Me and My Henry

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy Pards

Boy am I having fun with my new Henry.

I've only had it for about 6 months now. I picked it up in the fall, and only got a chance to use it in a couple of matches last year. So far I've only shot 3 or 4 matches this year and I've used it for every one.

I've gotta admit, I was a little bit leery of it when I first bought it. I had only actually fired one once. I had read so much about accidental magazine discharges that I was real nervous when a pard let me use his for a stage last year. But once I got mine I practiced loading it a few times, and have been using a technique that I probably read about here on these pages. I wrap my hand around the magazine up near the front, so that in case the follower should get away from me it won't go much of anywhere. I usually take up a little bit more room at the loading table than most of the boys with their side loading gates; I usually drape the stock of the Henry off the table so I can reach up to load it at the front. I also keep it at a very low angle, which tends to make me take up a little bit more room at the table.

My little spacer stick is a big help in shooting my Henry. I keep my left hand back near the frame, and the spacer stick is long enough that I don't worry about my hand interfering with the follower. I don't do the Henry Hop. At first the stock on the Henry was just different enough from my '73 that I had trouble finding the front sight. But I must have adjusted to the rifle, because I always find it now. The inexpensive Track of the Wolf buckhorn sight I added is a big help over the original Uberti sight in finding the front sight blade.

I have encountered a few stages that put me at a definite disadvantage with my Henry. The other day we had to wrap a bandana around our barrels to shoot a 'Josie Wales' stage. I had to be sure I put the silly bandana up near the front sight so it wouldn't interfere with the follower. Dumb stage design. And yesterday we started out with 10 rounds in the magazine and then had to load 5 more on the clock. I elected to just load each one in over the top rather than mess with loading them through the front. I didn't want to be worrying about slipping when loading on the clock.

But what the heck, I didn't buy a Henry for the competitive advantage of it.

I get a lot of comments about how pretty my Henry is, with the case hardened steel frame. I don't mention that I've never seen a case hardened original, I just take the compliments.

But boy howdy, I sure am having fun with it. My poor '73 is getting jealous though. I'll have to take it out soon just so it knows I still like it too.

[sharps54]

Driftwood,
I'm glad you are enjoying it, I'll be picking up mine from my FFL this week. How long is your spacer stick? Did you just measure out 4 cartridge lengths?  I have read about that work-a-round to the "Henry hop" and I would like to try both ways. Mine is also in .44-40 by the way so the spacer length should be about the same.
Thanks,
Mild Myles

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

Dunno exactly how long it is. I made it to fit. I started with a length of 1/2" dowel. I drilled a hole and positioned a piece of brass tubing to function as a stop. Without a stop, the magazine spring will shove the stick all the way into the carrier after the last round is chambered and you won't be able to eject the empty. Don't recall the diameter of the tubing off hand, it is just wide enough to glide through the slot comfortably. I only used brass tubing because that's what I had laying around. A friend used a copper nail. You want the stop positioned so that the rod does not poke too far into the carrier when the last round is on the carrier. Other wise the gun will jam on the spacer stick. You need to have enough poking through to completely shove the last round onto the carrier, but not enough to prevent the carrier from gliding by. I put one round down the magazine so that it slid onto the carrier, then slid the stick down. With the follower holding the stick jammed against the round on the carrier I made a pencil mark on the stick marking the end of the slot in the frame. I drilled a hole for the tubing right at the mark, pressed in the tubing, then chamfered the stick just a bit on the end to help the carrier slide by.

To cut the stick to length, after I had installed the stop, I loaded 10 rounds into the magazine, then loaded the stick on top. I then made a mark about 1/4" shy of the end of the magazine and cut the stick off there. That's it. With 10 rounds in the magazine the follower is only about 1/4" from the end of the magazine.

Later on, I took a Sharpie and put some arrows on the stick to remind me that the stick always goes in with the stop towards the bullets.

Don't ask.

By the way, I have left the stop a little bit longer than it needs to be. I can actually feel it sliding by my hand as the follower shoves the stick above my hand. But there is not enough sticking out to impede the motion of the follower. If you look carefully at the photos you can see I could file down the stop a bit more and it would still do its job. I just haven't gotten a round tuit.

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

DJ,
If you would put another piece of tubing in the other end of the spacer n the exact same position as the first one, then it twern't matter which end you stick into the magazine and you'd be  just that much faster loading, but who counts that time.
Might help your peace of mind though.

I'm looking to buy a Henry right now and I have to ask. Is the spacer for safety purposes to keep the follower from ramming the bullets into each other or just to take up the extra space?? Enquiring minds ( read Newbie Henry owners and wannabe's) want to know.

[sharps54]

DJ,
If you would put another piece of tubing in the other end of the spacer n the exact same position as the first one, then it twern't matter which end you stick into the magazine and you'd be  just that much faster loading, but who counts that time.
Might help your peace of mind though.

