Winchester Lever Action Development: 1860 Henry

The Henry Repeating Rifle was a truly revolutionary development in firearms technology. It was not the first repeating rifle, but it was the best of a emerging class of new arms, reliable in function and very fast to shoot (much faster than the contemporary Spencers). The Henry used a simple toggle lock locking system, with a single throw of its lever performing all the elements necessary to reload and recock the action.
The Henry's quick action was coupled with a 15-round magazine, more than double what the Spencer offered. It fired the .44 Henry rimfire cartridge, which threw a 216 grain bullet at about 1125 feet per second (this would change to 200 grains at 1200 fps within a few years). This was substantially less powerful than a heavy muzzleloader charge, but the volume of fire more than made up for it. Within 200 yards, the Henry could produce a devastating volume of fire.
The Henry was only produced for about 5 years (1862 - 1866), with about 12,000 manufactured in total. The rifle was made almost exclusively in a standard rifle pattern, with a 24 inch barrel. Some were later cut down into carbines, though. While the US military rejected the Henry for a variety of reasons, nearly all of the guns produced before the end of the war did actually see military service, with state units or individuals who supplied their own arms. In the few engagements where Henry rifles were present in substantial numbers, they proved to be a significant force multiplier.
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[@stinknut762]

Ian, I don't watch your channel everyday or as much as i'd like but you somehow manage to do what no other KZbinrs ive seen do. You release new content daily and every video of yours i've seen is quality, very professional and very informative. I'm never sorry i clicked on one of your videos.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Thanks!

[@JC-11111]

I agree. I was actually just thinking the same thing after clicking the wrong "Winchester Development" vid 3 times, each one having the exact same intro. Even Ian's tone of voice was the same. The rate of speech and speech pattern was almost exactly the same, too. Really makes it extremely professional. 👍 We appreciate all the hard work you put into these videos, Ian. You wouldn't believe how much I've learned about guns and world history.

[@ExUSSailor]

You DO own shirts in colors other than Navy Blue!

[@Nukle0n]

Still trying to wrap my head around how such a smooth motion of the lever makes the elevator so precisely and suddenly go up and down. Really marvelous engineering, at least from a layman's perspective.

[@georgemuller3998]

I really wish I could draw something to show you how it operates, because it is actually simple yet brilliant. There's a handful of moving rods basically connected to each part that makes them all move with a single motion, the lighter the parts, the easier it is to use the lever.

[@evilcowboy]

Na its not just layman's perspective that makes the engineering really awesome, it truly is wonderful engineering and the fact it was done with only a few parts is even more impressive.

[@InfiniteDarkMass]

The part of the lever around the screw pushes on the very end of the elevator arm from the bottom when opened and from the top when closed.

[@mattrobinson5099]

The sweep of the lever doesn't actuate the loading elevator till the very end. You can see when he's cycling it with the side plate off, the arm attached to the elevator is pushed up by the front of the lever by the pivot point. It's then pushed back down when the arm attached to the bolt locking arms pushed it as the bolt closes.

[@therugburnz]

It certainly looks that it is smooth and drops quickly. I've never touched, much less handled, and fired one. I'm sure few have. I still love watching it cycle.

[@garrisonandrew9862]

The StG-44 of the Civil War.

[@jeremiahfyan]

I thought spencers were more common in the Civil War? Correct me if I am wrong

[@turkeyhamman4111]

@@jeremiahfyan even then, Spencer's were painfully slow

[@jeremiahfyan]

@@turkeyhamman4111 ive never handled a spencer but winchesters tend to have pretty quick actions in my experience so i get what you mean

[@jeremiahfyan]

@@turkeyhamman4111 honestly i watch gun jesus on the rarest of occasions i need to start watching his videos more anyway

[@imahhot2396]

@@turkeyhamman4111 m5z yv bx Bhbgyhhh6😢🐁👙jjyujyjy6 gz7🐮

[@looselatigo]

Handled an original once. I was in the Gun Library at the Kansas City Cabela's a couple of years ago when I spotted one on the wall. An employee saw me looking at it and took it down and handed it to me. After a brief examination I VERY CAREFULLY hung it back up on the wall because I saw the price. I certainly didn't want to drop a rifle with a five figure price tag.

[@davidhenning6179]

I too have had the privilege of handling an original Henry rifle. I was surprised by two things: The weight of the rifle and the fact that not only did a Cabela's employee offer to let me hold it, but that my parents allowed me to. Especially since it's not every day you see a Civil War relic at a Cabela's Gun Library in South central MN.

