Overview:
This rare and finely engraved New Haven Arms Company Volcanic lever-action carbine, serial number 3039, represents one of the earliest evolutionary steps toward the modern repeating rifle. Produced between 1857 and 1860, this .41 caliber carbine is an exceptionally scarce surviving example, enhanced by period Volcanic-style engraving and documented provenance to the Dr. Edmund Lewis Collection, co-author of Volcanic Firearms.
 
Detailed Description
The Volcanic repeating arms, produced by the New Haven Arms Company, occupy a critical place in American firearms history as the direct predecessors to the Henry and Winchester rifles. Manufactured in limited numbers between 1857 and 1860, Volcanic carbines were innovative but short-lived, making surviving examples particularly scarce today.
 
According to Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms, approximately 1,000 Volcanic carbines were produced across all barrel lengths during this brief production period. This example is the desirable carbine configuration, featuring a 16½-inch octagonal barrel with integral magazine tube and the distinctive early Volcanic mechanical design.
 
What sets this carbine apart is its period engraved decoration, executed in the classic Volcanic style. The receiver, sideplates, and top tang are adorned with light foliate arabesque engraving, while the top side flats of the receiver display feather-style engraving accented by dash-and-dot borders. The top three barrel flats over the chamber are similarly engraved with light foliate patterns, creating a cohesive, factory-era decorative scheme.
 
The carbine is fitted with:
Arched German silver front sight
Wheel-adjustable rear sight in a dovetail on top of the receiver
Brass crescent buttplate, engraved to match the receiver
Straight-grip American walnut stock with original varnish
 
Serial number 3039 is observed in correct and consistent locations, including the lower tang beneath the stock, beneath the buttplate fang, inside the buttplate tang, and on all stock and buttplate screws, confirming all-matching originality. This carbine is illustrated and discussed in Volcanic Firearms by Edmund Lewis and Herbert Houze, appearing on page 72, and comes from the distinguished Dr. Edmund Lewis Collection, providing exceptional scholarly provenance.