Just Ordered a Henry

Driftwood Johnson · April 12, 2006, 12:58:50 PM

Howdy

For years now, I kept saying, why would anybody want a Henry? You've got to be more careful when you load it, you have to hold it just right when you shoot it, the originals weren't very powerful, they're heavy, and they don't take down as easy as a '73. I've been happily shooting my '73 for years now, and as a matter of fact I just got it all slicked up and it is better than ever to shoot. So why in the world would I want a Henry?

I dunno, I must have watched Dances With Wolves too many times. This winter something snapped in the old noggin and I started thinking it might be cool to have one. I started looking around for one in 44-40. They were all running around $1000. The straw that broke the camel's back was when I saw a couple of weeks ago that Dixie has a steel framed one in 44-40 on sale for $795. I've been chewing on that fact for 2 weeks now. I know it's a great price, plus I kind of like the idea of the steel frame instead of the usual brass frame. I'll still have to figure out what I have to sell to pay for it, but my dealer just called and told me Dixie is shipping it tomorrow.

Hey Seth - did you ever work out your loads? I'm betting this one is gonna come through with a .429 groove diameter, rather than the .427 my '73 has. I may have to load up special rounds for it.

Has anyone seen one of these close up? The photo on the Dixie website looks like the frame has a faux Color Case finish. I don't know how consistant that would be with the original iron frames. I would prefer it were just blue.

Anyway, I'm all a tizzy and excited now. Can't wait 'till it gets here.

Will Ketchum · April 12, 2006, 01:22:00 PM

Driftwood, I know just what you mean about not thinking you needed a Henry. I was actually looking for a 66 when I found mine. I looked at it and passed but as I walked further away it kept calling to me. When the guy knocked off another $50.00 I bought it. Mine is the brass framed. I have seen several iron framed and I always thought that they were really case hardened. Just like the 73s. I might be wrong but they all looked good to me.

Will Ketchum

Driftwood Johnson · April 12, 2006, 02:46:05 PM

Will

Are you referring to original iron framed Henrys and '73s that you've seen with case hardening, or replicas? I'm trying to do some research right now to find out what the finish was on the originals.

Forty Rod · April 12, 2006, 03:05:43 PM

There were only about 275 originals made with iron frames and I can't find evidence of any of them being color case hardened.

Driftwood Johnson · April 12, 2006, 03:56:17 PM

Thanks

Can you tell me what the finish was on the original iron frames? Blue? Bright? Anything else? I'm also trying to determine if it is even possible to case harden iron. I know the frames of the earliest SAAs were iron, not steel, and I assume they were case hardened. Does anyone know what type of iron we are talking about here for the Henrys? I am assuming malleable iron.

Thanks

Will Ketchum · April 12, 2006, 05:15:33 PM

Driftwood, I should have made myself clear. They were replicas.

I don't know if the originals were case hardedned but you can case harden iron.

Will Ketchum

Fox Creek Kid · April 12, 2006, 08:43:26 PM

The orgiinals (aaprox. 400) were NOT case colored but rather blued steel with a brass carrier. There is convincing historical speculation that the New Haven Arms Co. "farmed" out the contract to Colt & the iron framed guns were made by Colt.

Driftwood Johnson · April 13, 2006, 08:32:16 AM

So far in R L Wilson's book 'Winchester An American Legend', I have only found one photo of an iron framed Henry, and it was blue.

Cyrille · April 13, 2006, 10:50:48 AM

Mr. Johnson:
I have just read your recent post(s) on purching a 'Henry,' I assume it is of foreign make as you have stated in previous post(s) that you abhor the existant H.R.A.C. because of their use of questionable methods of obtaining permission from S.A.S.S. to allow their newly manufactured rifles to be used in S.A.S.S. matches and of their untruths and half-truths to the buying public.
That is perfectly alright I have no arguement with you on that and do not wish to 'beat a dead horse.' I was, however wondering what you think of the "Henry" rifle itself. Particularly the .44 magnum caliber and the . 45 Colt caliber I have recently purchased a "Henry" Big Boy in .45 Colt caliber and would like your opinion of that rifle in particular.
I have no quarrel with your statments on the Company itself I would just like to hear your opinion on the product(s) they offer.

Driftwood Johnson · April 13, 2006, 02:25:07 PM

Cyrille

I've sent you a Private Message

Ottawa Creek Bill · April 13, 2006, 08:51:40 PM

Good Move!!
I've had one in 44/40, and now I own one in 45 long colt that I am going to rechamber this summer to .44 Colt. It will match my pistols 1860 Richards Conversion(s), and I will shoot 45 cal heeled bullets out of all of them. It will be real close to the original Henry caliber other than being center fire. If they still made the .44 Henry Flat round I would chamber it in that caliber.

