.46 to .50 Caliber Henry's!

[w44wcf]

From the book WINCHESTER  THE GUN THAT WON THE WEST (Williamson)
page 34:

At this point Winchester determined to make a strong bid for  the Government orders. He wrote Messrs, W.G. Woodman, of New York City in 1863: "We are preparing to make rifles and carbines on the principle adapted especially to infantry and cavalry using the same size cartridges and one with a barrel 30" long and the other, 22 or 22 inches carrying a ball nearly twice the weight of the one sent, the bore to be 50/100.  Many experiments have been recently made by gun men in this country and by the English Government  all which result in establishing the fact that a rifle with a small bore of  46/ to 50/100 of an inch carries more accuracy and greater effect than the larger ones heretofore in use of 56/ to 60/100 inches or more in bore."

Alas, the Gov't.  chose not to give Winchester a contract, for if they had, there would be   .46 to .50 caliber Henry's today in addition to the .44.

w44wcf


 

[Dakota Widowmaker]

I don't know if that would have made a difference.

One of the problems that even Spencer had was that having a rimfire cartridge that large made production an issue.

Also, the lever action might not have been able to support the weight based on the existing design.

Should the gubmint have adopted the Henry more readily? SURE!!! 44 rimfire was a fantastic brush cartridge and good for short work. And having the same caliber in the rifle as in the pistol would have made things alot easier.

That said, it is what it is...

Good info, though... thanks for posting!!!

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Total waste of too many bullets.  At least, that seems to be the thinking of the idiot General (I forget his name) in charge of procurement.