[@looselatigo]

I've fired reproductions and they do have some heft to them. Winchester used the same action on the Models 66 and 73. You might be surprised at how smooth and quick they are. It is, however, not a strong action and any loads should be kept to black powder pressures.

[@davesloat9006]

looselatigo modern replicas handle smokeless pistol caliber rounds just fine. Just don't overload the rounds.

[@darthpanzer]

I can just Imagine Ian in a US Military commander/officer outfit of the period. He has the mustache to pull it off. Bonus points if he wears a cowboy hat and cavalry gloves.

[@SuperFunkmachine]

There's got to be a video of that on in range

[@rlbadger1698]

Custer's men carried Spencers in the Civil War.

[@kevinschultz6091]

It's the Mathew Broderick from "Glory" look, for me - but yeah, mainly in the mustache and beard.

[@rory4026]

this is a very underrated comment

[@pickelhaubekhajiit6530]

Kevin Schultz I loved Glory, and I agree lol

[@Shiruvan]

4:28 why hasn't(or very rarely) any other video bothered to show the lever action in that manner, that alone is just nice, specially for someone who probably will never have a chance to handle actual guns.

[@timothy2935]

N

[@famousbastard5344]

@@timothy2935 beautiful response

[@famousbastard5344]

yeah living in most of the worlds countries the sheer regulations on guns makes it so we will never even be able to see things like this in a museum

[@jimvandemoter6961]

Ian, every time I watch one of your videos I am struck by the fact that all of these guns you feature were designed and built without the aid of computers. The quality of manufacture is truly magnificent.

[@-oiiio-3993]

The 'computers' were between the ears of designers, draftsmen, and machinists.

[@traindude70]

I own a modern Henry in 357mag and it is a pleasure to shoot. A not on the tube magazine is that while having to load the gun from the end of the barrel may seem cumbersome today it was normal to do that every round with a typical rifle of the day so loading 15 rounds in 30 seconds or so was a massive improvement over a couple rounds a minute dealing with ramrod & powder. Another note is that even with a empty magazine a Henry can be operated as a single shot breech loading rifle if you do not have time to reload the magazine.

[@andrewince8824]

The Henry-Winchester saga should be remembered with the Silverman-Maxin saga, on shirts. "Winchester was a Jerk" and "Maxim was a Jerk" with an homage to Henry and Silverman on the reverse.

[@mrlenny8135]

I owned an 1860 Henry back in the late 70’s. It was passed down from my father. I regret selling it to this day.

[@ThePerfectRed]

It seems strange that a famous rifle design such as the lever action hardly made it into military use (the exception being the Russian Model 1895).

[@Shaun_Jones]

I’ve done no research, but I think it was because at first, they were thought to waste ammunition, because bureaucrats, and by the time repeaters were accepted, bolts were available, and a mag fed bolt could use better ammo than a tube fed lever.

[@christophernemeth421]

@@Shaun_Jones even on later bolt action rifles there were magazine cut offs over concerns over troops wasting ammo

[@jason60chev]

I think he explained the reasons for rejection, quite well.

[@Sparky-gp9vh]

One reason is they are much more expensive than single shots, another reason is you can’t use it while in the prone positions,

[@brianj.841]

@@Sparky-gp9vh You can, sort of. You half roll to your left and tilt the rifle. Awkward, but possible.

[@potation8913]

In the game Hunt: Showdown, when you start a match with any Winchester lever action, the chamber is allways empty. Nice to see that there's an actual reason behind it, as most other guns in the game just start as fully loaded + 1 in the chamber.

[@DrBernard989]

A red shirt?!

[@ForgottenWeapons]

I may die in this episode...

[@DrBernard989]

At least the blood wouldn't show up too much.

[@bigfatassviking]

I thought the red shirt was to hide the blood from shrapnel wounds... ;)

[@bigfatassviking]

Just as brown pants hides when you get really really scared! :D

[@davidgreen5099]

BigFatAssViking red shirt means he's gonna die in this episode.

[@dalesubic345]

As a young man I watched John Wayne and Clint Eastwood be bad asses in Cowboy movies. To me these are the most interesting weapons in the world. I live in the Philippines so I can not buy one. 100% import tax.

