VERY RARE IRON FRAME HENRY No.156

[Henry4440]

Here are some pics from an iron frame Henry rifle with the No.156.





It's also one of the 15 duplicate iron and brass-framed serial numbers.
BTW, the price is $97,500

[Capt. Augustus]

Thanks for sharing those pictures.  I'm afraid the price would be up to 1,000,000 before I could save the 97,000.

[MONGO-AZ]

Huh - what is funky to me (no doubt due to my own ignorance) is the rear sight having been moved from the barrel to the top of the receiver. Is this normal? What is done by the factory or an after market job to try to increase the length of the sight picture?

[Fox Creek Kid]

Many of the first few thousand Henry rifles had both dovetails. On another note: a few years back there was an old woman from St. Louis who was on the "Antique Road Show" with a two digit serial # iron frame Henry. It was appraised then at between $75,000 - $100,000. There is much speculation by historians that the iron frame Henry rifles were not made by New Haven Arms (O. Winchester) but were sub-contracted to Colt.

[stepnmud]

Very interesting and appreciate the photo's.
would like to compare this photo of original iron frame Henry profile to a Uberti Henry and looking at the difference on the wood stock. Since the Iron frame is a brand new concept rifle of it's time.

[Henry4440]

There is much speculation by historians that the iron frame Henry rifles were not made by New Haven Arms (O. Winchester) but were sub-contracted to Colt.

Yip, that's what Wiley Sword wrote in his book.Estimated number of iron framed rifles
manufactured - 203.

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I was under the impression that the speculation is the iron frames themselves may have been made by Colt, but the guns were still assembled by the New Haven Arms Company. The way I heard it, the equipment to forge and produce the frames may not have been installed in the New Haven Arms Company's new factory yet, so Winchester contracted with Colt for the frames. But I believe he had the capacity to assemble the rifles in New Haven. That's the way I heard it anyway.

Stepenmud:

If you are referring to the blunter provile at the top of the butt plate on the original iron framed Henry, Uberti has copied that particular detail on their current steel framed Henrys.

Here is a photo Happy Trails sent me of the stock of my Steel framed Henry, compared to one of the many stock brass framed Henrys that flows through his shop:



P.S. Notice the similarity of the shape of the lever loop too. No tab at the end of the loop bearing against the frame on either the original iron frame, or my steel frame. Let's not talk about the case hardened colors.