Uberti Henry Short Stroke kit

[Regret Chancy]

Hey pards,
     I have shot my factory Henry in matches as classic cowboy and I doubt that adding a short stroke kit would win me any buckles but when my time for 10 on target hits is cut in half by fellers shooting short stroked '66s and '73s I feel I have to ask is there an available short stroke kit for Henry's or a 'smith that can do them reliably located anywhere in the lower 48?
Thanks, RC

[Regret Chancy]

I forgot to mention it is a Uberti Henry. RC

[Coffinmaker]

Since you ask, yes.  ALL of the current manufacture short stroke kits are just fine for an Uberti Henry.  The rolls Royce of kits is manufactured by "The Ottaway Smith" AKA: Ron Snover in Tennessee.  There are also fine kits from The Cowboys and Indian Store in California and Pioneer Gunworks in Oregon.
I've had six Henrys, currently have four and am looking to quire another (iron frame) and all are short stroked.  I also use "Stick, Mark 1, A1" to take up the space between the follower and the cartridge stack.  Safer.  Also allows gripping the barrel in a manner that eliminated the "Henry Hop."

Coffinmaker

[Major 2]

Yep they exist ...should you ? well

It's sorta like putting a turbo on a Vespa.... The Vespa is great and quaint Scooter, it will work, but souped up to a race machine?  there are better options in bikes .

NCOWS illegal, besides OCB will have you guts for garters....

For SASS there is no such rule against it....

[Montana Slim]

....reckon it would work, but why bother....The Henry and improved models (1866) more fun to shoot without the gizmos. You'd also have to add the Henry "Ugly SticK" and leather guard to keep up with the slicksters....At least you know you are doin' things the RIGHT way...now, how about making the plunge and switch to a BP category?

Regards,
Slim

[River City John]

....reckon it would work, but why bother....The Henry and improved models (1866) more fun to shoot without the gizmos. You'd also have to add the Henry "Ugly SticK" and leather guard to keep up with the slicksters....At least you know you are doin' things the RIGHT way...now, how about making the plunge and switch to a BP category?

Regards,
Slim

Better yet, why not take the plunge and look into joining NCOWS? You and your non-modified Henry will be welcomed with open arms.

RCJ

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I suspect that the reason the times are so quick is because of Practice, not a modification which may shave a couple seconds per stage off your time.

Yer mileage may vary .... but practice is the REAL reason.


Come to NCOWS and join the Dark Side, as suggested by my pards Montana Slim and River City John.  We'd love to see ya there!

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

This is going to open a big can of worms, but my Henry has short stroke links in it.

I agree with Steel Horse that a short stroke kit alone is not going to put you in the winner's circle, only lots of practice will do that.

My Henry has a short stroke kit in it because I hold it with my hand right in front of the frame, and the full stroke of the lever was hitting my hand. The short stroke links in my Henry are just a little bit shorter than the standard links, there are more radical links available, but I was not interested in that, just enough shortening to keep the lever away from my hand. My Henry has also been beautifully slicked up by Happy Trails and is a joy to shoot. I also use a spacer stick in the magazine to keep the follower tab away from my hand when the gun gets close to empty. None of this puts me in the winner's circle, I don't practice at all, and don't really care to. I am quite happy just blasting away with Black Powder 44-40 loads.

Regarding short strokes in Henrys, take a look at this thread. You might find some of the photos interesting.

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,27796.0.html

[Regret Chancy]

It seems that you all have good suggestions, and like I said earlier I know it wont get me any buckles. I figger even if I was shooting a Mini 14 against some of the fastest guys they would still cut my time in half. The main reason I havent switched over to black powder is that I like shooting my Uberti Schofields and was advised that they werent very reliable unless kept squeaky clean from stage to stage. I kind of find that hard to swallow but I did have trouble with my Uberti Outlaws and black powder so I took it as it was at face value. Went to a gun show today with a set of the SASS Vaqueros new and unfired and best offer was 650 for the set and just laughed and kept walking. I just dont like the 357/38 caliber but even if born at night it doggone sure wasnt last night. So I will go Monday and pick up a Rossi '92 in 357/38 and save the set for when my wife or oldest daughter want to shoot. As to the NCOWS membership I am looking into it. Thanks, Regret

[Sod Buster]

I kind of find that hard to swallow but I did have trouble with my Uberti Outlaws and black powder so I took it as it was at face value.

I had trouble as well with my 44-40 Outlaws shooting Black.  They would lock up about shot #5.
I sent them to Happy Trails and he fixed them for me.  They have been working through all six stages without any lube/cleaning/moosemilk between stages ever since.

P.S.  I also shoot my Henry w/o any short-stoke or spacer stick.  I found that it pretty much slicked-up itself after shooting it a year.  I've had it since 2006 and love it.  

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy Again

The problem with the Uberti Schofields and BP is not cleanliness. It is the fact that Uberti changed the design. The original design had a sizeable gas ring over the cylinder base pin. This prevented fouling from being blasted from the cylinder/barrel gap directly onto the base pin. If a lot of BP fouling gets blasted onto the pin, it tends to bind up the cylinder.

When Uberti chambered their version of the Schofield for 45 Colt instead of the original 45 Schofield round, they had to lengthen the cylinder a bit to accomodate the longer round. But since they did not correspondingly lengthen the frame, something had to give. What they did was to shorten the empty space in front of the cylinder, which meant there was no space left for a good sized gas ring. The barrel/cylinder gap wound up being directly in the same plane as the end of the cylinder where the pin emerges. So there was nothing to prevent fouling from being blasted directly onto the base pin. This causes the cylinders to bind up after not too many rounds.

The only real solution is to cut a recess into the frame to accomodate a new, larger gas ring.

Sod Buster: Is that what Hap did to your Uberti? I know he would modify the hand so it was actuated by he hammer and not the trigger, but I believe he was also sometimes addressing the gas ring situation.

[Sod Buster]

Driftwood:
Yup, that is what he did on the Outlaws.  Hap cut a recess into the frames and installed a Colt-style gar ring on each cylinder.  Now they run non-stop.    I got pictures somewhere of the before & after.  This was due to the same reason as the Schofields.  Uberti changed the design.

[Grizzly Adams]

I run short stroke links in my Henry.  It was a great rifle before I put them in, and it's a better rifle now!  The short stroke kit will not alone win any buckles for you, but they sure make a great rifle run better - IMHO.

I have not had the opportunity to shoot with the NCOWS fellas, but if I ever have the chance, it only takes me about 5 minutes to put the stock links back in!

[stepnmud]

I too have had a set of Ron Snover/Ottawa Smith set of short stroke links in my Henry for last 5 yrs. and many cas matches.  Of course I'd just stick in the original stock links if I shoot a NCOWS match. Difference in the lever throw is less than 3/4" but does make a difference along with other things like lighter springs and general smoothing up of internal parts. Ain't no race gunner but makes just a little nicer to shoot and I like it and is within SASS regulations. Also in the habit of using a safety stick but can use without if I want to load 16 rounds 44 Russians in a converted from 44 WCF to 44 Special via a rechambered sleeve. I like having options.