[@darthhodges]

Regarding the follower hitting your hand it is understood by modern users of 1860 Henrys (mostly reproductions) that if you are counting your shots you can anticipate the follower's approach and move your hand to the other side of the follower in between shots. This is called doing the "Henry Hop".

[@chiranjibbaruah5044]

Really appreciate the metric conversions, Ian. You rock!

[@havokmusicinc]

I grew up just a mile from the Winchester mansion ("mystery​ house", as it's known to the tourists). It's always nice to see their firearms since they are such an important part of Santa Clara's history.

[@zerg9523]

These guns, and the winchesters that follow are iconic, frankly some of the most beautiful guns to look at... there should be one above every fireplace.

[@andrewwood6285]

They are as iconic as the American Flag!

[@justnotg00d]

I used to have a replica of the Henry in 44-40, loved it.

[@gmh3]

i just moved to a place so far removed from a city that no internet provider has service here, so i have to connect my laptop to my phone and watch videos in 144p to maximise how long i can stretch my plan, so of course the first thing i go to is the latest Forgotten Weapons.

[@mainer2123]

"More Oomph" ? Must be one of those technical terms.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Very technical.

[@thegoldencaulk2742]

> 8 part series gethype.jpg

[@Govanmauler]

I could kiss you Stoklasa !

[@nope2788]

This is the Forgotten Henry channel now.

[@thegoldencaulk2742]

Before, it was Forgotten Bergmanns. Then it was Forgotten SA80s. Now it's Forgotten Henrys. I can't wait to see what gets forgotten next!

[@ABowlofPho]

TheGoldenCaulk Forgotten AR-15s

[@The_PotionSeller]

FlamingKiller Well, there is that colt machine gun upper that they made for the ar, it'd be pretty cool to see on here

[@Mildcat743]

God, I dont know what it is, but the look of tarnished brass in this instance is beautiful.

[@Liamv4696]

The military had all those concerns about the gun. But realistically. Which would you prefer. This, or a black powder single shot muzzle loader?..

[@deeznoots6241]

Liamv4696 it also uses black powder though so idk why you would even mention that.

[@ShiroDawn]

@@deeznoots6241 what he is saying is it would have to load the black powder into the muzzle after every shot while with this you dont

[@greybayles7955]

If you were in a conflict where firefights rarely get close, that pistol caliber might be crippling. I know inserting this into a modern conflict like Afghanistan is ridiculous, but lots of wars have been fought at pretty crazy ranges. If your enemy if 900m out and shooting at you with large caliber muzzle loading rifles and you have rifles chambered in .44 rimfire, bad things are gonna happen to you. But if were talking Civil War-Phillipine War then no doubt.

[@azoniarnl3362]

@@greybayles7955 I can tell you that muskets and rifles of this era were not used at ranges of 900m.

[@greybayles7955]

@@azoniarnl3362 Im mainly thinking of the Boer War. 900 is pushing it but they fought at some pretty ludicrous ranges for what they had.

[@Halinspark]

"I know to some people they all kinda look the same, but you're a bunch of gun racists."

[@garygriffiths6998]

A minor point, Ian. The S&W .22 Rimfire was a blackpowder .22 Short, developed in 1857. The .22 Long and .22 Long Rifle were later developments (1871 and 1884 respectively) to improve the power of the .22 Rimfire.

[@desroin]

Didn't Karl mention you could also single load this rifle without feeding from the full magazine? I could imagine you run around with 15 bullets and single load the "16th" bullet until such times come that you need to rapid fire :D

[@richardelliott9511]

Infortunately the Henry has no magazine cutoff so you can only single feed on an empty magazine. The Spencer carbines and some later military bolt action rifles did have a magazine cutoff just for that purpose. Also, even single loading a Henry is not quite as sraight forward as you would like. The sweet spot in the lever throw where you can load a round directly into the chamber is not at full extension of the lever, it's kind of mid throw after one complete cycle, so you have to tickle the lever just right to hit that spot. Takes some practice to get it just right. You could also push the elevator down manually to get it out of the way but it's hard to work that out with only two hands. Kudos to Karl for single loading so smoothly on the clock.

[@todddewell6314]

Very cool. Thanks for the peek behind the curtains. I love my golden boy very much!!

[@tombrennan6312]

I'm surprised Ian didn't show the famous photo of the color guard of the 7th Illinois infantry sporting their Henrys. As for comparing it to the Spencer, the work wise comparison of both rifles is not to each other but to the standard muzzle loading rifle musket. During the War of the Rebellion A soldier armed with a Spencer was very well armed indeed.

[@glitterbrains69]

Great video, my first "gun" was a daisy red rider, I've always really like lever action carbines since then. Nothing else quite like them. And I had no idea there was so many Ian memes. . .pretty much famous on Reddit.

[@evilcowboy]

Can you imagine the excitement of drawing out a gun, then making a prototype and finally firing it. Just building an 80% 1911 is exciting to fire the first time. For it to be your own design and see it working would be a level of excitement most will never experience. I completely understand why people want to build guns, it is fun to tinker and more fun when that tinkering results in a working gun.

[@hangonsnoop]

Ian, you and Karl consistently put out compelling content on both of your guys' channels. Thank you. In addition, you present example of gun owners as intelligent and responsible people.

[@PaioneRPF]

Ian, I was browsing through a bookshop here in Brazil and i stumbled upon a book devoted to martini henry rifles, which was writen by Stephen Manning and published by Osprey. Bear in mind that we dont get many books like these here in brazilian lands, and i dont know much about them at all. With that, do you know it?/ think it would be a good addition to a my starting collection of books on cool and interesting guns? Thanks! Cheers from Brazil!

[@skepticalbadger]

Rafael Paione Get the series by Ian Skennerton if you can find it.

[@PaioneRPF]

thanks man! ill look for it!

[@mrtlsimon]

I live in NJ where the Henry Repeating Arms company is located and own a couple of Henrys. They are 100% American made and have amazing fit and finish. They offer the "Original Henry " in 44-40 for around the $2000 area. They own the name Henry and if you want a rifle as close as possible to the original U suggest this company's version. Good job making history come alive Ian. I always look forward to your videos.

[@kylethedalek]

SimonSaysTrain I just made a comment asking about that, So they just bought the right to use his name and lever action designs ? It's weird to thinking about because Winchesters are Henry's. And a lot of people get confused why they use his name is it because they what it to identify with the guns they make? And lot don't release they are not connected to the original Henry and Winchester. Btw I love all the companies.

[@RabidMortal1]

Actually, Uberti has more faithful dimensions to the original rifle. Navy Arms collaborated with Uberti to actually spec-ed their repro from an original New Haven Henry. Rumor is that the "Original Henry" was spec-ed off an Uberti :P Buy a HRA Co rifle for the name or for the "Made in USA" aspect, but their barrels are over-polished, the flats have rounded over edges, and the toe of the stock curves up in a weird way--nice wood usually but otherwise deforemd

[@brasstard7.627]

kylethedalek they have the right to use the Henry name and bought the designs from Erma of Germany when erma went out of business in the 90s

[@tillmannfischer]

Oooh, the Henry Rifle. The weapon the fictional rifle of Old Shatterhand is based upon...

[@cgpirre]

Man, I was just thinking about this too when I clicked to this video, I was about to look up if that gun really existed.

[@RokuroCarisu]

I thought the "Henrystutzen" was just a straigt-forward Henry rifle.

[@liuntika]

Well, the character of "Old Shatterhand" by Karl May was based on Janos Xantus (John Xantus de Vesey) and on his travel notes/reports (made while working for the U.S. as a cartographer), who bought such a carbine in the 1850s, and his gun (silvered) turned up in Gödöllő (Godollo, Hungary), with the name "John Xantus" carved in, and you can spectate that very gun in the museum of Xantus Janos in Győr (Gyor, Hungary): Northern latitude 47 ° 41 ′ 20 ″ Eastern longitude 17 ° 38 ′ 04 ″

[@strawman5300]

I realy like the look of this gun. But Im wondering how wutch of a problem it would be that the barel gets hot after rapidly unloading the magazine without som hand protection.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

The barrel gets very hot very fast.

[@FyremaelGlittersparkle]

As they said, it was a VERY real problem, and was one of the issues that led to later iterations being offered with wooden handguards. Even with thick leather gloves, heat transfer's a hell of a thing.

[@NinjaEnShort]

What was the effective range on a rifle like this one ?

[@ForgottenWeapons]

I would say about 200 yards.

[@dwightehowell8179]

Ian let a follower slam down causing a cartridge in the tube of a reproduction to blow up. This resulted in a trip to the hospital.

[@_KRose]

The Henry is just one of the most beautiful guns ever

[@PieterBreda]

Nothing short of a genius to invent this rifle.

[@jonathandavenport2500]

After seeing your latest video on InRangeTV with Winchester 1876, your russian winchester 1895 video game up, and before I watched the whole thing I realized you had a cool winchester series, so now I am going to watch the full thing, and the videos on the volcanic. Thanks, you are awesome! And you give long haired guys a good name.

[@ryanvargas4889]

"Turned out to not really be the case"... I see what you did there.

[@KurtFitzy]

"didnt turn out to be the case" i see your puns ian (6:33)

[@Trackers89]

The Litchfield Repeater from Red Dead Redemption 2.

[@tallonburnz1430]

Its on red dead 1 also

[@AsteroidSpy]

And they made it suck

[@1guncrazy1]

Something I've wondered since I started playing RDR2 is whether or not they will be a push to a run on old guns or maybe manufacturers will ever create "new" old guns.

[@devine4804]

Pretty sure it's the Lancaster

[@1guncrazy1]

vine Lancaster is based on the 1873 Winchester. Litchfield is the 1866

[@simonphoenix3789]

Imagine if every soldier on one side was armed with one of these and they fought the same way... Wouldn't that side completely roll over their muzzleloading enemies?

[@shotgunsteve93]

As far as reproductions go, the American Produced Henry's have a really weird curved "belly" going on with the buttstock. It may also have a higher polished finish, but they feel somewhat cheaply made in comparison to the Italian Uberti's which can be found for much less $$.

[@Govanmauler]

Woo Hoo Winchesters at last !!! I've got an 1892 Angle Eject in .357 and its my baby !

[@HopliteWarlord]

I watch Ian on Forgotten Weapons every day, I'm even trying to get my wife into this channel, she is not a gun afficiando like me, but she likes her history, and Ian always backs up his videos with great history of the firearm he is presenting!

[@DrTarrandProfessorFether]

I have an Uberti 1860 44/40 Engraved (not laser) with no date on it with correct period Engraved. Think very early Uberti. Well, I was cleaning the internal toggle (I fire blanks and real Black powder rounds) and I dropped one of the cover plates. I was wearing shorts… well, 1 hour later, I finished cleaning and notice a nice LONG GASH on my foot and some blood. It is now stinging after 2 hours. Well, it is darn sharp!! I am in a Civil War Reenactment club (ACWA of California). I do not fire the rifle in battle but do a rapid fire test of 14 rounds in 9 seconds…….Smokeless rounds have less kick and flatter profile … only drop at 100 yards. I show public original “short” and “Long “ case cartridges…like oversized Copper Rimfire.

[@stevehuffman7453]

Oh, the Henry was never adopted by the government or any branch of the military. All the Henry rifles used in the (un)Civil War were private purchases, either by individual troops, or through the company commander, who at that time had the authority to buy arms for his troops from the private sector. When purchased by the CC, each trooper who got a Henry paid for it. The CC collected the money and placed the order. The government DID buy a few million rounds of the .44 Henry rimfire cartridge, so those who had a Henry wouldn't run out of ammo. Life for the Quartermaster was not "easy" Any one company or platoon could require 15 or more different types of ammo. Even those using the single shot muzzleloading muskets. The musket caliber could range from .440 to .690. A few troops used a 10 or 12 gauge shotgun. Handguns ranged from .22 short to .54 caliber or larger single shot muzzleloading horse pistols. The various brands of ".38" and ".44"/".45" caliber revolvers didn't use the same size ball or bullet, either. Some were a little larger or smaller. Then you had a few breach loaders in addition to the Henry, that used a proprietary cartridge, like the Burnside.

[@knate44]

:O 8 part series on my favourite development in firearms history?!?

[@Chris-pb3se]

I wish my modern rifles would tap my hand when I had 2-3 rounds left. I hate looking through an optic and not noticing my bolts locked open. Something I appreciate about my Garand. The ping prevents me from looking like I can’t count.

[@couchbear6108]

Lincoln's Repeater from fallout 3 IRL

[@jeremiahfyan]

That what It is

[@windwalker5765]

If you want a Fallout-accurate Lincoln's Repeater, Henry Big Boy in .44 Magnum

[@craigiefconcert6493]

This isn’t safe to have primer and power together! Better to have each soldier carry a bag full of gunpowder 😂 Imagine you had 10,000 men equipped we these guns.

[@deepbludreams]

Will this series dethrone the bergman series for most videos?

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Nope.

