Speed and the Henry Rifle

[DJ]

I picked up a Henry at a gun show yesterday and continued on to the range with it.  It was a joy to shoot and weather conditions were conducive to thick clouds of swirling smoke.  It looked like the woods were on fire.  Yee haw!

And now a question for you seasoned Henry-shooters:  What are different ways to deal with the follower when shooting for speed?  Somebody must've come up with a good trick or technique.  I've heard of a slip-on forend, but I'm hoping for something less visible. 

[Books OToole]

It's called the "Henry shuffle."  When the follower hits you hand, move your hand to position it in front of the follower.

My friend Silver Creek Slim, just starts our with his hand in front of the follower.  This does require rather long arms.

Books

[Dusty Morningwood]

You could also try a "cheater stick".  1/2" dowel 5" long.  With a small pin to guide in follower channel 3/4" from lower end.  Allows you to hold at one point near receiver and pin passes easily through your palm.

I tried that with plans off the forum, but am now thinking of buying another follower and grinding it down to a small bead with a hole in it and a thin leather lanyard to pull it back up with.  This should slide right through my hand while shooting.

[Silver Creek Slim]

It's called the "Henry shuffle."  When the follower hits you hand, move your hand to position it in front of the follower.

My friend Silver Creek Slim, just starts our with his hand in front of the follower.  This does require rather long arms.

Books

I have monkey arms, so I can do that. 

Slim

[Coffinmaker]

Dusty,

Visible, external mod.  Major no no.  tsk tsk tsk

Coffinmaker

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

First of all, shooting a Henry for speed is an oxymoron. If you shoot a Henry, you just ain't gonna be competing with the boys with the short stroked '73 short rifles shooting light 38 Smokeless loads. Not in this Cowboy's humble opinion anyhow. With a Henry, it's all about style, particularly if you shoot BP. Just my opinion of course.

Here are some photos of my 'spacer stick'. I prefer to call it that rather than 'cheater stick'.





I made it by putting 10 rounds in the magazine, then made the stick slightly shorter than the space left over. I consider this to be a bit of a safety improvement too, since there is only about 1/2" or so of free space for the follower to travel if it should happen to slip out of my fingers while the gun has 10 rounds and the spacer stick in place. The follower won't get up to full speed only travelling about 1/2". The piece of brass tubing I put in the stick rides in the same groove the follower tab rides in, the brass tubing stops the stick from feeding all the way into the cartridge elevator.

I hold the rifle just in front of the reciever, and allow the stick to slide above my fingers as the last rounds feed into the action.

One of my pards has been shooting a Henry for a long time in CAS, and his method is to shoot 5 rounds, then do the 'Hop', then shoot the other 5 rounds. But he mentioned to me just the other day that he is thinking of making a stick like mine.

[DJ]

Driftwood--

Thanks for the photo and suggestion--that's just the kind of idea I was looking for.  I tried the shoot 5--reposition hand--shoot 5 more, but I knew there had to be a better way.

I know I probably won't win any speed contests with the Henry (nor with my Spencer, either), but even if I've handicapped myself by my rifle choice, I still like to strive.   

--DJ

[Dusty Morningwood]

Here are some photos of my 'spacer stick'. I prefer to call it that rather than 'cheater stick'.

[

I meant it in a good way, like a "cheater bar" to give you that extra leverage you need to remove tight lug nuts!  And I had forgotten about the visible external modification rule.  Who makes this stuff up?  I could easily see the same thing being done by some smart cowboy who got tired of the follower hanging up on his scabbard! 

[Driftwood Johnson]

No sweat, I was just funnin' ya. When I used to play guitar, we used to call a capo a cheat bar.

[litl rooster]

I have monkey arms, so I can do that. 

Slim

  Driftwood Johnson I use one I call a cheater stick...spacer -cheater it does the same thing. I also cut 2 others giving an additioal round lenght to each.  So when I shoot a 9 round stage and an 8 round stage. I however did not add a roll pin to them, or brass pin.  I haven't had a problem with it as far as operation goes.
  The Henry's is in my opinon the prudyist cowboy rifle out there. Like you said about fast that is an oxymoron.  Still faster than a musket

[Books OToole]

  Still faster than a musket

Even a Spencer is faster than a muzzle-loader.  A regiment of yankees with Spencers waxed a brgade of Rebs with muzzle-loaders at Hoovers Gap.

Hmmm - a regiment is 1000 men.  Even under-strengthed at say 700 men, times 7 shots = 4900 (and a reload of 7 as fast or faster one in a ML)

vs.

2000-3000 with muzzle-loaders.

Like lambs to the slaughter.


Books

[Books OToole]

I just grabbed a book to verify my memory.  I was close.

Wilder's brigade, 1500 men, armed with Spencers, held the gap against 2 brigades and a battery of artillery.
And it was raining.

Books