1860 Replica by H.R.A.? Any truth to this?

[Fox Creek Kid]

The most difficult part of building a Henry reproduction is the barrel. The magazine tube is cast/forged with the barrel. It is not separate like an 1866, 1873, 1892 etc. Then it is bored and rifled. Or maybe the bore is part of the casting? I'd love to see how this is done...

It's done on a mandrel. Not that complicated. Uberti figured it out. Aldo Uberti said the Spencer could not be feasibly duplicated but yet we now have one from Chiappa.

I reserve judgement until there are some real photos. Maybe Bottom Dealin' Mike is in line for a prototype. 

[Peter M. Eick]

I looked at it in person but could not handle it today at the NRA show.

I am not impressed.

The rollmark on the barrel was deep and raised a lot of metal around the text.  It looked poor.

The side plates and the receiver are wavy from over polish and dishing.

The edge of the receiver are somewhat rough and not as cleanly done as the uberti.

The fitting of the side plates is not as tight at the uberti's.

The sight looks "less" than the uberti.  Maybe thinner?  It did not look solid to me.

No silver insert on the front sight.  It is a 44/40

I walked over the Uberti and picked up and Iron frame like mine and yes, there was no comparison in my mind that the Uberti was better made.

Yes the price is $2300 for the retail.

Myself?  I will stay with uberti. 

[Abilene]

Peter, thanks for the report.  Yours is the first sighting of an actual gun to be reported here. 

[Peter M. Eick]

Your welcome but I hate to be the bearer of bad news.  The gun is under glass so you can walk around and look at it but not handle it. 

I would like to hear what others at the show think.  I know I was disappointed when I looked it over carefully.  If it was half the price I could see the errors, but at a premium to an Uberti, it should have been even nicer than the Uberti you could get for $1400 less then 50 yrds away.

[Pettifogger]

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2013/05/robert-farago/new-from-henry-repeating-arms-the-original-henry-rifle-ish/

[Coffinmaker]

Well .... Looks fine from 10 - 12 feet

Coffinmaker

Wonder if it has Italian parts ...... Hummmmmm

[rbertalotto]

"We'll build them in America or we won't build them at all!"

Anthony says something like that in his infomercials.........

[Peter M. Eick]

Go to the link posted and zoom the picture up.  Notice how the reflection of red on the side frame is so wavy and along the barrel.  That is what I was referring to. 

To a 1860 Uberti owner, it was very noticeable.

[Major 2]

Go to the link posted and zoom the picture up.  Notice how the reflection of red on the side frame is so wavy and along the barrel.  That is what I was referring to.  

To a 1860 Uberti owner, it was very noticeable.

I looked at it in person but could not handle it today at the NRA show.

I am not impressed.

The rollmark on the barrel was deep and raised a lot of metal around the text.  It looked poor.

The side plates and the receiver are wavy from over polish and dishing.

The edge of the receiver are somewhat rough and not as cleanly done as the uberti.

The fitting of the side plates is not as tight at the uberti's.

The sight looks "less" than the uberti.  Maybe thinner?  It did not look solid to me.

No silver insert on the front sight.  It is a 44/40

I walked over the Uberti and picked up and Iron frame like mine and yes, there was no comparison in my mind that the Uberti was better made.

Yes the price is $2300 for the retail.

Myself?  I will stay with uberti. 

Look at the front sight, looks like a silver sight, but is it an optical illusion ? ( I think) the show lights are paired clusters it just looks
like the sight...

but the light seem out of line with the others ... it has the right shape, it may be a silver sight.

[Pancho Peacemaker]

[Driftwood Johnson]

The most difficult part of building a Henry reproduction is the barrel. The magazine tube is cast/forged with the barrel. It is not separate like an 1866, 1873, 1892 etc. Then it is bored and rifled. Or maybe the bore is part of the casting? I'd love to see how this is done.

Done pretty much the same way today as it was in 1862. The barrel/magazine starts as a bar of steel. It is not cast. The bore is drilled and rifled, Everything that does not look like the finished barrel/magazine is machined away. The magazine is left as two straight 'fins' below the barrel. Then they are rolled into shape as Fox Creek Kid says. Aldo Uberti and Val Forgett II went through quite a development process to get that part right.

Regarding the new 'original' (HAH) Henry; the fit and finish may not be the best. Many times companies rush to finish prototypes or demo models for major industry shows.  Production schedules set by marketing departments are often difficult for production departments to keep up with. Particularly with a brand new product. Don't forget too that Henry Repeating Arms suffered some major damage from Hurricane Sandy. A lot of production equipment was damaged or destroyed. I'll bet there was a lot of midnight oil being burned to prepare one prototype for the show. I have been involved with such efforts and I can tell you that the resulting display model is often less than perfect. Sometimes it does not even function, sometimes it is only a 'display model' that does not actually work. I will reserve judgement on quality until I handle an actual production model.

That being said, everybody knows how I feel about the Henry Repeating Arms company and how likely I am to buy anything they produce. Their advertising has not changed, it is still full of falsehoods.

[Sean Thornton]

All parts are made in the US according to email from HRA

[Grizzly Adams]

Update:

http://henryrepeating.com/The-Original-Henry-Rifle.cfm

[fort fireman]

I am far from an expert but I think everything Henry makes is over priced. A lever action .22 for 429.00 at Dicks on sale??? If I was in the market ( which I am) I would definately lean towards a Uberti 60- 66- or 73.

[Fox Creek Kid]

I await a "fine toothed comb" review by a trusted gunwriter with one in hand before passing final judgement.

[Blackpowder Burn]

You think $429 is expensive for a 22 rimfire lever action?  Have you looked at a Marlin recently?  It's over $500.  At least the Henry is an upscale version for that price - the Yellow Boy.  They also make the cheapest 22 lever gun on the market at about $279 local retail for the plain Jane version.

I will agree that the 1860 Henry is on the expensive side.  It has prevented me from buying one immediately and will require some additional time to acquire the funds.  However, I am one of those willing to put my money where my mouth is and pay what it costs to buy an American made product.  I have been slowly replacing my foreign built guns with American built guns - both original and new production.  I now have only a few foreign left, and they are kept as backups at this point.  I now shoot Colt's, Winchester's, Marlin's, Sharp's, and Remington's across the board.

[Major 2]

I await a "fine toothed comb" review by a trusted gunwriter with one in hand before passing final judgement.

Stand by, ( not sure you'll consider me a trusted gunwriter )

But HRA just sent me one for a Gun review for the NCOWS Shootist

[Buzzard II]

The $2300. is MSRP, anyone hear what the "street price" will be?  Still glad I bought my .44-40 Navy Arms Ridgefield N.J. marked Uberti years ago.  Shoots good for me!

[Major 2]

$1857.96 

http://www.hinterlandoutfitters.com/henry-benjamin-tyler-henry-original-rifle-h011-winchester-lever-action-blued-finish-p-44477.html

[John Smith]

I noticed they were "out of stock".