordnance Department. There were less than 1,000 Jennings rifles produced in all its varieties and every last one was weaker and more expensive that other muzzle loaders in common use at the time.

Horace Smith

Horace Smith
Courtlandt Palmer, not being a man to quit (or to misuse an investment), assigned Horace Smith to "fix" the Jennings rifle. Smith kept the magazine tube, sliding bolt, bolt locking lever, and priming pill magazine of the prior two designs, but with some important modifications. Most notably the action was completely redesigned by removing the rack and pinion action from the Jennings models and replacing it with an action that pivoted at the front, which would look much more familiar to shooters today. Smith was working in the same building as B. Tyler Henry and undoubtedly aware of his design improvements. However, this variant was also not without its shortcomings (e.g. the percussion pills igniting in the magazine and causing a chain reaction), and it went through three notable variants each one improving slightly the bugs of the last. There was even an experimental Smith-Jennings repeating pistol! Despite its improvements, it was still a rifle that was still dependent on the weak rocket ball cartridge, an external primer & magazine, and it was not yet self-cocking.

Daniel Wesson

"The Volcanic"
How Horace Smith initially met Daniel Wesson to form The Volcanic Repeating Arms Company, of New Haven Connecticut is a bit of a mystery. However, there is no mystery that the men conversed while working at the Robbins & Lawrence factory and discussed the failures of the Jennings rifle and the Smith-Jennings repeaters. Another persistent unknown is how the eventual partners came up with the toggle joint, a feature so improved that it appears in almost every lever action thereafter. It is commonly accepted that Smith was sent to London by Courtlandt Palmer in 1851 to attend The Great Exhibition in order to show their 1841 "Mississippi Rifle," but also to perform some reconnaissance on the recent innovations by European gunsmiths. While in London, Smith spoke with Louis Nicholas Auguste Flobert about his "copper case, self-contained rim fire ammunition," and method of extraction. While Smith & Wesson fully admitted they did not invent the rim fire, metallic cartridge, the claim of the toggle joint is another matter. No one knows how Smith came to utilize the toggle joint. He could have invented it himself, employee B. Tyler Henry could have invented it, or maybe he saw the little piece of engineering at work in London. In any case, it was a watershed improvement that saw prolific use in future firearms.

Smith & Wesson are also to be credited with innovations in ammunition, though lack of a reliable cartridge would eventually lead to their downfall. They recognized that neither the Flobert cartridge from France, the rocket ball, nor their own primed rocket ball had enough power to be used successfully in rifles. So they made their own new self-contained cartridge and an improved pistol to fire it, and asked Mr. Courtlandt Palmer for around $10,000 for tooling of the new inventions. He agreed and re-assigned the Hunt, Jennings, and Smith patents to the new partnership known as Smith & Wesson. Under the new partnership the men produced many pistols chambered not for the Flobert cartridge or their own improved cartridge, but instead for their primed rocket ball, eventually nicknamed the Volcanic cartridge. It was never named that officially, but the term was popularly used to describe both firearm and ammunition after being compared to the fiery eruption of a volcano in a magazine's review of the gun. B. Tyler Henry was employed likely as a shop superintendant. Smith & Wesson lasted only a year before design flaws and finances were exhausted. Returns of the pistols abounded and performance was spotty at best. Palmer, the seemingly eternal source of funds, had lost a lot of cash investing in the development of firearms and now wanted to recoup his funds. He did so with Smith & Wesson by incorporating the Volcanic Repeating Arms Co. 17 months after the forming of the failed company "Smith & Wesson." There were 29 stock holders in all, one of which was a local shirt manufacturer inspired by the success of Samuel Colt. This  men's shirt maker purchased 80 shares and went by the name of Oliver F. Winchester. Within eight months the three men, Wesson, Smith, and Palmer, had fully abandoned the company and pursued other avenues in the industry even as Volcanic arms and ammunition continued to be produced and improved. It was a company of little capital, several patents on failed firearms and ammunitions, and a board of investors that knew nothing about manufacturing firearms. Smith & Wesson's insistence on using primed rocket ball cartridges, despite knowledge of other, superior rounds led to an early failure for the partners. They were not to make a practical lever action repeating pistol. It would be another two years before Smith & Wesson formed their second business venture involving the manufacture of "revolving magazine, metallic cartridge pistols."

Auction Description, Lot #39

Desirable Volcanic Repeating Arms Company Lever Action Navy Pistol

This is a solid example of one of approximately 1,500 lever action Navy pistols with an eight inch barrel manufactured by the Volcanic Repeating Arms Co., circa 1856. This pistol was manufactured before Oliver Winchester acquired the majority of the Volcanic Repeating Arms Co. stock and reorganized it as the New Haven Arms Co., in 1857. The pistol had a blue octagon barrel with an integral magazine. The frame, side plates and grip straps are brass. The hammer has a casehardened finish and the finger hole loading lever, bolt and cartridge elevator were niter blue. The barrel is fitted with a nickel silver post front sight with a fixed iron notch rear sight dovetailed to the top rear of the frame. The top of the barrel is marked with the three-line legend "THE VOLCANIC/REPEATING ARMS CO./PATENT NEW HAVEN CONN. FEB 14. 1854." (partially visible). The matching serial number is stamped on the right side of the loading lever, the left side of the frame under the grip and on the inside of each grip panel. Fitted with varnished two piece smooth walnut grips.

