The Henry Rifle

[xl_target]

The Henry Rifle


The Henry Repeating Rifle

The Henry Repeating Rifle was a magazine fed lever action rifle that was produced starting in 1860. It had a one piece barrel and tube magazine. The receiver was brass and along with the 24" barrel and twelve round tubular magazine, gave it its distinctive look. It fired a .44 caliber, short, pistol type cartridge that had rimfire ignition.


History
In 1855, partners Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson (yes, those two guys), after obtaining all rights for the Volcanic designs (both rifle and pistol versions as well as the ammunition), formed "The Volcanic Arms Company". One of their major investors was Oliver Winchester (yes, that guy).
In 1856, Winchester forced the insolvency of the Volcanic Arms Company. Smith and Wesson went off to do their own thing by forming the “Smith & Wesson Revolver Company”. In 1857, The Volcanic Arms Company was reorganized as the New Haven Arms Company and moved to New Haven, Connecticut.
Benjamin Tyler Henry was hired as Plant Superintendent of the New Haven Arms Company. Experimenting with the new rimfire cartridge that would soon be called the .44 Henry, he improved and modified the Volcanic Lever action to use it. He received a patent for his design in 1860. This was to become the famous Henry Rifle. In 1866, the company was again reorganized as the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and product from that company were (and is) called Winchesters. This is not to say that the 1866 Winchester is the same as the Henry. It was further improved (with the Knights Patent side loading port) but the origins are clear. The rest is history and Winchester's famous lever guns played a prominent part in the "taming of the West".

History: The Civil War

A civil war era Henry Repeating Rifle.
Images from HERE

A Henry Repeating Rifle cost $42 in 1863. That’s the equivalent of today’s cost of a basic AR-15. Served the same function, too: Send a lot of lead downrange fast.

Image and quote from HERE

In 1860 when the first Henry rifles came out, they were a revelation. Keep in mind that the USA was in the throes of a Civil War and most of the soldiers on both sides were using muzzle loading rifles. Then along comes this shiny “golden” rifle that can shoot 12 rounds without reloading. This was done at the rate of about 25 rounds a minute. It must have seemed miraculous to those soldiers used to muzzle loaders.
However, these rifles were not available in large quantities. So even though they did feature in some decisive actions, they never really affected the course of the civil war.

Today
Since not that many Henry rifles were made or have survived, they are very valuable to collectors today. Some, original commemorative models in pristine condition, have fetched as much as a quarter of a million dollars ($250,000). Other original Henry rifles are available in the $50,000 range today.

The Henry Repeating Arms Company
Today’s Henry Repeating Arms Company doesn’t really have anything in common with the original company or any of the personalities involved but owner Anthony Imperato has steered it to the point where it is now the largest maker of Lever Action Rifles in the US today. The Henry Repeating Arms company makes some absolutely gorgeous production rifles today. Their attention to detail, the quality of their workmanship and their customer service is absolutely first class and rivals many custom rifle makers. They make everything from low end rifles to very high end works of art costing thousands of dollars. Henry is known for its warranty and the owner himself is reputed to handle customer service calls.

They also make the “Original Henry Rifle” that is nearly identical to Benjamin Tyler Henry’s creation.
The exception is that it fires the .44/40 cartridge as no one has made the .44 Henry cartridge in decades.

The replica “Original Henry Rifle”.





I personally don’t like much “bling” on a rifle but some of Henry’s commemorative editions are appealing.
Below is the edition celebrating Abraham Lincoln’s 200 birthday. There are many such editions commemorating other events.





The "Big Boy"
Henry's "Big Boy" rifles are offered in .44 Spl./.44 Mag, .38Spl/.357 Mag. and .45 Colt (Long Colt). These are now approved by the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS) for use in Cowboy Action Matches and remain quite popular.
There is even a version in .30/30 and one in.45-70 Govt.


The Henry "Big Boy".

Henry's Popular rimfires

Among the rifles they make is the very popular Henry H001 which is a .22LR lever action rifle.
This svelte little five and a quarter pound beauty is known for a very slick action, a pretty decent trigger and for being quite accurate.
These little rifles are also known for their reliability and will handle .22 Long Rifle, .22 Long and .22 short ammunition.
The basic Henry lever action is offered in .22LR, .22 Magnum and .17 HMR and is available in both youth and carbine models.

