New steel-framed Uberti Henry...good and bad

[OD#3]

I picked up a new steel-framed Uberti 1860 Henry.  I was very impressed with the fit and finish inside and out.  I just finished slicking it up, and it turned out better than any I've worked on to date.  I don't know if I got lucky with this Uberti in the looks department, or if this is representative of what they're churning out these days.  But the case colors are quite nice, and the wood is the nicest I've ever had on any Uberti product.









I don't even care that it is red and shiny; the striping is rather pleasing, I think.

Unfortunately, I had to drift the rear sight quite a bit to zero it last week...



I really, really hate that; I've never had to drift the rear sight very far on any of my leveraction reproductions.  Now, I did notice today that the screw securing the nosepiece was loose.  I'm not sure of the nomenclature, but that part both secures the front portion of the barrel that swings to the side, and it also houses the front sight. 

Because the screw was loose, the "nosepiece" wiggled a little, but I'm not sure that the movement would have been enough to account for the severe drifting necessary on the rear sight.  It is snugged down now, and I won't know for sure if that was the problem until I make some more ammo.  Nothing looks "off" about it, though, and I'm really hoping against hope that another range trip will have me drifting that rear sight back to the right.  Anyone else have to drift their rear sight that far?

Regardless, I'm still pretty impressed with this Henry.  I've never seen such clean machining inside a Uberti rifle before.  There were no burrs to speak of, and the links fit very snugly into their mortices.  And the wood.....

 

[Jake C]

Shame you had to drift the site, and the other issues. But still, looks like one heck of a pretty rifle. Hope you enjoy!

[Mike]

Hi, i have one on order in 44WCF. Have ordered a plane stock as i dont want any figure at all. I would prefer a blued fram also but the only option was one in the white.
Nice gun, looking forward to getting mine in September.

[Fox Creek Kid]

Does Uberti even make the total blue Henry anymore? 

[Mike]

No i am told, its Case Colour or White. If the one i have ordered get lots of smoke through it it will get a Blue frame one day.

[Bunk Stagnerg]

My steel frame Henry is a beauty with very colorful case and flawless blue. It is a .45 colt, but I shoot .44-40 brass fire formed to .45 Colt and that keeps the lifter clean. the ammo is a PITA to form, but the clean lifter makes it worth while.
Bunk   

[OD#3]

I've had very good results just annealing the case necks on my .45 Colts.  The brass is as clean as any, and I have yet to encounter any sluggishness with the carrier.  I only put about 50 rounds through the Henry, but the Miroku had over 100 rounds in one session with no problems.   However, whereas your hard work is at the beginning with the initial fire-forming and stuff, I anneal each and every time, and that is a pain in the butt sometimes when loading in large batches.

[Major 2]

I've only seen two blue receiver guns ...one I believe belongs to a European Member here
the other was for sale on GB quite some time ago ...

Mine is a Case gun in 45 Cal. , which shoots quite well , I've never had to drift the sights .
Granted for the most part it is shot 30 - 75 yards 

I have shot it along side with my Military Model (45)  and my HRA H011 (44/40) out to 150 yards all with factory smokless.
Though, not really a scientific test , the 44/40 seemed a bit tighter in groups and some lower.
But it was a 25 grains lighter bullet also.
The day was less that perfect , with light breezy rain falling ( I was under a covered firing line )

[OD#3]

My sight drifting need was apparent at only 25 yards--it was grouping 4 inches to the right at that distance.  Drifting the sight to the left, I managed to center them and to hit steel readily at 100 yards, but shots were again drifting off to the right of the steel at 300 yards.  Encouragingly, all shots that missed at long range were grouping well, hitting the dirt less than a foot to the right of the plate.  So I think the accuracy potential is there.  I'm sure I could have drifted the sight to the left even more to adjust the shots in, but it is already further left than I like.  I'm hoping that the loose muzzle cap was to blame; I won't know until I take it back out to the range, though.

Interestingly, despite the claims that PRS Big Lube bullets are poor at long range, that was all I was using--a 250 gr. PRS .45 over 40 grains FFF Goex.  I tried out my Miroku 1873 again that day as well with those rounds; I had just installed a Marbles tang sight, and I had very good accuracy with it.  But the stem proved too short to adjust the shots out to the 300 yard mark, and I had to be content with smacking steel at 100 yards.  On the Henry, I had to flip up the ladder sight to get proper elevation at 300 yards, but I was surprised that the elevator was almost bottomed out to do that.  I'd be curious to see just how far the Henry would shoot with the elevator in the highest position.

[Abilene]

The only blued receiver Henry I've seen up close was marked Navy Arms.