[@Kai-mg9gn]

Nice video. I love these guns. I have a Uberti reproduction and I love taking it to the range. So far the only issue I have had is the slot in the magazine is so sharp that if I am not careful it will slice my hand open when I try to load it. I do suggest gloves when shooting. If you get the chance to shoot one of these I suggest you take it.

[@Fenster21]

When I find who's been downvoting these videos 😠✊👊

[@VegasCyclingFreak]

One of THE most iconic rifles from the past

[@oni_goroshi]

I have an original Henry that my dad left me when he passed away. It's a second model deluxe, unconverted rimfire, engraved by Samuel Hoggson and fully silver plated. Dad tried to sell it through Rock Island Auction along with his Winchester One of One Thousand that is shown almost as he found it (but now restored) on page 89 of R.L. Wilson's book Winchester: the golden age of American Gunsmithing. Luckily (and without any proof or logical reason), Rock Island claimed they were both fakes and refused to sell them, so I inherited both. They will both be kept in the family and passed down to future generations.

[@saxdogg69]

Did you refute the fake claim or otherwise authenticate them?

[@oni_goroshi]

​@@saxdogg69 we have shown the Henry to several well known gunsmiths and collectors, most of which are members of the Ohio Gun Collectors Association. One person was a friend of dad's, is a master gunsmith and actually worked for Winchester back in the 1940s. Another person was head of a well known auction houses firearms division. Another person is a gun historian and was on a TV series about a gun shop a few years ago. Another was a gunsmith for a high end shotgun manufacturer. All of them say it is undoubtedly authentic. The patina, the rimfire bolt, the correct stampings in various hidden places, the engraving... Everything says it's authentic. I was standing there at Rock Island in their warehouse when a woman who worked there tried to tell my dad and I that it was a fake. She had a couple other examples of Henrys on the table next to ours and claimed that the curve at the front of the receiver in front of the lever was different than the 2 they had in their possession. Neither my dad or I saw any difference. That was their only reasoning. They claimed ours was an Italian copy. All copies made of the 1860 Henry are obvious, be it various markings, proofs, caliber stamps, location of stamps, etc. My argument is if it was an Italian copy, the threads and screws would have most likely been metric, not standard. The bolt would have also been a centerfire bolt as .44 rimfire is extremely obsolete. No Italian manufacturer would have made a .44 rimfire replica because of the lack of available ammo. There are also no Italian stamps or proof marks, or any other stamps that shouldn't belong on the gun. Using a borescope, it's clear that the rifling is not modern. The only markings on the gun are the serial numbers that were put on at the factory. Knowing that she didn't authenticate them herself because she had no idea what she was even talking about and couldn't answer questions we had, I asked who the person was that examined it. She claimed it was someone called "The Wizard". When I asked her for the person's actual name, she wouldn't say. Since that day, I've compared my Henry to every replica I can come across. I can say comparing mine to a copy, the differences are blatantly obvious. Last year Rock Island sold a similar Henry. I believe the estimate was between $140,000 and $225,000. Ours is just as nice, if not nicer than the one they listed. As for the One of One Thousand, Dad found what was left of the rifle back in the early 1970s at a junkyard in Iowa. The rifle was missing the forend, buttplate, and the stock. I believe the rifle had been in a fire as all the wood components were missing and the rifle was heavily coated in rust. Because of the rust, dad only knew that it was a 1873 Winchester. Dad gave it to his cousin who was a machinist and blacksmith. Dad's cousin then started the process of removing the rust. One night around 3:00 in the morning my dad got a phone call from his cousin. He told my dad he needed to come out to his house and that he thought the rifle was something special. As he was removing the rust he saw the bands on the muzzle and breach end of the barrel and the inscription "One of One Thousand" on the top of the barrel. A few years later in the late 70s dad heard that RL Wilson was writing a book about the One of One Thousands and sent pictures of the rifle to Wilson. Wilson had access to the Winchester records at the Cody Museum and found information on the rifle, authenticating it. The Winchester letter I have says that it was an octagon barrel, set trigger, checkered stock, case hardened, received in warehouse on March 7th 1878, shipped from warehouse on May 27th 1882, order number 33033. It was sent back for repair on April 29th, 1918, order number 92982. The information in Wilson's book has a slightly different date for the repair. We also know this rifle had a pistol grip stock instead of the straight stock and that the wood was XX grade, per the stamp on the receiver. Over the next several decades dad restored the rifle. The walnut for the stock comes from his childhood friend's farm in Ohio. The stock was made by dad, checkered by one of dad's gunsmith friends and the pitting and metal work on the rifle was welded in and smoothed out by another friend of dad's who is a master gunsmith. Dad re sleeved the barrel, reblued and color case hardened the parts, and reassembled the rifle himself. Apparently Rock Island thought the restoration was too good and deemed it a fake, even though we have photographic evidence the rifle is authentic. I have to admit, dad did one hell of a job on it and would probably impress Doug Turnbull!

