repeating rifle 1848-51?

[whiskey]

While looking through the 1848 to 1851 inventories of Fort Union trading post I noticed that each year they list a repeating rifle. The 1849 inventory say" 1 repeating rifle (16 shot)".
What do you think they are refering to?

 

[LaBonte]

IIRC it was one of Collier/Billinghurst's revolving rifles and perhaps was the one originally purchased by/for the factor McKenzie
https://www.google.com/search?sour...ing+rifle&gs_l=hp....0.0.1.26562...........0.

The other possibility could be one of Jon Browning's harmonica rifles - Sam Houston had one of these or one of Colt's revolving rifles, one of which was used by Carson.

 

[poordevil]

Maybe a Volcanic Smith and Wesson? (I know, not called Smith and Wesson yet)

 

[whiskey]

Labonte, Were you saying Carson had a harmonic rifle or the colt revolving rifle? Do you have a source for that info?

 

[Rifleman1776]

I once had the pleasure of getting a tour of the vault at the Ralph Foster (gun) museum at the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, MO. I was shown, and held, a unique bolt action muzzle loading CW experimental rifle. Wish I had taken notes and pics. Didn't. Had a simple name, like Smith. One could load multiple rounds as with a regular muzzle loader. To shoot you shot, activated the bolt which shoved another round into position, capped, then shot then repeated.

 

[Alden]

Also sounds more expensive than just drafting more people and sticking "one-shot, one kill" rifle-muskets in their hands...

 

[LaBonte]

Labonte, Were you saying Carson had a harmonic rifle or the colt revolving rifle? Do you have a source for that info?

Houston had the harmonica rifle, Carson at one time in the early 1840's carried both Paterson revolvers and a revolvers - it's noted in at least one of his bio's.
Later he owned a Spencer...

 

[whiskey]

After some of the responses here gave me some avenues of research, I think the repeater listed in Fort Unions inventorys might have been a Billinghurst. The odd thing was the inventory said it was 16 shot. I did find that Billinghurst made one of his revolving rifles for some royalty in Indian in 1843. It was listed as 16 balls per pound. I think somewhere along the line the 16 shot reference probably meant 16 balls to a pound of lead.

 

[RedFeather]

Bolt action CW rifle was likely a Green (Greene?). Had a chance to buy one for cheap but passed. Odd duck, underhammer with an oval bore.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Bolt action CW rifle was likely a Green (Greene?). Had a chance to buy one for cheap but passed. Odd duck, underhammer with an oval bore.

The tour was an unexpected treat. Normally, I would have been equiped with a camera and note pad. For whatever reason, it is not on display but locked away in their vault. Maybe one day I'll call ahead and try to get to see it again.