“That Yankee Rifl E You Can Load on Sunday
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militaria mart | historic firearm “That Yankee rifl e you can load on Sunday and shoot all week” ull a Henry rifl e out still quite low powered by today’s of your gun case and Derek Landers gets his standards. Initial ammunition you immediately used a pointed, 216 grain bullet become the centre hands on a variation of and twenty six grains of powder. ofP attention at your club. Performance was improved later Those who know what it is are Uberti’s recreation of the by decreasing the weight of the full of admiration while those bullet to 200 grains. Production who don’t are full of curiosity. famed Henry rifl e of the rifl e began in 1861 Back in 1860 the originals must and the following year the fl at have commanded the same Although the basic design time the self contained metallic pointed bullet was introduced. attention when introduced to of the Volcanic weapons was cartridges were in their infancy Henry’s patent was assigned men whose experience with quite sound, its weakness was and Henry came up with a to Winchester without payment long guns was mainly restricted in the “rocket ball” ammunition, .44 calibre version for use in a and neither did he receive any to single shot muzzle loaders. which was very low powered slightly modifi ed Volcanic action. fi nancial inducement for his Surviving examples of those and suffered from ignition The barrel was increased from its invention. He chose instead to nineteenth century Henrys are problems. Oliver Winchester’s present .41 calibre and the bolt forego his $1,500 a year salary now mostly in large collections factory superintendant, Tyler was redesigned with a twin fi ring in exchange for a contract to or museums, although they Henry, was assigned the task pin and spring steel extractor. manufacture 5,000 rifl es using occasionally crop up in auctions, of turning the Volcanic into a He was granted a patent for his the machinery of the New albeit at the price of a car! successful weapon and his alterations on October 16th, Haven Arms Company. Buying Fortunately, fans of the Henry attention turned to its weak link, 1860 and thus was born the fi rst the materials and paying the rifl e, among whose number the ammunition. Around this practical repeating rifl e, although workforce himself, he then sold I count myself, can own a the rifl es back to the company modern centre fi re reproduction and any profi ts were his. This courtesy of Uberti of Italy. proved to be sound judgement for over the fi ve years that it Birth of the took to complete the contract Winchester he received $15,000, twice When the Volcanic Repeating what he would have taken in Arms Company, brainchild wages over the same period. of Horace Smith and Daniel Both the rifl e and the cartridge Wesson, became insolvent bore Henry’s name, with the in 1857, the assets of the ammunition having an ‘H’ company were sold to one of its head stamp. Benjamin Tyler major shareholders, shirtmaker Henry died in New Haven, Oliver F. Winchester. The Connecticut on June 8th, 1898. manufacturing facility was moved to Connecticut and reborn as Brass frame the New Haven Arms Company Rear ladder sight graduated Brass butt plate and compartment for A small number (less than 100 with Winchester at its head. to 800 yards a sectional cleaning rod (not supplied) are known today) of early rifl es 280 february 2012 | GUN MART View hundreds more gun reviews online at www.gunmart.net historic firearm | militaria mart “That Yankee rifl e you can load on Sunday and shoot all week” had iron frames and butt plates but the majority of the 14,000 "The Uberti Henry carbine – technically maybe not or so examples produced had the familiar ’brass’ frame. In historically correct, but still a good ‘generic’ shorter version 1866 Nelson King received a of the Henry rifl e – and possibly more suitable for CAS" patent for improvements to the loading arrangement of the Henry and the fi rst rifl e to latter group of shooters are also The woodwork has the standard use as any sharp edges on the bear the Winchester name, doubtless responsible for this and high gloss red/brown fi nish (you brass cartridge lifter and interior the Model 1866, was born. other reproduction lever guns either hate it or love it) and the of the brass frame soon smooth There is some conjecture as being made today in .45 Colt (the blue/black on the barrel and themselves out. The lightweight to whether or not the Henry was chambering for the subject rifl e), magazine assembly is very deep. bolt and moderate strength commercially produced with a a cartridge not used in nineteenth All edges are nice and sharp, spring also contribute to making barrel length any other than the century rifl es, but making a and the parts fi t together well. this a fast operator. This light standard twenty four inches. In suitable match for the many The receiver, butt plate, cartridge bolt, and the toggle-link internals his book* on the subject, Les revolvers used in this calibre follower and front sight are plain shared with the Winchester Quick refers to suggestions that today. Sadly this “two guns – one brass with the rear sight – a 1866 and 1873 models, make some short barrelled (18” to cartridge” permutation is no ladder arrangement graduated to this relatively weak action 21”) Henrys were produced as longer a factor for UK shooters, 800 yards - and all screws being suitable for what we term toady prototypes for military evaluation due to the handgun ban. black. The hammer and lever as “pistol calibre” ammunition. but his survey “revealed no have a case-hardened fi nish. Out of this trio only the 1873 evidence of company advertising Smooth operator Operation of the Henry is is chambered for magnum of, or any historical references As I have come to expect with very smooth right out of the box calibres, the brass frames being to, Henry carbines ever entering Uberti fi rearms, the fi t and fi nish and I know from experience that deemed a little too frail. standard production”. As we have on this example are fi rst class. it gets even better with a little seen with other reproductions Loading up of nineteenth century American Large front sight The fi rst thing that the uninitiated fi rearms, some of today’s variants will ask, seeing there is no are driven by the Italian designers’ loading gate on the side of the fancies or by market demands. frame, is “How do you load it?” The full length Uberti Henry rifl e The barrel and magazine tube is certainly a heavy weapon and are made from one piece of those Cowboy Action Shooting steel apart from the fi ve inches (CAS) competitors who favour at the muzzle end which is a the design but want something a separate collar. Turning the rifl e little more suited to fast handling upside down you will notice a may well be drawn to this shorter slot running the length of the barrel version, particularly as it magazine, inside which is a coil will still hold the eight cartridges spring. A brass button at the generally used in a stage. This breech end slides up this slot View hundreds more gun reviews online at www.gunmart.net GUN MART | february 2012 281 militaria mart | historic firearm The full length version of the Uberti Henry rifl e towards the muzzle, compressing grains of Vihtavuori Tin Star the spring as you go. When you powder, no slouch but with reach the collar swing the button easily controllable recoil in this to the left and the edge of the carbine. The very basic sight tube prevents it from returning arrangement does not make to its rest position. It is here you for a tack driving weapon but may experience the sharp edges CAS shooters will fi nd this referred to earlier as the shoulder carbine is capable of doing Collar shown in the loading position of the tube can very easily draw the job and that 6-inch shorter blood if it catches your thumb. barrel makes it that bit more A small fi le will round off the manageable that its big brother. corner just enough to prevent It will comfortably put every this. At this point the ammunition shot on to a six-inch paper is loaded into the tube; please plate at twenty fi ve yards do not hold the rifl e in a vertical shooting against the clock. position and drop the cartridges Another point to remember in. Keep the tube just above with the Henry is that as you the horizontal position and ease eject each empty case another them in. When the required cartridge enters the lifter and Collar and its retainer removed from the barrel amount has been loaded turn that little brass button is easing the brass button back to line up nearer to the breech. Make sure with the slot and gently ease it there is a gap between your down until it touches the fi rst fore fi nger and thumb where cartridge. The magazine spring you hold the barrel so that the is quite strong and allowing it button can slide through. If you to return under its own power are using the longer barrel and has been known to detonate only eight rounds, you can put one or more cartridges in the an appropriate length of wood magazine.