Volcanic Navy Pistol
Volcanic Repeating Arms Company · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1855
Also known as: Volcanic Pistol, No. 1 Navy, Volcanic Repeating Pistol
Overview
The Volcanic Navy Pistol is a lever-action repeating pistol produced in the mid-1850s and chambered for the .41 caliber Volcanic 'Rocket Ball' cartridge, a self-contained projectile carrying its own powder charge in a hollow base. Developed from Walter Hunt's Volition Repeater by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson, it used a finger-lever action to cycle rounds from a tubular magazine beneath the barrel, offering far greater rapid-fire capability than the muzzle-loading revolvers of its day. The brass-framed 'Navy' pistols were offered in 6-inch belt and 8-inch holster barrel lengths. The Rocket Ball's small powder charge produced very weak ballistics, which ultimately doomed the design commercially, but the underlying toggle-link mechanism became the basis for the later Henry and Winchester repeating rifles.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1190 g (42.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 381 mm (15.00") |
| Barrel Length | 203 mm (7.99") |
| Action Type | Lever Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 10 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tubular |
| Muzzle Velocity | 79 m/s (259 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 20 J (15 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 10 m (11 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 40 m (44 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Brass |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .41 Rocket Ball · primary — also known as No. 1 Rocket Ball, Volcanic .41, .41 Volcanic
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Tubular Magazine, Brass Frame, Lever Action Repeater, Self Contained Rocket Ball Ammunition
Variants
- Volcanic Navy Belt Model — Short Barrel
- Volcanic Navy Holster Model — Long Barrel
Service history
Operators
- Civilian market · adopted 1855
Production
Estimated total produced: 3,000 · Production years: 1855-1856
Approximately 3,000 .41 caliber Navy pistols were made by the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company before it ran out of money in 1856; production of Volcanic-pattern arms continued under the New Haven Arms Company through about 1860.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson
Discontinued: 1860
Notes
The Navy pistols were the principal product of the short-lived Volcanic Repeating Arms Company. After the firm's collapse, Oliver Winchester acquired its assets and reorganized it as the New Haven Arms Company, which evolved the design into the Henry rifle and ultimately the Winchester repeaters.
Background
The Volcanic system traces back to Walter Hunt's 1848 'Volition Repeater'. Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson refined the action and the self-contained Rocket Ball cartridge, briefly partnering before Oliver Winchester bought out the company. Though the underpowered ammunition made the Volcanic a commercial failure, its toggle-link lever action lived on in the Henry rifle and the legendary Winchester repeaters.