Model agency

Last month we looked at the origins of the Winchester rifle and saw how it actually owed a lot to Mr Wesson of Smith & Wesson fame. From his original lever-action pistol with its peculiar internally primed ammunition was developed the Volcanic, the first firearm the shirtmaker Oliver Winchester got involved with, albeit only in a financial role. From the terrible product that was the Volcanic, the Henry rifle was born, which even though not without its own set of problems, quickly proved how good a repeating rifle could be. The addition of King’s Patent on its successor model,