This New Haven Arms Company Volcanic lever action carbine was manufactured between 1857 and 1860 with an estimated 100 lever-action carbines with 21-inch barrels. The carbine has a Type II barrel with half rib and integral twenty-five shot magazine. The barrel has a rounded T-bar spring and half-moon, nickel silver, front sight blade. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped: "NEWHAVEN CONN. PATENT FEB.14.1854" in a single line. The brass receiver has a dove-tail mounted rear sight with elevation wheel and half-moon shaped cut out at the front of the ejection port. The hammer has a hand-knurled spur and the bolt has a single hook extractor. The rifle has a high comb, straight grain, walnut stock with crescent brass buttplate. The stock and buttplate are secured by hand fitted screws. The rifle serial number, "103" is stamped on the left side of the lower barrel tang, on the inside of the buttplate heel behind the screw hole and on the shanks of the buttplate screws and lower tang screw. All of the visible serial numbers match. A rack or inventory number "37" is stamped on the bottom of the receiver below the cartridge elevator. The rifle barrel/magazine was blued, the receiver and buttplate have a natural brass finish, the rear sight base and trigger spring are fire blue and the hammer, trigger and lever are color casehardened. The stock is oil finished.

Very good. The blue finish on the barrel and integral magazine have aged to an attractive, plum brown, patina with sharp edges and smooth surfaces. The barrel legend is sharp. The magazine follower is broken. The receiver is very good with some scattered discoloration and minor handling mark. The top edge of the right sideplate has minor dents and scratches. Much of the fire blue finish remains on the professionally made replacement rear sight and trigger spring. The hammer retains traces of the mottled case colors. The trigger and lever have a mottled brown patina. The receiver and crescent buttplate have an attractive untouched, patina. The stock is good overall with moderate handling wear; there is a hair-line crack visible in the left stock wrist and both sides of the stock show shallow dents and scratches associated with normal handling. This a solid representative example of a historically significant New Haven Arms Company lever action carbine with scarce 21-inch barrel.