R. Lee Ermey at it again

[Major 2]

Don't get me wrong I like the Gunny...But
He needs to learn the proper way to load a Henry.

In the episode "Rifle" 2009 he compares the Henry and the Spencer with so call expert in both.
In a speed load and shoot side by side test...Gunny loads the Henry vertically ( I mean straight up)
He does hold it to avoid the Henry Hop.

The Expert fumbles a bit with the Spencer too, he loads rather clumsy not to mention he slaps the tube follower down
when it springs back.....this is rather careless in itself

[Shotgun Franklin]

Sounds like the Expert wasn't.

[kcub]

What's the Henry hop?

I searched but it gets munged with "hope" and "shop"

[Trailrider]

What's the Henry hop?

I searched but it gets munged with "hope" and "shop"

If it is what I think it is, it is when you quickly move your "off" hand ahead of the magazine thumbpiece as it slides back when you lever in rounds.  Basically, you sort of jump your hand from behind the thumbpiece to in front of it.  I presume the Gunny was using a centerfire replica, in which case loading that way is BAAAD!  An original, or one of those early, limited-run rimfire model probably would be okay.  Not sure where you'd find ammo that didn't cost an arm and two legs, but...

While the so-called "Expert" was fumbling around with the Spencer, he sure showed he didn't know much about shooting it.  Yes, the manual for management of the Spencer called for the hammer to be pulled to half-cock before levering in the next round.  But in rapid fire, with the "other guy" sling lead at you, the fastest procedure is to pull to full cock, and then lever and fire.

One big mistake on that show was when the Gunny was shooting the flintlocks, and even the caplock rifles...  NO SHOOTING GLASSES!  Not only is he taking a chance with his own eyeballs, but it is a BAD EXAMPLE TO SET FOR THE VIEWERS!
I don't know what they taught in the "Old Corps" but if they taught proper safety on the firing line, the Gunny sure forgot about it!  Too bad.  Otherwise he is pretty entertaining and sortof informative.