Volcanic rifles

[Forty Rod]

I'd like to get a set of scale drawings of a late model Volcanic rifle, or at least a large drawing or picture with dimensions. A web search has been among the most frustrating experiences of my life.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

[Ransom Gaer]

Forty Rod,

I've found the web to be most useful in finding some things and not so red hot for finding other things.  This seems to be one of those not so red hot things.

Two ideas I have is either checking with Smith and Wesson or Winchester.  As you know S&W originally built them so maybe they still have drawings.  Since Winchester bought the design and improved it maybe Winchester might have a set of drawings for the Volcanic.  They had to start with something.  A related thought is the Cody Firearms Museum in Cody WY.  I know they have some Winchester records, maybe they have drawings.

That's the best I can come up with.

Ransom Gaer

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I doubt you will have much success. Measured drawings in any industry are usually held very close to the vest since they contain proprietary information. Even with products over 100 years old, it is rare to come across measured factory drawings. And pretty much nobody else would go through the work of making up measured drawings other than the factory. Most repairs can be done without measured drawings, measured drawings are only really needed when trying to make something from scratch, and that's when companies don't let them out of their sight.

Here is the closest I have seen to what you are looking for, the machinist's drawings sold by Buffalo Brothers:

http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/2,148.html

Unfortunately, they don't contain what you are looking for.

The current S&W company did not make the Volcanics, they were made by the Volcanic company and Smith & Wesson were the major stock holders. When they sold out their interests to Oliver Winchester and his band of investors, the intellectual property contained in the drawings would have stayed with Winchester, first under the name New Haven Arms Company, and later Winchester Repeating Arms Company. S&W would not have been allowed to take the drawings with them when they started their new revolver company in 1857.

Your best bet would be to contact some of the collector's societies. They may be able to put you in touch with someone who has actual original drawings, and you may be able to work out some sort of arrangement to copy them, I would also contact Roy Jinks, the official S&W historian. If anybody is going to have information for you, he might, or could probably point you in the right direction.

You could also try searching the US Patent Office, but patent drawings are usually undimensioned. They are just meant to show the concept, not how to make it.

But I doubt you will find what you are looking for on the Web.

[John Taylor]

I could lay a ruler next to  one that is in the shop and take a picture of it. It is a 40 cal and the bolt diameter is the same as the groove diameter. It looks like a scrawny 73 with no ejector or extractor.

[Forty Rod]

I could lay a ruler next to  one that is in the shop and take a picture of it. It is a 40 cal and the bolt diameter is the same as the groove diameter. It looks like a scrawny 73 with no ejector or extractor.

I'd appreciate that, John.  Thanks. 

Could be we're related, y'know.  Grandpa was a travellin' man.   

Tom "Forty Rod" Taylor  (Williams, Johns, Jims, and Toms seem to be favored names in the family.)

[Flint]

Forty Rod, try to get hold of Lead Dispencer, he lives in SF Valley.  He has Volcanic rifles and pistols you might look at.
http://www.spencerhoglund.com/HenrySurvey.html

[John Taylor]

here you go Forty Rod,

[Forty Rod]

Thank you, sir.  That action is too short for anything but a .380, isn't it?  Might even be skimpy for that.

Guess I'll give up on that idea.

[John Taylor]

Overall length of bullet is around .700". Might work with a S&W 32 short but the boult would need an extractor.

[Forty Rod]

Yeah, the internals would have to be scaled down Henry, but the outside could come mighty close to loking like a Volcanic.

Too much for my limited skills to replicate...still, I'd sure like one.

[John Taylor]

I'm still working on plans to copy a model 90 Win. in 44-40.

[Forty Rod]

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

This photo should give you a fairly good idea of the relative size of a Volcanic rifle compared to a Henry. The little rifle at the top is the Volcanic, all the rest are Henrys. Notice how much smaller the frame of the Volcanic is than the Henry frames. In particular, notice how tiny the cartridge lifter area is on the Volcanic. I had the pleasure of handling a Volcanic a couple of years ago, and they were truly tiny. About the same size as a boy's 22 rifle. The cartridge lifter was tiny, the Rocket Ball ammo was so short that the lifter did not need to be very long.