There is somthing about holding a Henry in your hands that gives you a feeling you can't get from any other rifle. Here is a photo of some Henrys I took at the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody Wyoming in 1989, I think? It shows the evolution of the Henry into the 1866 rifle starting with a Iron Framed Henry in pretty good shape, with a lot of the original finish left on the receiver. The second photo is just an enlarged version of the first. Hope you all like them..

Bill

Will Ketchum · April 13, 2006, 10:09:52 PM

Bill, do you have any information on the 4th from the top rifle? I believe it is the rifle that I have been looking for. I know I saw either a picture or the actual rifle, which was a Henry with a forearm which was fastened to the area between the magazine and the barrel much like a model 87 shotgun.

I have thought I would like to do this to my Henry if I could document it. Mostly just for something a bit different.

Will Ketchum

Major 2 · April 13, 2006, 11:05:32 PM

Bill

Have you ever though of doing a King Transitional model with the magazine floor strip ?

I own a 45 Military model now and once had a 44/40 Carbine in the early eighties .
Thats all you could get back then after the over 10 round Magazine BATF imbargo.

I'd jump on a $795 Henry ( Iron Frame ) just to have another version. (if I had the funds burnin a hole in my pocket)

"There is somthing about holding a Henry in your hands that gives you a feeling you can't get from any other rifle"
I agree ... My Spencers are like that too.

Wolfgang · April 14, 2006, 04:10:24 AM

Driftwood, The sale on Iron Frame Henrys has been pulling at me also. Take a look at the latest issue of "True West" magazine. In the section on recent auction sales, they show a beautiful Henry that was sold. Don't have the mag. handy as I write. Think it went for around $200,000. It is perfect. Blued receiver on it. I've had thoughts about if I were really, really, FILTHY RICH of buying one and one of those boxes of unopened original cartridges that sell for dear prices and just opening the box, loading it up and SHOOTING IT !

Think I'll have to pass up the Dixie sale though.

$:-\$

Keep us posted on it, . . . Wolfgang Mountain Man

Fox Creek Kid · April 14, 2006, 10:12:15 AM

Will, that rifle is Winchester's Improvement .44 carbine made from Dec. 1865 thru early 1866 for Maximilian I of Mexico. There's a picture of it in the Houze book, p. 38.

Ottawa Creek Bill · April 14, 2006, 11:53:03 AM

Will,
The only information I have would be on the card in the display case with the rifle. Unfortunately, this was taken waaayyyee before I bought my Canon 20D, 8.2 mega pixel digital camera. I've tried to blow the image up several times to see if I could read the information off the card, but it is too blurry. One thing I remember about this group of rifles is that each one belonged to famous westerners. I don't remember who they are.

Bill

Ottawa Creek Bill · April 14, 2006, 11:58:53 AM

Major 231,
No, not really but I think it would be a really neat Henry to have. Last year in the Cowboy Chroncile a fella who coverted his Henry into the King version did a article that decribed the procedure how to do it. I do have a machine shop, but just too busy to do it.
Will,
I will make you a blow up of that photograph and send it to you. I may try to digitize it to see if I can sharpen the print on the dispay card so we can read it first.

Bill

Wolfgang · April 15, 2006, 03:38:39 AM

Driftwood, . . . my mistake. It was the Walker Colt that was expensive. The iron frame Henry was cheap. Only $ 92,000 . At that price, . . why not get two. Consecutive serial numbers natchurally.

I WANT one of them iron frame Henrys ! But, . . . there's so much other neat stuff I WANT ! Good shootin', . . . . ( The Walker Colt went for # 375,000 ) . . .

Driftwood Johnson · April 15, 2006, 10:51:26 AM

Howdy Boys

Ottawa Creek Bill, thanks for the great photo.

I am pretty sure my new Henry is going to show up with the Uberti 'color case' finish on the frame, at least that's what the one over at Cimarron looks like. I'll shoot it for a while, but I may decide to strip off the 'color case' and blue the frame. Time will tell.

The fellow who was featured in the Chronicle with the article on converting a Henry to a transition model is Happy Trails. Hap is a good pard, and I have seen the gun in question. All of Hap's work is exquisite. His 'transition' model is not the same as the one in the photo here, he does not add a fore stock. You can see his conversion under his 'conversions' bullet.

http://www.thesmithshop.com/index.html

Wolfgang · April 15, 2006, 09:22:16 PM

Driftwood, Thanks for the link to "Happy Trails" site. I hadn't visited it before. Great work. I loved the article in the "Cronicle" about the Henry Transitional. Good shootin', . . .

Get ahold of the issue of "True West" if ya can. It's worth it just for the pictures of the iron frame Henry and a gold engraved one that was from Mexico. Also a beautiful Walker.