Removing Side-Plates:

[dcwilliams29id]

How hard is it to remove the side plates?  Should they just take a little gentle tapping with a rubber mallet to get them loose? Once loose do they just slide out, or do you have to tap them all the way out?

[Fox Creek Kid]

Depends. Some are tight & some are not so tight. However, ALWAYS squirt generous amounts of lube in the seams before attempting to remove. A rubber mallet works great as does a SOFT piece of wood, e.g., pine.

[Pettifogger]

Also, the edges of the side plates are RAZOR sharp.  Even if you are cautious make sure you have a supply of band aids on hand as it is very easy to cut yourself while removing or reinstalling the side plates.

[Trailrider]

You must first remove the lever screw before the sideplates of a Henry or (IIRC...don't have one) a '66.  Otherwise, heed the advice on sliding them out of the receiver.  Compared to hardened steel, the brass (bronze/gunmetal) material is relatively soft, so you want to be careful to keep the sideplates straight as they are being slid out or when sliding them back in.  That's to avoid galling the sliding surfaces.

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

Yup, they can vary. I sat with Happy Trails when he took my Henry apart for the first time to perform a little bit of magic on it. He said mine was real good, the plates slid out nice and easy. He has taken a lot of them apart and said some were much tighter than others.

[Montana Slim]

I'll add.....back-off tension on the two screws on the bottom of the receiver...then remove the lever screw...then remove the side-plate screw.  if you don't loosen the screws, there is a lot of spring pressure which can cause the threads to strip while removing the lever screw.


Regards,
Slim