Premier Firearms Auction
May 6, 7, 8 & 9, 2022
Our first premier auction of 2022! This event hosts collections from across the country and brings them under one roof for an amazing multi-day auction!
This is an incredible opportunity to add rare and desirable firearms & militaria to your collection.
NOTEWORTHY HENRY IRON FRAME LEVER ACTION REPEATING RIFLE.
inv# 01-20265
Cal. 44 Henry Rimfire
S# 262
Serial numbers 1-270 were mfg. in 1860, for the first year of production. Les Quick’s “The Story of Benjamin Tyler Henry and his Famed Repeating Rifle” lists this rifle by serial number on pg. 55. The Survey used for this book reports that the highest serial number iron frame rifle is S# 355. The survey of the first 400 serial numbers show that 89 were iron frame. The survey lists 16 numbers that were used on both iron and brass frames. “The Historic Henry Rifle” by Wiley Sword talks of this rifle on pg. 85. Mfg. 1860-1866 in relatively small numbers, this venerable rifle was introduced at an important time in United States history. The American Civil War was a time of unprecedented firearms development & the importance of the Henry Repeating rifle w/ its 16 rd. capacity was immediately appreciated by the troops in the field. A total of 1,731 were purchased by the United States government between April 1863- Nov. 1865. Many others including iron framed rifles were purchased or brought to battle by officers & soldiers at their own expense. Bbl. 24″ oct. with integral 15 shot tubular mag. Top barrel flat is marked “HENRY’S PATENT, OCT. 16, 1860 / MANUFCT’D BY THE NEW HAVEN ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN, CT.” Serial number “262” is located between the barrel sight and the receiver. Sloping German silver blade front sight, fixed V notch barrel mounted rear sight with earliest style adjustable leaf receiver mounted rear sight. Iron frame action without lever latch. Brass magazine follower and lifter. Straight grain walnut stock with perchbelly. Rounded heel iron buttplate with large .970” diameter trapdoor for 4 piece jointed hickory ramrod. The buttstock hole has the beveled contour unique to the iron frame rifles. Upper and lower tang screws, buttplate screws, inside of buttplate, lower left of top tang and upper stock channel are numbered “262”.
STATUS: ANTIQUE
