Volcanic Repeating Arms
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Weapons |
| Predecessor | Smith & Wesson Company |
| Founded | 1855 |
| Founders | Horace Smith; Daniel B. Wesson |
| Defunct | 1856 |
| Fate | Acquired |
| Successor | New Haven Arms Company |
| Headquarters | Norwich, Connecticut; New Haven, Connecticut , United States |
Key people | Horace Smith; Daniel B. Wesson; Benjamin Tyler Henry; Oliver Winchester; Courtlandt Palmer |
| Products | Rifles, Pistols, Ammunition |
The Volcanic Repeating Arms Company was founded in 1855 by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson with the goal of advancing Walter Hunt’s Rocket Ball ammunition and lever-action system. This enterprise enhanced the Rocket Ball cartridge and manufactured lever-action carbines and pistols. Although its existence was brief, Volcanic played a pivotal role in setting the stage for prominent firearms manufacturers such as Winchester Repeating Arms Company and Smith & Wesson.
History
Walter Hunt’s 1848 Volcanic Repeating Rifle introduced an early iteration of a lever-action mechanism combined with a tubular magazine, yet production remained limited due to inherent design shortcomings. Subsequent refinements by Lewis Jennings and later Horace Smith secured patents and enabled modest manufacturing efforts until financial difficulties interrupted progress around 1852.
In 1854, Smith and Wesson joined forces with investor Courtlandt Palmer to acquire Jennings’ patents and enhance the operating system, resulting in the development of the Smith & Wesson Lever pistol alongside a redesigned Volcanic cartridge incorporating an integrated primer. Initial manufacturing took place in Smith’s Norwich workshop under the name "Smith & Wesson Company," which was rebranded as "Volcanic Repeating Arms Company" in 1855 following new investments, including those from Oliver Winchester. The company held exclusive rights to both rifle and pistol designs as well as their ammunition. Wesson briefly oversaw production before departing to co-found the Smith & Wesson Revolver Company after obtaining critical patent agreements.
By late 1856, Oliver Winchester engineered the bankruptcy of Volcanic Repeating Arms, acquiring its assets and transferring operations to New Haven, Connecticut. The business was reorganized as New Haven Arms Company in 1857. Under the leadership of superintendent Benjamin Tyler Henry, the firm shifted focus from Volcanic technology to developing rimfire cartridges and improved lever-action rifles, culminating in the creation of the Henry rifle. This evolution continued until 1866 when the company was renamed Winchester Repeating Arms Company, ultimately securing its status as a leading manufacturer of lever-action firearms.
In popular culture
Set in 1875, the 1959 episode "Landfall" from the Have Gun Will Travel radio series features a character presenting Paladin with a Jennings rifle.
Edward M. Erdelac’s Merkabah Rider, a weird west narrative series, portrays its main character wielding a Volcanic pistol embellished with gold and silver inlays and decorated with Solomonic talismans, underscoring the weapon’s cultural significance.
The Volcanic pistol is depicted as a weapon card in the Spaghetti Western-inspired card game Bang!.
In video gaming, the 2005 release “Gun” includes the “Volcanic 10” pistol, notable for its capacity of ten shots despite operating like a revolver. It also appears in the 2007 title Fistful of Frags and serves as a sidearm in the 2010 Western-themed game Red Dead Redemption, its 2018 prequel, as well as in Red Dead Online, demonstrating its lasting influence within entertainment media.
Bibliography
- 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 Publications, 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
- Internet Movie Firearms Database: For a Few Dollars More, last updated May 15, 2012
External links
- Privately held companies based in Connecticut
- 1855 establishments in Connecticut
- 1856 disestablishments in Connecticut
- American companies established in 1855
- American companies disestablished in 1856
- Manufacturing companies established in 1855
- Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1856
- 5
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment