Center fire Henrys?

Coffinmaker · January 14, 2007, 10:16:41 AM

Dusty,

I apppologize (toung stuck tight in cheek)!!! As long as Bill is Fixing you up with the Henry, call him about the Carrier Block. I can do a carrier block but it's allo hand work and espensive. Plus, the mod that bIll is doing is much more elegant.
All (4) of my Henrys are .45, so I cut .45 Schofield to .44 Russian length. It's a real hoot to stuff 16 of 'em in the rifle and start shooting.
Loads on Sunday and shoots all week!!! Dontchaknow!!!!

Coffinmaker

Will Ketchum · January 14, 2007, 11:08:03 AM

Vaughn Trueman of The Bullet Hole Gunshop modified both my Henry (44-40) and my 66 (44 spl.) to feed 44 Russians without replacing anything. As he put it he just modified "the angle of the dangle".

Heck I'm no gunsmith so I don't know what he did but I do know that the Henry will feed 44-40s, 44 spl and 44 Russians, interchangeably. The 66 will feed both 44 Russians and the 44 spl.. Vaughn has an ad in every issue of "The Shootist". Give him a call at 319-233-0204 or e-mail him at thebullethole@mchsi.com

Will Ketchum

Dusty Morningwood · January 15, 2007, 04:32:12 PM

Quote from: Coffinmaker on January 14, 2007, 10:16:41 AM
Dusty,

As long as Bill is Fixing you up with the Henry, call him about the Carrier Block.

May do just that. Thanks Coffinmaker.

Tuolumne Lawman · May 01, 2007, 03:43:15 PM

I just read Wiley Sword Henry book. He records at least one 1860 model Henry known that was converted to centerfire. I am assuming it was .44 Henry Centerfire like the late 1866s made from parts.

Fox Creek Kid · May 01, 2007, 06:09:58 PM

Quote...he just modified "the angle of the dangle".

Isn't there a pill for that now?

Halfway Creek Charlie · June 05, 2007, 12:52:28 PM

A shooter in our CAS club had an original Henry converted to 44 Russian during period of use. I have actually held this rifle in my hands at a match. He has since sold it, but it shot great! and it was a period conversion. 44 Henry flat, 44russian, and 44 american were about the only cartridges that could have been used due to the lenfth of the chamber, the length of bolt, and the ejector window.

Tuolumne Lawman · June 05, 2007, 05:21:25 PM

Quote from: Will Ketchum on January 14, 2007, 11:08:03 AM
Vaughn Trueman of The Bullet Hole Gunshop modified both my Henry (44-40) and my 66 (44 spl.) to feed 44 Russians without replacing anything. As he put it he just modified "the angle of the dangle". Heck I'm no gunsmith so I don't know what he did but I do know that the Henry will feed 44-40s, 44 spl and 44 Russians, interchangeably. The 66 will feed both 44 Russians and the 44 spl.. Vaughn has an ad in every issue of "The Shootist". Give him a call at 319-233-0204 or e-mail him at thebullethole@mchsi.com

Will Ketchum

Will, are you shooting 44 Russians in the 44-40 chamber? Isn't the blowback awful, and doesn't it split the cases? I have a block modified to use either russians or crimped blanks with a set screw protruding to keep the cartridge from entering too far. It never occured to me to shoot 44 russians in a 44-40 chamber.

Will Ketchum · June 05, 2007, 07:28:37 PM

Quote from: Tuolumne Lawman on June 05, 2007, 05:21:25 PM
Will, are you shooting 44 Russians in the 44-40 chamber? Isn't the blowback awful, and doesn't it split the cases? I have a block modified to use either russians or crimped blanks with a set screw protruding to keep the cartridge from entering too far. It never occured to me to shoot 44 russians in a 44-40 chamber.

T.L, I have but like you say the blowback fouled the action pretty fast. The guy Vaughn did it for said he didn't have any problem shooting BP in it. I have since just shot 44-40s in it. It does feed the Russians very well. I have thought of having the chamber sleeved but I have the 66 in 44 spl/Russian and the 44-40 is so nice I hate to change it.

Will Ketchum

Tuolumne Lawman · June 06, 2007, 09:45:38 AM

Amen,

I would hate to change the 44-40 out of my Steel frame. With 35 grains of 777 or 37 of Pyrodex P (by volume) , it gets around 1400 fps. Someone told me they drop tubed 38 grains volume of FFFG Goex into a 44-40 and compressed it. That should go 1350+ FPS. I have taken deer at 75 yards with an M1 Carbine (110 grn JHP), and I think the 44-40 in a top load would work as well.

It is called: KNOW YOUR LIMITATION (RANGE), AND "SHOT PLACEMENT!"

How many critters (and folks) have fallen to 44-40s and even 44 Henry rimfires?