Lot 17: New Haven Arms Company Lever Action No. 2 Navy Pistol

This Lever Action No. 2 Navy pistol with eight-inch barrel was manufactured by the New Haven Arms Company c. 1858 using a Volcanic Repeating Arms Company barrel. The pistol has a blued barrel with integral ten-shot magazine, brass frame, casehardened hammer and fire blue T-bar spring, rear sight, cartridge elevator, bolt and loading lever. The two piece walnut grips have a high polish piano finish. The Type I, barrel has the full rib found on earlier Volcanic Repeating Arms Company firearms. The barrel has a crowned muzzle, rounded T-bar spring and nickel-silver, cone-shaped, front sight. The magazine has an iron, clam-shell shaped follower. The distinctive brass frame has a dove-tail mounted, fixed, rear sight. The ejection port has a small circular cut-out on the front face and a larger, circular, cut-out on the rear face. The hammer has coarse knurling on the spur. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped: "REPEATING ARMS COMPANY/PATENT NEW HAVEN CONN FEB.14. 1854" in two lines. Traces of the earlier "THE VOLCANIC" markings are visible above the lower two lines. The serial number is stamped on the right side of the butt beneath the grips, on the inside of both grips and on the right side of the loading lever. All of the visible serial numbers match.

Excellent. This pistol is all original and shows only very limited handling and storage wear. The barrel has 90% of the original blue finish. The legend on the top flat is crisp. The exceptional receiver has a beautiful, untouched patina with perfect sideplate joints with only slight handling marks. Significant amounts of the delicate fire blue finish are present on the T-bar spring, cartridge elevator, bolt, rear sight and loading lever. The trigger and hammer have 90% plus of the muted case colors. The grips are both in excellent overall condition and retain 90% plus of the original piano finish. The only significant wear is some minor scuff marks on the lower edge of the right grip. This is an exceptional example of a New Haven Arms Company Lever Action No. 2 Navy pistol. It would be difficult to find a better example of this scarce and historically significant pistol. Provenance: Dr. Gerald Klaz collection.