They features deeply blued barrels and stocks made of American Walnut (which is a rarity today).
The receiver on these .22's is not steel but possibly painted Aluminum or some alloyed metal. The paint job, is well done, almost like an automotive paint job. It would have been really nice to have a machined steel receiver but the cost would have climbed substantially. Still they are seem to be well made and with a decent amount of care will last a lifetime.
The metal to wood fit and finish is flawless.
The MSRP of the Henry H001 is a surprisingly low $360. It is very surprising to see this much quality in such a reasonably priced product.

The Henry .22 LR Lever Action Rifle


For a few dollars more, you can get the good looking Octagon barreled lever rifle.

They also offer a similar rifle dressed up in its “Sunday-go-to-meeting” best.
It is the popular Henry “Golden Boy”. I’ve seen a surprising number of them, along with the Henry H001, in the hands of teenagers.
While they do have shiny receivers, in real life, they really don't look bad and are pretty little rifles.

The Golden Boy


The Golden Boy .22 Mag with optional scope mount

More reading (links) and photos:
http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarm ... rms_id=356
http://frontierpartisans.com/1932/random-musings/
http://www.worthpoint.com/worth-points/ ... -regulator
http://henryrifles.com

[Hammerhead]

How Much

[timmy]

XL, great write up! I loved the history part.

I'm sure that working the brass was a lot easier on the machine tools of the day.

It looks to me that the .22 and the Golden Boy .22 have the same mechanism, even though the receivers are made to look like a Model 94 and a Model 1866 (sort of). the Big Boy and the 1860 certainly have different actions, though they look similar.

I didn't know about Henry's owner and the company -- are these made in the USA?

[xl_target]

XL, great write up! I loved the history part.

I'm sure that working the brass was a lot easier on the machine tools of the day.

It looks to me that the .22 and the Golden Boy .22 have the same mechanism, even though the receivers are made to look like a Model 94 and a Model 1866 (sort of). the Big Boy and the 1860 certainly have different actions, though they look similar.

I didn't know about Henry's owner and the company -- are these made in the USA?

According to them, every single part is made in the USA.

We take great pride in manufacturing our rifles in the United States, hence our corporate motto “Made in America, or Not Made at All”.

They have a plant at Bayonne, NJ, which was flattened when Hurricane Sandy hit. They have since rebuilt and resumed production.
They also have a large plant in Rice Lake, Wisconsin.

The New "Big Boy" and Golden Boy receivers are not brass but an alloy called Brasslite, thought the butt-plates are brass. They produce approximately 250,000 rifles a year.

Here is their warranty:

Henry Repeating Arms stands behind its products as it has historically. We offer a simple limited lifetime warranty; if you have a problem at any time, and it’s our fault, we will correct the problem immediately and at no charge. The warranty does not cover excessive wear and tear to parts, and accidental damage.

I didn't know much about their company either (till recently) though a friend's son has a Golden Boy and loves it. I've seen them around at the range, etc but never really played with one till recently. I did know that the action was slick and the trigger was good. I was surprised at the Good Ol' American values that this company displays. I have seen Henry's at the local gun store and played with them. If you get a chance, Tim, try the action, You will be pleasantly surprised.

With The Freedom Group's takeover of Marlin, the word is that the rifles coming out under the Marlin name (now) are now total crap. I'm sure Henry will sell more rifles because of it.

[timmy]

XL, thanks for that. When it comes to Marlin, I do have a long story. The short version is that my Dad, who didn't speak English until he went to school, loved movies, especially those old "oaters" from the early 30s. He was quite familiar with all of the old cowboy movie stars, and loved the idea of being a cowboy, a little of which he got to do after he retired. When I was young and made a little money from a job, I wanted to buy a gun. He steered me to the Marlin 39a, which is what I still have. I bought it used, and it is as old as I am. At the time, my heart was set on a Browning .22 auto, but I got the Marlin because of my Dad. Many years later, my Brother bought the Browning .22 auto, and our many shooting expeditions showed me my Dad was right!

