This exceptional Volcanic Lever-Action Carbine with 16-1/2 inch barrel was manufactured by Oliver Winchester's New Haven Arms Company between 1857 and 1860. The diminutive carbine has a blued, octagon, barrel and integral magazine. The barrel has a nickel-silver front sight blade. The receiver and crescent buttplate are brass, the loading lever has a high polish blue finish and the hammer is casehardened. The receiver has a dovetail mounted, sporting style, rear sight with thumb wheel elevator and niter blue finish. The walnut stock has a, high polish, varnished, 'piano' finish. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped with the one-line legend: NEWHAVEN CONN PATENT FEB.14.1854" adopted by the New Haven Arms Company after Oliver Winchester reorganized the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company in April 1857. The carbine serial number, "158" is stamped on the heel of the stock beneath the buttplate, on the inside of the buttplate and on the shanks of both hand fitted buttplate screws. The serial number "158" is also stamped on the lower left side of the receiver tang and on the lower tang screw. The shanks of the upper tang screws are both numbered "60". The New Haven Arms Company manufactured approximately 1000 carbines with 16 1/2, 21 and 25-inch barrels between 1857 and 1860. These carbines are scarce and historically important; both as one of the first successful repeating arms to utilize a self-contained cartridge and as the forerunners of the Henry and Winchester lever-action rifles.