Oliver F. Winchester

Oliver Fisher Winchester was born on November 30^th, 1810 and died December 11^th, 1880. His surname became famous in the world of firearms when he manufactured and marketed the Winchester repeating rifle, a re-design from the Volcanic rifle that had not marketed so well years earlier.

Winchester began as a clothing manufacturer in New York City and New Haven, Connecticut and during that time he discovered that the Smith & Wesson firearms company was failing financially. A savvy businessman, Winchester put capital together and with other stockholders acquired the S&W division of the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company in 1850. Winchester was the principle stockholder and relocated the company to New Haven, changing its name to the New Haven Arms Company.

Christopher Miner Spencer

Christopher Miner Spencer was an American inventor [ June 20, 1833 – January 14, 1922 ] from Manchester, Connecticut, who invented the Spencer Repeating Rifle that was introduced in the Civil War used by the Union cavalry. He was also the inventor of a steam-powered vehicle called a horseless carriage, a silk winding machine, the first fully automatic turret lathe and 38 other inventions.

The Spencer rifle was developed in 1859, but was not used by Union soldiers until 1863 after Christopher Spencer walked into the White House carrying one of his rifles and some cartridges. Security was not at a high level because he walked past the sentries and into President Lincoln's office.