Although the Volcanic's repeater design far outpaced the rival technology, the unsatisfactory power and reliability of the. The Volcanic rifle had only limited success, which was in part attributable to the design and poor performance of the Hunt-derived Volcanic cartridge: a hollow conical ball filled with black powder and sealed by a cork primer. 22 Short, would be introduced commercially in 1857 with the landmark Smith & Wesson Model 1 revolver and is still manufactured today.) While still with the company Smith went a step further and added a cylindrical copper case to hold the bullet and powder with the primer in the case rim, thus creating one of the most significant inventions in firearms history, the metallic rimfire cartridge. įor the Volcanic rifle, Smith added a primer charge to Hunt's 'Rocket Ball' and thus created one of the first fixed metallic cartridges which incorporated bullet, primer and powder in one self-contained unit. Its largest stockholder was Oliver Winchester. Smith made several improvements to the Jennings design, and in 1855 Smith and Wesson together with several investors formed a corporation, the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company, to manufacture Smith's modification of the Hunt-Jennings, the Volcanic lever-action pistol and rifle. Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson of Norwich, Connecticut acquired the Jennings patent from Robbins & Lawrence, as well as shop foreman Benjamin Tyler Henry. Left to right Carbines two 1873/1894/92/Trapper 92 Hunt's design was fragile and unworkable, but in 1849 Lewis Jennings purchased the Hunt patents and developed a functioning, if still complex, version which was produced in small numbers by Robbins & Lawrence of Windsor, Vermont until 1852. The Hunt rifle fired what he called the ' Rocket Ball,' an early form of caseless ammunition in which the powder charge was contained in the bullet's hollow base. In 1848, inventor Walter Hunt of New York patented his 'Volition Repeating Rifle' incorporating a tubular magazine, which was operated by two levers and complex linkages. 4 Winchester Model 1885 Single Shot Rifle.3 Winchester lever-action repeating rifles.Winchester rifles were among the earliest repeating rifles the Winchester repeater was incredibly popular and is colloquially known as 'The Gun that Won the West' for its predominant role in the hands of Western settlers. Winchester rifle is usually used to refer to the lever-action rifles manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, though the company has also manufactured many rifles of other action types. Graduated rear sights, Fixed-post front sights Full-stocked 'Musket', Carbine, Sporting model

Winchester rifles 63