The development and design of the levergun covered many years and many attempts. Here are a few of the first tries at making a leveraction repeating rifle.
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The Hunt Volition Repeater rifle is unique in that it paved the way for the future of leverguns. It's "Rocketball" ammunition featured a conical bullet that was hollow-based where the powder charge was held. It was ignited by priming pellets which were independent of the ammunition. As far as can be determined, only the patent model was built. It now resides in the Cody Firearms Museum.
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The Jennings Repeating Rifle was an improvement upon Hunt's design. It incorporated his ideas and improved upon them with Lewis Jenning's ideas. The guns were built by Robbins & Lawrence of Windsor, Vermont in the first part of the 1850's. It is believed about 1,000 guns were produced. They were made in 3 distinct models. The Third Model is pictured here. All were made in .54 caliber. The Jennings is important in the development of the leveraction rifle, not only because of it's design, but also because it introduced a man named B.Tyler Henry to the concept of leverguns.
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The Volcanic Carbine was the first rifle produced by the New Haven Arms Co. It featured a full-length slotted tube magazine with a spring-loaded follower that moved along the entire length of the tube. It was produced in .38 caliber only, but was offered in 3 barrel lengths, 16", 20" and 24".
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Colt's First Revolver was a Levergun! The first revolver ever produced by Colt's Patent Arms Mfg. Co. at it's plant in Patterson, NJ was the Number 1 Rifle otherwise known as the First Model Ring Lever Rifle. Made during 1837 & 1838, only about 200 were of the First Model were produced. It was available in .34, .36, .38, 40, and .44 calibers with either an 8 or 10 shot cylinder. Barrels were 32" long octagonal and were made both with and without the loading lever attached.
The rifle was a standard percussion (cap and ball) firearm that was operated by pulling the ring lever which turned the cylinder and cocked the hammer. Thus, while the gun falls under the category of "Revolving Rifles" it also is a type of "Lever Action Rifles".
The First Model Ring Lever Rifle is distinguished from the Second Model Ring Lever Rifle by having a top strap over the cylinder.
In addition to not having a top strap, the Second Model Ring Lever Rifle was available only in .44 caliber though one did have the choice of either an 8 or 10 shot cylinder. The Second Model also came with either a 28" or a 32" octagon barrel. In addition it could be had with or without the loading lever attached.
The Second Model was produced from 1838 until 1841. About 500 were made.
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P.W. Porter Revolving Turret Rifle Produced during the early 1850's, the Porter Revolving Turret Rifle was a step in the evolution of the levergun. The turret, a 9-shot .44 caliber on the 1st, 2nd & 3rd Models, was loaded just like the chambers of a cap & ball revolving cylinder, except the priming was accomplished during the action of the firearm. Working the lever revolved the turret, cocked the hammer and pushed a cap into firing position. The big drawback of the Porter design - as with most other turret designs - is that there is a chamber pointing directly back at the shooters face at all times!
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The Morris & Brown Conical Repeating Rifle was produced in New York City right around 1861 (patent date is Jan. 24, 1860) only about 50 of these unusual leverguns were believed to be manufactured. Six-shot .44 caliber rimfire, there are 6 chambers in the breech which funnel into a single barrel. The ring lever behind the exposed trigger (no trigger guard) cocks and rotates the firing pin.
Marked CONICAL REPEATER on the left side of the frame.
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Produced from 1873 to 1879, the Evans looks quite unlike most all other leverguns. Made in .44 Evans Centerfire caliber, the rifle was a unique one in other ways besides appearance. It was loaded through the butt, where the revolving magazine held 28 to 34 rounds, depending on the model. It holds the distinction of being the highest capacity levergun ever produced.
