Lot 5

Cased New Haven Arms Co. Volcanic Pocket Pistol & Rocket Balls

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Cased New Haven Arms Co. Volcanic Pocket Pistol & Rocket Balls

Estimate: $50,000 - $85,000

Starting Bid: $45,000

(0 Bids)

by Rock Island Auction Company
June 27, 2026 5:00 PM CDT
Live Auction
3600 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX, US 76021

Extraordinary and Scarce Cased New Haven Arms Co. Volcanic No. 1 Lever Action Pocket Pistol with Rocket Ball Ammunition High condition early lever action repeaters like the New Haven Arms Co. No. 1 Pocket pistol in this lot have been among the most sought-after firearms for advanced collectors for generations. Each provides a tangible link in the evolutionary chain of lever actions which began centuries ago with early firearms such as the Lorenzoni repeater designed by Michele Lorenzoni c. 1680 and ultimately emerged as the legendary Winchester lever action rifles in the 1860s. From the beginning, lever actions were produced both as handguns and long guns, but the early designs were too complicated to produce at scale and were hampered by the limitations of flint and steel ignition. That all changed with the advances in interchangeable parts manufacturing in the United States in the early 19th century and the simultaneous development of detonating primers by Forsyth in the United Kingdom. The evolution of American lever actions began in 1846 with Hunt's Volition Repeater and the Hunt's Rocket Ball (a hollowed lead bullet with a powder charge and primer fitted in the rear) and continued on through a series of designs and companies from the Jennings to the Smith-Jennings and on to the Smith & Wesson, Volcanic Repeating Arms Company, and New Haven Arms Company Volcanic lever actions until finally the development of rimfire ammunition allowed the introduction of the Henry lever action rifle, the first truly commercial successful lever action firearm. The changes in names along the way largely stemmed from a series of companies failing as they worked to profit from lever action designs. That all changed under the New Haven Arms Co. which was formed on May 1, 1857, by Oliver Winchester and other investors after the collapse of the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company. They resumed the production of Volcanic pistols. The New Haven Arms Company only manufactured an estimated 850 No. 1 Lever Action Pocket Pistols in 1857 to 1862 per page 73 of "Volcanic Firearms" by Lewis and Rutter and a total of 3,370 pistols and carbines. The serial number sequence started over at 1 making this pistol one of the first 100. The New Haven Volcanic pistols were the last Volcanic handguns manufactured. Production ended after the Henry rifle emerged and proved a significant success. Had it not been for the infighting between Benjamin Tyler Henry and Oliver Winchester, New Haven Arms Co. may have always been the company name most strongly associated with lever action firearms, but instead, Winchester's successful leadership and the reorganization of the company as the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. ensured that Winchester would forever be the name associated with the American West's most popular lever actions starting with the Model 1866, Model 1873, and Model 1876 which were all direct evolutions of the earlier Volcanic designs. In "Volcanic Firearms," Lewis and Rutter noted that "Engraved sideplates were much more common on the small-frame pistols than were plain, polished frames even though the extra cost for engraving and plating was $1.50. Plain frames are very uncommon." Naturally, "plain" No. 1s in high condition are especially scarce, and this example is in truly extraordinarily high condition with stunning original blue finish on the barrel and magazine vibrant case colors with particularly attractive "lightning" streaks of color on the left side of the hammer, and rich varnished finish on the grips. It features a "pinched" blade front sight near the muzzle, "NEW HAVEN CONN PATENT FEB. 14. 1854" marked on top of the barrel, a semi-circular cut-out at the front of the ejection port, a dovetailed notch rear sight on the rear of the frame, and the serial number "95" visible on the right side of the lever. Out of respect for the pistol's particularly high condition, we have not disassembled it for further inspection. The pistol comes in a rare fitted case with burgundy lining, a cleaning rod, a screwdriver, a key, and an especially rare japanned tin with a few dozen of the very scarce Rocket Balls in wood shavings inside and a label inside the lid reading "200 No. 1 Pistol Cartridges Manufactured by The New Haven Arms Company, New Haven, Conn." and "The balls should be kept in a box, and well greased. If by accident, a ball should miss fire, it must be carefully pushed back with the rod, leaving the carrier down. The too frequent snapping of the hammer when the arm is not charged, may injure it. Patented August 8th, 1854."

Manufacturer: New Haven Arms Co.

Model: Volcanic

BBL: 3 5/8 inch octagon

Gauge: 31 Volcanic

Finish: blue/brass

Grips: walnut

Serial Number95

Class: Antique

  • Provenance: A Stunning Old Time Collection from Central Illinois
  • Condition: Excellent overall with 90% plus bright original high polish blue finish on the barrel and magazine with only minor specks of flaking and spotting mainly on the left, 95% plus original vivid casehardened finish with slight cycling wear, patches of original finish and otherwise mostly smooth gray patina on the trigger and lever, attractive mellow aged patina on the frame and tight fit sideplates, nearly all of the glossy original varnish on the grips, and scattered very minor dings and scratches. Mechanically excellent. The ammunition tin is extremely fine with a mostly complete label, and the ammunition is mostly fine aside from a few cartridges with components separated. The case is fine with light age and storage wear. This is an incredible opportunity to add one of the finest New Haven Arms Co. Volcanic No. 1 lever action pistols extant to your collection complete with an attractive case and rare tin with the distinctive Rocket Ball ammunition.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000