This No. 2 Lever Action Repeating Pistol was manufactured by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson c. 1854. This pistol is illustrated and described on page 27 of "VOLCANIC FIREARMS" by Edmund Lewis and Stephen Rutter. The description notes that the engraving on this pistol is more elaborate than the engraving typically found on standard S&W No. 2 Lever Action pistols and features a hunter in the vignette on the scroll and leaf engraving on the right side plate and a stylized deer in the scrollwork on the left side plate. This Type I, No. 2 pistol has the early production features which include: (1) frame with pronounced hump behind the trigger, (2) early style cartridge carrier with single spring lever screw, (3) loading lever with finger spur, (4) uncrowned muzzle, (5) flat magazine lock spring and (6) round, slotted, magazine follower. The pistol has an .41 caliber, eight-inch part-round/part-octagon barrel with steel, pinch-top front sight. The top barrel flats lack S&W legend and patent markings. The frame has a square ejection port and simple, screw-fastened, rear sight. The hammer has fine, hand-cut, knurling on the spur. "PATENT" is stamped on both sides of the loading lever. The two piece, piano-finished, rosewood grips have flared bottoms. The serial number, "47" is stamped in two locations on the left side of the butt beneath the grips, on the inside of both grips and on the back face of the rear sight. The barrel is browned and the frame blued. The hammer, trigger and lever were blued or casehardened. Smith & Wesson made less than 500 No. 2 Lever Action Volcanic Repeating Pistols. Early, Type I, pistols are very rare. The distinctive engraving and markings on this pistol make it unique.

Very good. This extremely rare pistol is all original and retains traces of the faded brown finish on the barrel. The barrel surfaces are smooth with sharp edges and have an attractive gray-brown patina. The delicate blue finish on the frame, hammer, trigger and lever has worn to a silver-gray patina with scattered age discoloration in protected areas. The metal surfaces are smooth and free from pitting. The delicate, finely cut scrollwork and vignettes are crisp. The fine flared rosewood grips retain more than half of the original piano finish with scattered minor handling marks. The action functions fine. This is a good looking and well documented example of a rare, early production, S&W No. 2 Lever Action Repeating Pistol with one-of-a-kind factory dual panel scene engraving and patent markings. Provenance: Dr. Gerald Klaz collection.