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.

Excellent. The barrel retains 85% plus of the original blue finish. The balance of the blue has aged to a deep, plum-colored, patina. There is some minor edge wear on high points and traces of age discoloration on the left side of the magazine near the muzzle. The legend on the top barrel flat is sharp. The sharp brass receiver and buttplate have a very attractive patina that is indicative of age and limited handling. The receiver and buttplate are both in excellent condition with only very minor storage marks. The lever, cartridge block, and sight retain a strong 75% of the original nitre blue finish. The hammer still retains most of its beautiful and original casehardened finish. The stock is excellent plus with nearly all of the 'piano finish' varnish intact and very minor pressure marks from storage. This is an excellent example of a scarce and historically important New Haven Arms Company Volcanic carbine