This is an exceptionally fine example of a really nice, all original, high condition very early, New Haven Arms Co. marked Volcanic lever action carbine as manufactured circa 1857. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the one-line legend: "NEW HAVEN CONN. FEB. 14, 1854". These abbreviated marks which eliminated "VOLCANIC REPEATING ARMS CO." were introduced in April 1857 after Oliver Winchester took control of the Volcanic Repeating Arms Co., and reorganized it as the New Haven Arms Co. The serial number, "54", is stamped on the left side of the lower receiver tang, written in pencil on the face of the stock wrist, stamped on the shank of each of the hand-fitted stock and buttplate screws and stamped on the inside of the buttplate heel. It has the standard blued octagon barrel and integral magazine, brass receiver and crescent buttplate and casehardened hammer and loading lever. The straight grain walnut stock has a varnished finish. The barrel has a nickel-silver front sight blade. A nitre blue rear sight with elevator thumb wheel is dovetail-mounted on the receiver. These revolutionary Volcanic repeating carbines featured a self-cocking lever action with an integral magazines and were chambered for a cartridge with a self-contained propellant and primer. Although not a huge success, the lever action design with integral magazine combined with a self contained cartridge did usher in the far more successful and legendary Henry rifle and also the Model 1866 and 1873 Winchester rifles. The investments of clothing manufacturer Oliver Winchester in the Volcanic Repeating Arms Co., led to the establishment of the New Haven Arms Co. and eventually the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. The rest is history!