Oliver Winchester
This name is certainly known to anyone even vaguely familiar with firearms. After becoming a minority stakeholder (1.33%) at Volcanic Arms, he also joined its Board of Directors as a Vice President in June 1855. He knew nothing of the gun business, but enjoyed such success manufacturing shirts that his capital available for outside investments was significant. Within two years the company was declared insolvent and through the death of Volcanic Arms' president in addition to Winchester paying off of Volcanic’s debtors, the courts awarded all assets of the Volcanic Repeating Arms Co. to Oliver Winchester. This included the assignments of all patents of Hunt, Jennings, Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson that had previously belonged to Volcanic. Other stockholders received nothing. Oliver Winchester had not given up hope on magazine-fed repeating firearms. On the contrary, prior to the insolvency, he had been promoting a new firearms company called the New Haven Arms Co. After acquiring some capital from the very people that had just lost every cent they had invested in Volcanic, Winchester sold all the assets from Volcanic to New Haven with the exception of the patents. He only sold to New Haven the right to produce the firearms and ammunitions named in those patents, while keeping the actual patents for himself. Winchester had just made out like a bandit. New Haven Arms Company would now be manufacturing the Volcanic Repeating Arms and paying him to do it. Besides noting the high value of the patent on the improved cartridge firearm, Winchester also took note of the experience of a man well acquainted with the design of repeating firearms and the ever evolving design of ammunition: Benjamin Tyler Henry.

Auction Description, Lot #38

Rare Factory Engraved Volcanic Lever Action No.1 Pocket Pistol

This is a solid example of one of approximately 1,500 lever action Navy pistols with an eight inch barrel manufactured by the Volcanic Repeating Arms Co., circa 1856. This pistol was manufactured before Oliver Winchester acquired the majority of the Volcanic Repeating Arms Co. stock and reorganized it as the New Haven Arms Co., in 1857. The pistol had a blue octagon barrel with an integral magazine. The frame, side plates and grip straps are brass. The hammer has a casehardened finish and the finger hole loading lever, bolt and cartridge elevator were niter blue. The barrel is fitted with a nickel silver post front sight with a fixed iron notch rear sight dovetailed to the top rear of the frame. The top of the barrel is marked with the three-line legend "THE VOLCANIC/REPEATING ARMS CO./PATENT NEW HAVEN CONN. FEB 14. 1854." (partially visible). The matching serial number is stamped on the right side of the loading lever, the left side of the frame under the grip and on the inside of each grip panel. Fitted with varnished two piece smooth walnut grips.

Benjamin Tyler Henry
If you've been following closely, you've heard this name mentioned in several places. He was a shop foreman during the manufacture of the Jennings rifles. He was employed as a shop superintendent by Smith & Wesson's first failed partnership. He now was being given full control to develop a new cartridge for the New Haven Arms Co. Prior guns' actions had been sound, but their cartridges were the Achilles' heel. Standing atop of all the cartridges Henry had seen developed, he dove right in and began experimenting with the .22 caliber rimfire cartridge of Wesson, making it larger and more appropriate for rifle use. Even though Volcanic's insolvency took place in Februdary 1857, by the end of 1858 Henry had developed a .44 caliber cartridge capable of a 1,200 fps muzzle velocity; a noted improvement over the 500 fps Smith & Wesson cartridges. All that needed to be done now was design a gun to fire it. Much easier said than done. It would require the frame to be larger, the barrel adapted for the new cartridge, the addition of firing pins independent from the bolt face, and the development of an ejection system. The task before Henry was monumental, but he was the right man for the job. In early 1860 Henry had completed all the changes and had a patent issued by October! He had made all the adaptations in just over a year, sounded the death knell for rocket balls and other Volcanic arms, and forever associated his name with American firearms.

Auction Item Description, Lot #1

New Haven Arms Co. Henry Lever Action Rifle

Manufactured by the New Haven Arms Co. in 1864. The rifle has the distinctive brass receiver and buttplate, and octagon barrel with integral 15-shot magazine. The barrel/magazine had a blue finish, the hammer and loading lever casehardened and the replacement straight grain walnut stock is oil finished. Nickel silver blade front sight and fixed iron rear sight. The left side of the barrel has the standard screw-fastened sling loop and the left side of the stock has a factory fitted sling swivel. The brass buttplate is the late pattern with pointed heel. The top of the barrel is marked "HENRY'S PAT. OCT.16. 1860/MANUFACT'D BY THE NEWHAVEN ARMS.CO.NEWHAVEN.CT" ahead of the rear sight. The serial number, "5413" is stamped on the top barrel flat at the breech. The matching serial number is stamped on the left side of the lower receiver rail.

- Written by Joel R. Kolander

SOURCES:

Boatner, Mark Mayo, Allen C. Northrop, and Lowell I. Miller. The Civil War Dictionary. New York: D. McKay, 1959. Print.

http://www.nramuseum.org/the-museum/the-galleries/the-american-west/case-42-the-guns-that-won-the-west-colt-winchester/new-haven-arms-co-henry-lever-action-rifle.aspx

McDowell, R. Bruce. Evolution of the Winchester. Tacoma, WA: Armory Publications, 1985. Print.

Madis, George. The Winchester Handbook. 1st ed. Brownsboro, TX: Art and Reference House, 1981. Print.

Parsons, J. E. The First Winchester: The Story of the 1866 Repeating Rifle. New York: Morrow, 1955. Print.

Quick, Les. The Henry Rifle: Story of Benjamin Tyler and His Famed Repeating Rifle. Santa Ana, CA: Graphic, 2008. Print.