MidSouth Shooters SupplyReloading EverythingRotoMetals2Inline Fabrication
RepackboxMCD ProductsLee PrecisionTitan Reloading

Results 1 to 13 of 13

Thread: Original Volcanic cartridges

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub threedflyer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Salmon, Idaho
    Posts
    39

    Original Volcanic cartridges

    Thought you folks might enjoy seeing these from my personal collection.
    A very scarce cartridge and I am fortunate to have these two.

    For those who may not be familiar with the volcanic cartridge....it has a cavity that is filled with powder and a cork stopper that seals the powder in.

    Enjoy!





    Last edited by threedflyer; 09-17-2024 at 11:46 AM.

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Posts
    195
    Volcanic Arms provides an interesting tie in between Smith and Wesson, and Winchester just before 1860. The Volcanic design, owned by Smith and Wesson was enlarged and reengineered by Winchester (Henry Repeating Arms) to become the Henry rifle. The Henry rifle was then modified to become the 1866 Winchester. The Volcanic design existed until the end of the 1873 and 1876 Winchester line, well into the 1900s.

    These cartridges were terribly underpowered, but, like the Rollin White patent for the bored through cylinder that made S&W a monopoly, the Volcanic cartridge lifter design made Henry, then Winchester, a monopoly. Everybody else had to come up with evasive designs to compete (or attempt to compete) with S&W and Winchester. Even Colt and Remington had to pay S&W a royalty to use the bored through cylinder. S&W also had the patent on the rimfire priming method, and they were paid a royalty for that until 1867-69, somewhere in that time frame.

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Cecilia, Kentucky
    Posts
    7,479
    Awesome condition, thank you for sharing. That thing in the center is a primer, correct?

    Thanks Relics for sharing your information.
    BulletMatch: Cataloging the World's Bullets

    Lead Alloy Calculator

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master
    dtknowles's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Southeast Louisiana
    Posts
    5,131
    thank you for sharing.
    Words are weapons sharper than knives - INXS

    The pen is mightier than the sword - Edward Bulwer-Lytton

    The tongue is mightier than the blade - Euripides

  5. #5
    Boolit Master armoredman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Casa Grande, AZ
    Posts
    2,128
    That's very neat, thank you!

    Now let's see Lee make a mold for that!

  6. #6
    Boolit Bub threedflyer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Salmon, Idaho
    Posts
    39
    Quote Originally Posted by Bazoo View Post
    Awesome condition, thank you for sharing. That thing in the center is a primer, correct?

    Thanks Relics for sharing your information.
    The center is a cork plug/seal here is a link with more info on the Volcanic cartridge also known as the ROCKET BALL

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_Ball

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Posts
    195
    You can see the relationship of this Smith and Wesson Volcanic pistol with the Henry rifle, and then the 1866 Winchester.

    https://www.rockislandauction.com/de...peating-pistol

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy
    Slugster's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    Kentucky, USA
    Posts
    375
    Thank you for the pic and info. Really cool!
    NRA Life 1992
    My avatar is almost a dead ringer for my little buddy Chico. Six pounds of mean that thought he was a Pit Bull. Miss that little guy.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    New Jersey
    Posts
    571
    Nice pistol. Thanks for the pics!

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Posts
    195
    The 54 Hunt rifle was a breech loading rifle, it used what was called a "Rocket Ball", but it was externally primed with a percussion cap on a nipple, just like a muzzleloader. The Volcanic repeater used a self contained cartridge, with the primer held in a base wad. When the "cartridge" fired, and the projectile exited the bore, there was a bit of random chance where the primer ended up. Sometimes it stayed in the bore, with the succeeding round fired while it was still in the bore. Probably not terribly dangerous, but certainly not conducive to accuracy. If it ended up in the chamber, it could make loading the next round difficult.

    Underpowered, inaccurate, expensive, and with better systems coming online, and the Civil War getting in the way, no wonder it didn't last long.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master smkummer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    So. Indiana
    Posts
    1,893
    Yes, thank u for sharing.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master

    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    UPSTATE new york
    Posts
    1,840
    very nice, thanks

  13. #13
    Boolit Master

    K43's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Location
    MD
    Posts
    703
    A step in the evolution just like primer tapes and pinfire. Very interesting and and thank you for showing this.
    “for you suffer fools gladly, seeing yourself as wise” - Paul (II Corinthians 11:19)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check