Interesting frontier altered Henry FS

[Wild Ben Raymond]

Saw this on another wire thought I'd bring it over here. WBR
http://www.antiqueguns.com/auction/item.cgi?robles/robles-33968

[Fox Creek Kid]

I'd say the seller is a little "liberal" with compliments on the gunsmithing. How the hell are the last couple of rounds going to fire when the follower can't go beyond the "Rube Goldberg" plate? Also, the front sight looks pretty rough. 

[sundance44`s]

He also claims it will load faster the way it was changed ....I don`t see how ......although it is different looks like a lot of work for little return to me .

[Delmonico]

Interesting pictures WB, makes me wonder though if it was one that might have had a muzzle plugged or something and was damaged on the end by firing and that was a way to salvage it?

[Coffinmaker]

Actually, considering the condition of the inside of most magazine tubes on '66s and '73s I work on, not to mention the deplorable condition of the springs, the open Magazine on the Henry really isn't such a bad thing.  Most closed magazine tubes are a breeding ground for rust.  Most (not all) NEW magazine tube guns come from the manufacturer with rust in the tube and a rusted spring.   Very few reproduction Henry rifles exhibit any rust in the magazine.  Go figure.

While interesting, I don't see the "slider" as an improvement.  You'd have to tip the barrel up to feed the last three rounds.  The other problem I see, it would take two hands to load.  One to hold the follower up and one to drop to feed the actual rounds into the magazine.  Very interesting ............ but stupid.  Just my take.

Coffinmaker

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy Boys

I saw that one a couple of days ago over on the SASS Wire. I agree with everybody, the seller is too effusive in extolling the virtues of this chop job. I suspect what happed is the barrel was bobbed, and the whole loading mechanism up front dissappeared with it. So this jury rig was applied instead. The link doesn't seem to be working today, but I seem to remember it said that the front of the magazine was plugged with a lead ball. There's precision gunsmithing for you, easier than tapping and threading a plug. I suspect the sliding cover could be slid forward with one hand and compress the magazine spring at the same time. It looks like the sliding cover interferes with the tab on the bottom of the follower, so that might have been design intent. I don't know how the last couple of rounds would feed though, I guess gravity feed would work.

Interesting post. I don't think I will be lining up to bid on it.