One thing I like about the steel frame Henrys is the way the buttplate is rounded on the top.

OD#3, that sure is a nice piece of wood on yours.

[jimbobborg]

Just a suggestion, check the crown on the muzzle, maybe something isn't quite right there.

[Mike]

Just asked the importer here if i can mske my order for a steel frame be a blued frame. I have desided when it get here if it is Case Coloured it is going to get blued.
Will let you know if the will blue the frame for me.

[matt45]

Not sure I'd mess with success (of course, I have an Iron Frame).  And not to get petty, but did any Henries have a blued receiver?

[Mike]

My understanding  is they were blue, not seen any pictures of oridanals with Cas Colour.

[OD#3]

Anecdotally, I've heard from a person or two who swore that they saw a casehardened frame on an original, but I don't think it was standard--if it really existed at all. 

[Fox Creek Kid]

Anecdotally, I've heard from a person or two who swore that they saw a casehardened frame on an original, but I don't think it was standard--if it really existed at all.  

A couple of the extremely low numbered original iron framed ones have remnants of case coloring. The vast majority were blued however. As Abilene noted, Navy Arms in the past seemed to have the monopoly on the blue Uberti ones. Years ago I shot CAS with a fella who had one.

[Major 2]

From Rock Island Auction Company
Premiere Firearms Auction - April 19, 20 & 21, 2013

Early production extremely rare iron frame Henry rifle that was manufactured by the New Haven Arms Co., circa 1861. The New Haven Arms Co., manufactured approximately 275 iron frame Henry rifles concurrently with the brass frame rifles in 1861 and 1862. Iron frame Henry rifles are extremely rare. The iron frame Henry rifles had a case-hardened iron receiver, hammer, loading lever and buttplate. The barrel was blued and the walnut stock had a high polish varnished "piano" finish. This rifle has the first pattern receiver with rear sight dovetail and no loading lever latch. The early style loading lever lacks the spur found on later models. The cartridge carrier is brass. The barrel has a rear sight dovetail, early style nickel-silver half-moon front sight and early small diameter brass cartridge follower. The iron buttplate has the early style rounded heel with hinged trap door. The folding leaf rear sight has a 100 yard aperture on the base and a 1,000 yard center notch. The rifle is not fitted with the extra cost sling swivel and front sling yoke. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the first style two-line legend "HENRY'S PATENT. OCT. 16. 1860/MANUFACT'D BY THE NEWHAVEN ARMS.CO. NEWHAVEN. CT." All of the characters in the address use Roman style serifed letters except for the second "NEWHAVEN" which has Gothic block letters. This is the correct legend for early Henry rifles with serial numbers below 3,300. The serial number "48" is stamped on the top of the barrel between the rear sight dovetail and the receiver parallel to the axis of the bore. The serial number "48" is stamped on the inside of the buttplate heel and on the shank of both of the hand-fitted buttplate screws. The shanks of all three tang screws are stamped "48"; serial numbered tang screws are only found on early production Henry rifles. The serial number "48" is stamped on the left side of the lower receiver tang and in the upper tang inlet of the stock. All of the visible serial numbers match. The Henry rifle with its self-cocking lever-action, 15-round integral magazine and metallic cartridges was a major evolution in firearms design.

The rifle is a crisp, "sharp corner", example of a highly desirable Iron Frame Henry rifle that is well above average condition as most examples appear similar to an excavated frying pan! The casehardened finish on the crisp original receiver, hammer and lever has aged to a mottled silver-gray patina. The side plate joints are in very fine overall condition with some minor edge wear. The sides of the receiver have some minor scratches. There are a number of small dents in the bottom of the cartridge carrier. The rear sight is in very fine condition with clear markings. The receiver screws are all in fine condition. The barrel has a smooth, silver-gray patina. The edges of the barrel are sharp and the New Haven Arms Co., legend and serial number are very clear. The bore is in good condition which is unusual for a Henry rifle. The buttplate has a dark patina and has moderate to heavy pitting on the toe and the heel. The professionally made, replacement buttstock has been professionally refurbished to fine condition and retains nearly all of the high-polish "piano" finish. The buttplate and tang screws are in fine condition with clear serial numbers. This is an outstanding example of the most desirable and difficult to obtain variation of the historic Henry rifle. It would be the centerpiece of the most advanced Winchester or Henry rifle collection.

[Mike]

Interesting, as most of the pictures of Iron frame  guns i have looked at have a blue finish, guess they are re blued?
It would be interesting to see what the books have to say re finish.

[Mike]

I am happy to concede that the frames were Case hardened, have found aution sites which describe the frame as such.

[Major 2]

Course there something to be said about the Blue   
Here is the Cimarron on GB some time back...