To me, Marlin meant the lever actions: the 39a, 336, 1895 45-70 (I gave mine to my older Son) and the others like that. Marlin also meant the line of cheap .22 autos and some bolt action shotguns, in which I had no interest.

That "Freedom Arms" will or has cheapened things, I don't doubt.

The Henrys do look great and you've done a nice job of selling me, but I don't need a .22 at the moment. I have another little project for a .22, as my eyesight makes my old 39a a bit difficult, and I won't drill and tap it.

I'll post a few pics on my new .22 soon, but I certainly will check out the Henry sometime. Meanwhile, I will see if I can find some cutaways and see how their different levers work.

[xl_target]

Tim,

Here are Henry's patent drawings:


and here is a photo with one of the side plates off showing the toggle link design:

I found this on a German wikipedia site

Below is a photo showing a Henry rifle totally disassembled.

image and article here

Here is a Gunblast video that shows it in action.
[youtube][/youtube]

[timmy]

yes, that 1860 is the same toggle link as the original.

the 22 looks like the lever raises a pivoting piece to lock the bolt

the big boys, etc, look like a variation of the Marlin 336 -- there's a hook on the lever that works the locking block into and out of the bolt.

Thanks for that article -- very interesting! I have a story about the King's Patent I will tell sometime. The article didn't mention the repeater vs the Trapdoor Springfield, but was interesting. The Henry site lists the 1860 for over $2000 -- but it sure looks nice.

[xl_target]

. The Henry site lists the 1860 for over $2000 -- but it sure looks nice.

Yes, I believe you're correct. The .22's are different but they are a very slick action too.
I took one look at the price tag on the "original" and echoed Haji's comment of "How Much"?

Well there is a reason for all my new found interest in the Henry.
After reading some of the history, I did get interested and did some research. It is indeed an interesting rifle from a very volatile period in American history.

Some of you might remember that shortly after I did a review on the Remington 870 shotgun, I won an 870 in 20 gauge, in a raffle. I bought a calendar from an organization that was raising some funds and that entered me in a drawing for some guns.
I covered that shotgun in the 870 review. http://indiansforguns.com/viewtopic.php ... 30#p197480

When I went to pick up the shotgun from the dealer, I bought another one of these calendars. It was Pheasants Unlimited or some conservation organization like that. I totally forgot about it was just happy to support the organization. Last Thursday my cell phone rang and I didn't recognize the number so I wasn't going to answer it. Luckily I changed my mind and decided to see who it was. It was a guy from that organization telling me that I had won a rifle. His dealer shipped it to my local dealer and I picked it up on Tuesday. I haven't shot it yet but I will be going to my Gun Club on Sunday to try it out.

What I won was a Henry lever action rifle in .22 LR. I'm stoked. It is a really nice little rifle, very trim and handy.
Now that I have cleaned the preservative off, I find it has some decent furniture on it and the action is slick!
You could run it with your pinky but it still locks up tight at the end of its stroke.


The standard cardboard Henry shipping box


It was wrapped in VCI paper


Nice trim lines. The wood seems a little lusterless in the photo but it cleaned up nice



With the action opened


The spring loaded brass tube removed, showing the loading port.


Standard V sight adjustable for windage and elevation. The receiver is grooved for scope mounting.

I'll post a range report and how well it works after I get back from the range on Sunday.

[TwoRivers]

The Henry .22 is the same rifle as the "Erma" lever action .22 imported years ago. Imperato got the design when Erma ceased business. The receiver is two-part, with an inner zinc alloy casting and a stamped sheet metal receiver cover. They are nice little .22s, with sometimes surprisingly nice walnut stocks.

Haven't looked at their center-fires yet, but they seem to follow Marlin's M336 design.

[TC]

XL

Writing a wonderful post on the timeless Henry and then breaking the news at the very end ..... that of winning a gorgeous Henry rimfire in a lucky draw....

If this is not torture to us here in India then what is ?



Lovely post XL and congratulations. Will wait for another wonderful range report and a video maybe for the poor chaps back in India
Your 10-22 now has a lovely companion.



TC

[timmy]

I see that the Erma-made version was the Ithaca 72, which I do remember.

