Answer from Henry Rep Arms Corp

[LazyK Pejay]

The action seemed good to me and the rifle has a good feel. As for looks I don't see the problem, but to each his own. As for marketing I think a disclaimer that this is not part of Winchester Arms or linked to the first Henry would be a good move. Perhaps a statement saying this Henry is built and designed in the great Henry tradition would work. However, to me this is much ado about nothing (or at least very little about something)

LazyK Pejay

[Fox Creek Kid]

Driftwood, I like you but I think you're wrong on the history of the name here. It's covered in the Herbert Houze Winchester history book. Houze was the former curator of the Buffalo Bill Ctr. Winchester division. The company only had this name briefly and it irritated O.F. Winchester so he changed it again to Winchester. The Houze book is THE book on the company's history. Here's an Internet reference as well but the Houze book has primary sources if you still doubt.

http://www.thckk.org/winchester-hist.html

[LazyK Pejay]

Fox Creek,

Thx for the link. I did not realize Olin owned Winchester. I assume it was a corporate buyout of a struggling company? Since Winchester discarded the Henry name it seems Olin has not a problem with Henry Repeating Arms. One thing about this company is the advertising; American made. With that in mind one could consider supporting an American company when so much of what we shoot is made in Italy. Thx again.

LazyK Pejay

[Driftwood Johnson]

Fox Creek Kid

I researched a little bit more, and it seems you are correct. The company was indeed called Henry for about a year just before Winchester named it after himself. I just bought the Wilson book and that is what Wilson says. He does not mention the part about Henry attempting to take over the company. I don't have the book handy, so I don't have the exact wording of the company name, but I will concede that point, there was a historical Henry company for a very short time. I apoligize for being incorrec on that point.

It still does not change the fact that the present company plucked the name out of thin air.

[Driftwood Johnson]

I can remember when I was a kid, Winchester ammo had the Olin Matheson name on the box in small letters, and that was a long, liong time ago.

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

One thing about this company is the advertising; American made. With that in mind one could consider supporting an American company when so much of what we shoot is made in Italy. Thx again.

Well Lazy K, their advertisment is down right deceptive if not an out right lie, And, If they value our support (buy American products and all) so highly, why didn't they manufacture something we could apperciate instead of the crap they are building, and try to pass it off as something it isn't?

If they had built a copy of the Real Henry, I'd have been first in line to buy one no matter what the cost, as would many others I know. I'm not gonna have something sub standard or, an inferior product crammed down my throat, if it is not what I want.....just because it's made here in the States. JMHO

Bill

[Dakota Widowmaker]

Folks, I have kept out of this discussion for some time, but, I thinik we need to keep some focus here.

The HRAC has almost nothing at all to do with the New Haven company that Tyler originally worked at.

Additionally, and if you ask anyone who works for HRAC, they have no intention of reproducing an exact copy of the Henry or 66. Period.
(they list many reasions for this...some are quite valid, so, please email them directly)

this forum was never setup to be a bitch fest about why folks hate the HRAC.

Are their guns ugly? that is personal preference. I have had other shooters say my Uberti 1860 is ugly compared to their marlins.

The point is this. The HRAC rifle/carbine does not have anything to do with the direct or indirect development of either the 1860 or 1866 rifles. But, they are using the name, just the same.

FYI: Winchester capitalized on the montra of "The Gun that Won the West". Partially true, but, hopelessly impossible to prove.

There is NOTHING left of the original Henry design in Winchester lever guns beginning with the model 1886.

[Bounty Bill]

To all that believe a toggle link system is weak, please check this web site and read about the Winchester test on the 1876 toggle link system.

   http://www.bar-w.com/1876v04.html 

Bounty Bill

[Cyrille]

WOW!! verrry interesting history lesson really appreciated reading it! Thanks a bunch!

[Cyrille]

To Mr. Ottawa Creek Bill a reply: Quote:

Well Lazy K, their advertisment is down right deceptive if not an out right lie, And, If they value our support (buy American products and all) so highly, why didn't they manufacture something we could apperciate instead of the crap they are building, and try to pass it off as something it isn't?

If they had built a copy of the Real Henry, I'd have been first in line to buy one no matter what the cost, as would many others I know. I'm not gonna have something sub standard or, an inferior product crammed down my throat, if it is not what I want.....just because it's made here in the States. JMHO

Bill

Mr. Ottawa Creek Bill:
  I take exception to your rant calling the B.B. a piece of 'crap' I have bought one and fired it numerous times without a mishap, I recently used it at a SASS local shoot and hit every target I was suppose to. I use only my own reloads in it and have yet to use cowboy factory loads. The bullet I use in my reloads weighs 250 gr. pushed by an acceptical cowboy powder load and the recoil if any, is minimal;  it is not, in my humble opinion an inferior or substandard product!
   It may not be historically correct and the HRAC may have "lied by omission" But this is no reason to denigreate the product, especilly if one has not used it. I prefer GM vehicles but at present own two Fords!! (inherited) and find them to be good vehicles but I would never buy a Ford. It's simply a matter of preffrence I don't own an Italian replica fire arm and will not purchase one but if by some chance one came ito my possession I would use it because even though I personally consider them "inferior" to  American made firearms I realize that they are not 'crap.'

[Dakota Widowmaker]

This thread had degraded to the point of no return.

I hereby lock it in the hopes that it goes away.

Bashing HRAC is certainly a fun past time for many, but, lets keep it off this group.

Save it for someplace else.