Did you ever had a Orginal Henry Rifle in your hands?

[Henry4440]

Henry 4440,
You have to remember that more Americans are of German ancestry than any other European group. In many parts of the US German names are very very comon.

Tubac

I've always thought that the Irish-English were the greatest group, unless you mean that they were NOT Eurpean.

[Major 2]

I have to agree to the English, Irish Scot & Welsh notion... New England & the South

German & Dutch has a great deal on influence in Penn. & Ohio valley and into Ill.

Russian influence in the Northwest & Alaska

and the Mexican in the Southwest...

overall though English 

we are a melting pot

[Silver Creek Slim]

Wisconsin became a state in 1848. According to the 1860 US Census, 44.72% of foreign born were German. 42.76% of them were from Prussia.
"Milwaukee in 1860 contained a larger proportion of foreign-born inhabitants than did any other city in the nation except St. Louis. Of foreign-born inhabitants, more than two-thirds were Germans. In 1890, about one-half of Wisconsin's 519,199 immigrants were native of German."

Source: http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~dalbello/FLVA/background/demographics.html

WI produces very large quantities of beer and sausage.

And, to bring it back home, some of these immigrants might have had Henrys. 

Slim

[Will Ketchum]

I'm half Norwegian and half German.....and to keep it in topic for Slim, my middle name is Henry

Will Ketchum

[Tubac]

According to 2000 US census,  43 million Americans said they had German ancestry, 30 million Irish ancestry and 24 million English.

Tubac

[Henry4440]

According to 2000 US census,  43 million Americans said they had German ancestry, 30 million Irish ancestry and 24 million English.

Tubac

I think an Irish man will kick my a.. , when i'm saying he is english. .
So all of you who came from Eire take my apology and 'Tiocfaidh Ar La'

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I have seen real Henries in museums, but never handled one myself.

However a few years ago I had the great pleasure of handling an original Volcanic rifle. It was at the table of an upscale gun auction company at a big gunshow. Everybody was drooling over all the fancy engraved and inlaid fancy guns on the table. I noticed this neat looking little old, brass framed lever gun over on the side, and realized what it was. The dealer was happy to let me handle it. It had a tie wrap over the action so I did not try operating the action. It was surprising how tiny it actually was. It was 38 cal, and about the size of a modern 22RF lever gun. The Henry frame was sized up from the Volcanic when the caliber was increased to 44. The follower was missing on this Volcanic, hoever I think it fetched over $28,000 at auction. Quite a treat getting to handle it.

I'm mostly Austrian with a little bit of Irish mixed in. The Austrian ancestors all showed up in NYC in the last quarter of the 19th Century. I dunno when my Irish ancestors showed up.

[Henry4440]

Driftwood, a Volcanic rifle?Wow.
As i said before.wrong place,wong time.

[Forty Rod]

Us Scottish-Italian-Irish-English-Swiss-Polish-German-Dutch-Welsh-Scandahoovians dispute that statistic, thank you very much..

[Montana Slim]

   Yes, I've been fortunate to handle a number of them.....both at local auctions and at a firearms museum. Also handled a fair number of other prohibitively expensive (for me to buy) firearms.

Slim

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I'm still DREAMING of holding or perhaps firing one.

I didn't even see The Lincoln Henry when I was at the Smithsonian.  Spent most of my time at the Air & Space building, 'tho I DO remember seeing the Hope diamond - which I don't believe is in the A&S building.   

[Henry4440]

I'm still DREAMING of holding or perhaps firing one.

We share the same dream.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

I agree.

That is one reason I love my 1860 spencer so much.  I CAN SHOOT IT WHENEVER I WANT! I have a BAC centerfire breech block and shoot that 56-56 beauty regularly.  Every time I shoot it, I am shooting an original Civil War carbine!

Check of the SSS on this forum board.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

T.Lawman,  that's awesome!

[Tubac]

T. Lawman,

I shoot a .50/70 Sharps, a Smith Carbine and on rare ocassions a war of 1812 Brown Bess.
There is nothing like shooting an original. ;-)

Tubac

[Dakota Widowmaker]

I got to hold a VOLCANIC pistol in my hands.

It was in the Cabelas in Rogers, MN for $10K

The attendant could tell I wanted a look see, and said I could hold it for a few seconds if I stopped drooling on the carpet.

[Major 2]

I remember Mr. Dent had the finest personal collection of anyone I personally knew...
He owed and operated Dents Dept. Store in Hialeah, Florida (on a side note : my cousin ,now 71 ,worked for Mr Dent in his shoe dept. while in High school)
I met Mr Dent in the mid 70's and went to his home , his den was floor to ceiling in Guns from 18th & 19th Century.
I recall Burnside's & Sharps , every manufacturer of 58 Springfield Muskets during the CW.
I recall Colts, he even had a rare presentation Colt , I believe it belonged to a railroad tycoon of the era.
I don't recall a Henry though he had a number of old Winchesters.. Of course there was so much to see and drink in that evening..
I was in sensory overload....
He gave me a book I still have, Illustrated Catalog of Arms & Millitary Goods  Schuylar , Hartley & Graham
Cal.# 368 was a Henry Rifle in Caliber 44/100 it states.

[Texas John Critter]

I tend to run with a group of collectors that have means way beyond mine.  I am often priveledged enough to attend private shows and auctions with them.  I have handled one 1860.  It was in amazing shape.  I was at one of my favorite tables looking over the high end Wichesters he ussually has.  He pulled the Henry out of a case, wiped it off and handed it to me like it was nothing.  I admired it and the price tag and gently handed it back to him.  Beautiful gun, much more handy, I thought, than the current replicas.  Same show I saw a Wincheter 1873 one of one thousand on display.  Had a big sign that you could only handle it if you were 75 and had your parents with you.