I'm looking to buy a Henry right now and I have to ask. Is the spacer for safety purposes to keep the follower from ramming the bullets into each other or just to take up the extra space?? Enquiring minds ( read Newbie Henry owners and wannabe's) want to know.

DJ will give the correct answer but my understanding is that it is to take up the extra space of the missing rounds (since aren't loading the mag. capacity of 13 rounds) so you don't have to move your hand when you get down to your last shots. Otherwise that follower sticking out the bottom will stop at your hand and short of putting the muzzle up in the air each time to let gravity feed the rounds you'll be out of luck.
Mild Myles

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

Actually, somebody sent me a sitck with a guide at each end. I think it was Colorado Cofinmaker. Don't quite remember. He plopped a 45 Schofield case onto each end of a narrower stick, as a metal glide, and put a stop at each end, so the stick was multidirectional. The only thing about 2 guides is they have to be nicely in line with each other or they will jam in the slot. I like my stick with the arrows on it.

The original purpose of the stick is to keep the follower away from the hand.

However, with 10 rounds in the magazine and the stick in place, the follower can only move about 1/4" if it happens to slip out of the hand, and does not have the time to accelerate very fast. I look at that as an added safety benefit to a wooden stick.

I do have a piece of white 1/2" Delrin at home, and was thinking of making a totally plastic, totally hysterically innacuarate stick. Delrin is real slippery. Haven't gotten around to that yet either.

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

DJ, & Sharps54,
Thanks for the answer I also found out what the Henry hop was without having to ask....LOL
I like the wood spacer, just seems right somehow.

[Dusty Morningwood]

Itis just a shame that modifying the follower to pass easily through your hand is a no-no.  Seems an "historically accurate" modification that might have been made, though I have never seen one.

[litl rooster]

Itis just a shame that modifying the follower to pass easily through your hand is a no-no.  Seems an "historically accurate" modification that might have been made, though I have never seen one.

  For shooting SASS matches no one has complained yet.....

Driftwood and others, have you thought about stages where only 9 or 8 rounds are called for?  You might want additional sticks cut and marked accordingly.

DJ from looking at the photo's the way your holding the rifle you wouldn't have a problem with the follower

[Driftwood Johnson]

DJ from looking at the photo's the way your holding the rifle you wouldn't have a problem with the follower

I don't with my stick in place, I do without the stick.

Driftwood and others, have you thought about stages where only 9 or 8 rounds are called for?  You might want additional sticks cut and marked accordingly.

Don't really want to be going up to the line with multiple sticks. After the rifle has been emptied the stick stays in the magazine untill I load it again. I'd just get confused with too many sticks. No problem to load 8 or 9 and use the regular stick.

For shooting SASS matches no one has complained yet.....

Just so you now, if you have modified the follower tab you have broken the external mods rule, whether anybody is calling you on it or not.

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

All right you guys talked me into it, twisted my arm you did.

I snagged the Bear Paw 1860 Henry on GB today.

Rant On.
What a load of crap to go thru here in The PR of CA! It will be the last modern gun I ever buy in CA. too much stuff to go thru.
Rant off.

OK this'll be my first Henry and you guys have already given me good advice. 

So now I wait for my baby to get here.

It is used(one match I'm told) Antiqued with tacks in the form of a bear paw on the right butt. Brass frame in 45LC (soon to be 44 Henry Flat C.F.  Old West Moulds will provide the mould. I'll do the conversion.)

[litl rooster]

HCC    I don't think you'll regret it

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

I don't think so either. Thanks to some of the guys and maybe gals too on this forum. The spacer stick is a great trick.
I have wanted a Henry ever since Uberti started making them and I just never broke down and bought one, other lever guns were always less expensive and...original. I will never be able to afford an original Henry nor would I ever dare shoot one like I do my Original Remy's. And we all know IF I ever did get one........I'd have to shoot it.

[Frenchie]

The spacer stick is one of those great "Why didn't I think of that?" ideas. Unfortunately I can't use it as my Henry has a 16" barrel and only holds eight rounds to begin with.

[Driftwood Johnson]

Well, I can't claim ownership of it either. I got the idea from a local pard.

Dunno if he dreamt it up himself or not.

[litl rooster]

Well, I can't claim ownership of it either. I got the idea from a local pard.

Dunno if he dreamt it up himself or not.

  sameway I got the Idea, fellow CAS shooter who also is a n-ssa shooter.


Frenchie, I'm fixin' to add a drum magazine to this one

[Dusty Morningwood]

Snork!!! 
Load on the first and shoot all month?

[Sod Buster]

Frenchie, I'm fixin' to add a drum magazine to this one

GAMER! 

[Long Johns Wolf]

Litl Rooster: for maximum style points there ought to be a bayonett.
Bootsie

[litl rooster]

Litl Rooster: for maximum style points there ought to be a bayonett.
Bootsie

   I have been over to GunBroker looking for a period correct one......