The receiver, I see, is a zinc alloy that is stronger than what we've traditionally called "pot metal" or "white metal." I'm seeing it as a zinc alloy called Zamak (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZAMAK) and it is strong enough to do the job, plus can be finished nicely.

XL, please give us a little range report when you get a chance.

Regarding the 1860, Some folks used to take 1873s (same action with steel receiver, among other things) and set them up for 44 Mag. My understanding is that 44-40 (the original caliber) is fine, and 44 Special can be done, but 44 Mag is a bridge too far. The toggle action has a nice feel to it. I would like an 1860, but the price is a bit steep for me.

[ckkalyan]

Many thanks for sharing the history of the Henry Rifle...I have always loved lever action rifles.

Hearty Congratulations xl_target on winning such a beautiful 'wild west' rifle!

Eagerly awaiting your update on the first test firing of a rifle that you could load on Sunday and shoot all week long!

I completely understand what TC is saying.

[Vikram]

XL,

That is an educational post. Thank you for the very detailed photos and information. And, congratulations on winning such a nice little rifle.


Best-
Vikram

[xl_target]

The Henry .22 is the same rifle as the "Erma" lever action .22 imported years ago. Imperato got the design when Erma ceased business. The receiver is two-part, with an inner zinc alloy casting and a stamped sheet metal receiver cover. They are nice little .22s, with sometimes surprisingly nice walnut stocks.

Haven't looked at their center-fires yet, but they seem to follow Marlin's M336 design.

I believe you are correct. The Henry .22 Lever, The Iver Johnson .22 lever and the Ithaca .22 Lever rifles use the same or very similar designs.
In fact some of the Henry exploded drawings are the same as the Erma drawings and show parts that were on the Erma but are not on the Henry.

Range Report
I took the Henry out the range today. What a nice day, no wind and decent temperatures, for once.
When I got there, there were several people that I knew and I got to fire a few different firearms.

A friend, who is a College professor and a big black powder fan, was there with his grandfather's .36 Navy Colt and a .50 cal Hawken rifle that he built last winter.


The Hawken and .36 Navy


Here I am firing the .36 Navy. You can see me saying; "Wow, No recoil".


Here is me firing the Hawken. He did a really nice job on it.
It has a set trigger and I barely touched the trigger and it went off.


Another friend was there with a .308 Remington 700 rifle, which I was also allowed to fire a few times.

Finally it was time to uncase the "Cowboy Assault Rifle".
Looking at the sights, I wasn't sure if I could do a decent job as the front post is quite wide. These eyes don't do iron sights as well as they used to when I was 20 yrs old.
At 25 yards, I had a dismal inch and a half group.

I took a scope along but I hated to mar the finish by clamping a scope to the rail. I have an old Weaver 4X scope that has a long thin tube that gives the rifle an old fashioned look. I bought that scope in college and it had seen better days when I bought it. After such a poor showing with the iron sights, I just had to put the scope on to see what the rifle was capable of.


The rifle with the Weaver scope. Even the tiny (by today's standards) 3/4" tube looks big on this little rifle.
It's mounted so far back because it has almost non-existent eye relief.

I haven't used this scope in a long time and I'd forgotten just how fuzzy and murky it is. Rifle scopes have come a long way today.
I started sighting in and soon ran out of adjustment! I knew that I was short of the point of aim but decided to shoot a group anyway.


Here is the 25 yard group beside an SD card to show the scale of the image.

Now that I know that the rifle is capable of fine accuracy, it's time to send the old Weaver down the road to the Happy Hunting Grounds.
I'm going to have to find another scope that has that old time look, to match the Henry. I did take some video for TC but my camera battery was low and we ended up using a friend's phone. I will post that video after I get it from him, tomorrow.

BTW shooting .22 shorts out of the Henry is no louder than shooting an air rifle.
The sound of the bullet hitting the target is louder than the report of the rifle firing.

[timmy]

Looks like that Henry can really drive tacks! I will tell you, for a 22, I recently bought one of those new Weaver Rimfire 4x scopes -- got it from Amazon. I have yet to sight it in and shoot it, but the glass is very clear, indeed!

I'll bet that little Colt was a bunch of fun to shoot!