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Volcanic Repeater
The Volcanic Repeater series were an important step in the evolution of both repeating rifles and the modern metallic unitary firearm cartridge. Based on the Volitional Repeater that had been designed by Walter Hunt in 1848, they were lever-action weapons using a magazine tube mounted under the barrel, and fired ammunition that was derived from Hunt's Rocket Ball design.
The original Rocket Ball was an attempt to solve design issues with Needle Guns, which had easily damaged firing pins and paper cartridges not suited to mechanical loading. The Rocket Ball was similar to the earlier Minié ball, but with a deeper hollow in the base which contained a charge of powder. The Volcanic weapons used the same bullet design, but instead of using caplock ignition they added a percussion primer to the seal on the base of each bullet to make a self-contained round which could easily be loaded mechanically and did not require a long, fragile firing pin to hit a primer buried deep inside a paper case. While this is sometimes held to be an early example of caseless ammunition, it is an edge case like Russian VOG grenades where arguably there is a case but it is attached to the projectile.
While this design led to important developments, it was not actually a commercial success: the tiny powder charge that would actually fit in a Rocket Ball or Volcanic Ball led to fairly pathetic muzzle energy in the region of 56 foot-pounds, less than a modern .25 ACP round.
Perhaps more important than the weapons themselves were the connections the company created. Jennings Rifle Company had Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson working for them. This led to the partnership of Smith and Wesson a year later in 1854. Oliver Winchester, one of the company's investors, effectively dissolved the Volcanic Repeating Arms company in 1857, later relaunching the company as the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. The Volcanic Repeater mechanism was heavily influential on Winchester's classic lever-action rifles, including the Henry rifle (1860) and the Winchester Model 1866 "Yellow Boy". Two of the world's largest gun companies are here because of this collaboration.
The Volcanic lever action was patented February 14, 1854 by Smith and Wesson. Firearms based on the patent were manufactured by Smith & Wesson, Volcanic Repeating Arms, and New Haven Arms until 1860.
Specifications
| Barrel length |
Caliber | Magazine capacity |
Designation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5/4" | .31 | 6 | Pocket Pistol |
| 6" | .31 | 10 | Target Pistol |
| 6" | .41 | 7-8 | Navy Pistol |
| 8" | .41 | 9-10 | Navy Pistol |
| 16.5" | .41 | 20 | Pistol-Carbine with detachable shoulder stock |
| 16/16.5" | .41 | 20 | Rifle Carbine |
| 20/21" | .41 | 25 | Rifle Carbine |
| 24/25" | .41 | 30 | Rifle Carbine |
The Volcanic Repeater and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| For a Few Dollars More | Clint Eastwood | Manco (The Man With No Name) | 1965 | |
| For a Few Dollars More | Gian Maria Volontè | El Indio | 1965 | |
| Magnificent Warriors | Richard Ng | Luk | 1987 | |
| Magnificent Warriors | Michelle Yeoh | Fok Ming-Ming | 1987 | |
| Magnificent Warriors | Tung-Shing Yee | Sky 1 | 1987 | |
| Invisible Target | in Cheung Man Yiu's office | 2007 |
Television
| Show Title | Actor | Character | Note / Episode | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Man in the High Castle | seen on the wall | 2015 |
Video Game
| Game Title | Appears as | Note | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gun | 2005 | ||
| Call of Juarez | "Volcano Gun" | 2007 | |
| Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood | "Volcano Gun" | 2009 | |
| Red Dead Redemption | "Volcanic Pistol" | 2010 | |
| Fistful of Frags | "Volcanic Pistol" | 2014 | |
| Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades | 2016 |