Today's Trivia

[Bob Wright]

As I gt out a clean shirt this morning, fresh from the laundry, I removed the little yellow tag pinned on it by the laundry. I mused over the small safety pin holding it. Walter Hunt was a brilliant inventor, but poor business man. though he had invented the safety pin, he realized little from it financially.

Walter Hunt also invented a rifle around 1849 or so using his "rocket ball" ammunition. The bullets were held in a tube under the barrel, and fed into the chamber by woriking a lever that also served as the trigger guard. Not very successful, as the small powder charge in his rocket balls made a very anemic proposition.

But another inventor saw promise inthe design. So Benjamin Tyler Henry adapted the rifle action to utilize the new self contained cartridge, of .44 caliber and utilizing a copper cartridge case to seal the breech. The result was the Henry rifle, and joining forces with Oliver Winchester, evolved into the Winchester rifes.

Bob Wright

 

[Wyandot Jim]

The rest of the story
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanic_Repeating_Arms
The Volcanic Repeating Arms Company was an American company formed in 1855 by partners Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson to develop Walter Hunt's Rocket Ball ammunition and lever action mechanism. Volcanic made an improved version of the Rocket Ball ammunition, and a carbine and pistol version of the lever action gun to fire it. While the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company was short-lived, its descendants, Winchester Repeating Arms Company and Smith & Wesson became major firearms manufactures.

 

[el caminero]

The rest of the story
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanic_Repeating_Arms
The Volcanic Repeating Arms Company was an American company formed in 1855 by partners Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson to develop Walter Hunt's Rocket Ball ammunition and lever action mechanism. Volcanic made an improved version of the Rocket Ball ammunition, and a carbine and pistol version of the lever action gun to fire it. While the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company was short-lived, its descendants, Winchester Repeating Arms Company and Smith & Wesson became major firearms manufactures.

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Yeah, i was just gonna mention that minor gap in the trivial momento.

 

[Bob Wright]

I am not unaware of the S&W connection. My intent was to trace the lineage of the Winchester lever actions. The Volcanic, while of interest, was a go-nowhere line of arms as it terminated with S&W.

 

[el caminero]

I am not unaware of the S&W connection. My intent was to trace the lineage of the Winchester lever actions. The Volcanic, while of interest, was a go-nowhere line of arms as it terminated with S&W.

Too true, but trivia buffs cannot ignore plot holes

 

[Bob Wright]

Too true, but trivia buffs cannot ignore plot holes

That's fine with me. And I appreciate the input.

Bob Wright.

 

[Bob Wright]

And, as I recall, a recent "I have this old gun" page in "The American Rifleman" featured an ornate Volcanic pistol supposedly Oliver Winchester's favorite sidearm.

Bob Wright

 

[Jeepnik]

Ahh! But the Volcanic idea would continue to raise its head from time to time. Think Gyro Jet or the more modern pursuit of caseless ammunition. It's simply and idea to which technology hasn't caught up with yet.

 

[blume357]

All I know about the Henry rifle was, "load once and shoot all day."
As for this 'volcanic action and rocket guns .... anybody ever shot a flare gun or just set off one of those marine signal flares?
The closest I've come of late to really really screwing up was two years ago sending one of those parachute flares up........