Brass Henry

[Capt, Woodrow F. Call]

Howdy.

I wonder what kind of metal mix they used on the frame when they make Henryrifle's in 1860's

here in Norway we have a discuss about what kind of mixes metal Uberti use when they make's this rifles....
............do they use 100% pure Brass in Uberti and original Henry's ........... .

Some say's they mix it with bronce and other stuff, to get it strong like iron fram's..... and other say's it's pure brass  ............   Do anyone now's.

Best Regards
Capt: Woodrow F. Call   

[St. George]

According to 'The Winchester Book' - by Madis - they used Brass.

No specific metallurgical mixture is cited.

Building original Henry rifles was a collaborative effort involving shops in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

English and Atwater of New Haven,Connecticut,  supplied barrel steel - Colt made swivels in Hartford, Connecticut - Arcade Malleable Iron Co. of Worcester, Massachusetts, made lever blanks - Ichabod Washburn and Moen of Worcester, Massachusetts, furnished spring steel stock - Nehemiah Bradley made patterns and casting.

Hope this answers some questions.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Driftwood Johnson]

According to 'The Winchester Book' - by Madis - they used Brass.

That is incorrect. In his book The Winchester Handbook, Madis writes that he will "continue to use the popular term 'brass', although the Henry and later models which used the yellow metal were made of "gunmetal", a form of bronze containing copper and tin whereas brass contains copper and zinc."

Another fabulous reference book in my library is titled 'Fighting Iron, A Metals Handbook for Arms Collectors', by Art Gogan. He discusses many different specific alloys that were used in arms manufacture over the centuries. He states that "when chemically analyzed, major arms components such as frames and barrels of the 18th and 19th centuries, which are often referred to as brass, are often found to be gunmetal." He cites a Winchester Model 1866, manufactured in 1868, which when analyzed turned out to be made of an alloy consisting of 80% copper, 14.5% tin, 2% zinc, and .5% lead. The high tin content and very low zinc content makes this alloy a bronze, not a brass.

Modern Uberti 1860 rifles do indeed use brass, not bronze for their frames.

See this thread:

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,28699.0.html

[St. George]

When I reviewed 'The Winchester Book' - I went with the only reference I saw, though I have to admit 'I' thought that 'gunmetal' made more sense.

That's why I stated 'no specific metallurgical mixture is cited'...

Should've gone further, but 'time' managed to expand, today.

My copy of 'Fighting Iron' was 'appropriated' some time ago and I've never pursued another copy.

Excellent reference, though - and I recommend it highly!

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Mogorilla]

I am a chemist, and consider myself an historian as well.  Specifically, I am very fond of post roman europe and the bronze age.   An alloy consisting of 80% copper, 14.5% tin, 2% zinc, and .5% lead, is indeed bronze and a pretty hard bronze at that.   The % tin is higher than most of the swords made from the earliest time to the 8th century B.C.  We all think iron and steel are superior, but if tin wasn't as rare as it is, doubtful the iron age would have ever occured.  Gun metal bronze is very strong as exhibited by many cannons made in bronze still in existence and capable of firing.   I wish Uberti were using bronze today. 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy Again

Gogan goes on to define Gunmetal as nominally 80-88% Copper, 10-15% Tin, and 2-5% Zinc. Small amounts of Lead were added to improve fluidity for casting. He also states that the earliest cannon, from the 15th Century, despite the name, were not made from Gunmetal but instead from a Bronze with 10-15% Tin, but no Zinc. Brass was often used for non critical parts like stock furnishings and hardware and sword hilts.

[Capt, Woodrow F. Call]

Thank you for answers.

As you said Mogorilla.......Henry rifle's .....and other's would be more beautiful with coppermixture...like old time look's