[@tinymud3324]

Love the Browning (Winchester) 1892 lever action over the 1894 30/30. I'm a Lee Enfield guy. Looking forward to your series on lever action Winchesters - Thanks Ian. Something about Pre 64 models?

[@-oiiio-3993]

I had a Marlin 1894 in .44 Magnum. Traded it for a disassembled M38A1 Jeep.

[@ShahinAmerian]

I love this gun .... maybe just because I did grew up by Western movies .

[@0214Bub]

The European militaries at this time seem to me to be more willing to adopt new gun technology than the good old USA. I have often wondered if that had something to do with their history of repeated conflicts where in this country we weren't as worried about all out war with our neighbors.

[@elessargriz1736]

0214Bub not really. It was more due to doctrine. Believe it or not but at the time the US valued precise, single shots to rapid fire volleys. The trapdoors worked just fine until smokeless came along.

[@A-G-F-]

Europe is always changing their firearms, USA is always sticking with whatever works

[@HaNsWiDjAjA]

The Europeans also mostly stuck with single shot rifles until the late 1880's and early 1890's. The US was right in the trend when it adopted the Krag Jorgensen in 1892. The Europeans too ignored the lever action rifles because the calibers they were available in were not considered powerful enough for the kind of long range engagement preferred back then.

[@ColHoganGer90]

The "Henry-Stutzen"!!! You made a number of Germans happy today, Ian ;-)

[@rogerhwerner6997]

I bought a Henry Repeating Atms Co. reproduction of the 1860 .44-40 in .44 mag center fire. Yes, it's only a replica but damn it has a lovely look and feel, and it handles beautifully with no, and I meN no, significant recoil. In fact, I'd say its recoil is less than my Winchester model 94 in .30-30 or Marlin 336 in .30-30. Indeed, the sucker is hefty! One of the significant disadvantages of the Henry magazine system is with its changing balance as it's being fired. The cartridges are substantial. So a full compliment of ammo in the magazine not only increases overall weight but it creates a gun that is heavy in the front or barrel. When firing, one makes adjustments for the weight of the cartridges but as one fires, the gun becomes increasingly weighted towards the back. This requires adjustments and this can effect accuracy of fire.

[@raoulmoes6278]

so I seriously wonder. do people who dislike these videos actually dislike Ian or the guns themselves? please answer this I'm really curious.

[@Taistelukalkkuna]

Simple, elegant, and beuatiful rifle. Me like a lot.

[@Dr_Will_Tarr]

I am a US Civil War Reenactor (Union Paymaster) and own two of these Uberti 1860 Henry. The round (in 44/40) in black powder, I load my own can only load 28/29 grains 2F Swiss powder. I have taken apart commercial cowboy black powder rounds and measured only 30 grains. Not sure how 40 grains could be loaded. It really is a low powered Assault Rifle… never long range. Lethal at say 40 yards… but hitting a person at 100 to 200 yards will just get them angry. Spencer was much bigger bullet and twice the powder load. Some diary’s , a proud Henry owner would call it “my 17 shooter” and in the later same letter “my 16 shooter”. People often called their colts/Remington pistols “a six shooter”. Pocket 31 cal guns “pocket pistols and very very weak… shooting a big guy will just piss him off.. might die later but could kill you in the mean time.

[@HaNsWiDjAjA]

You are seriously underestimating the power of the .44 Henry. With an initial velocity of 1125 fps and a 200 grain bullet flat point bullet with a BC of 0.13, that round should still be travelling at 838 fps at 200 yards. That is pretty similar to a .45 ACP at the muzzle. So no, a person shot hit with a .44 Henry out of a rifle at 200 yards wont just 'get angry', any more than if you shove a 1911 in their chest and pull the trigger.

[@dunbar555]

I own 3 Uberti repros of this rifle. One of my fav rifles ever

[@Mrgunsngear]

awesome video

[@stephenwoods4118]

Primers in the same place as cartridges, .58 caliber ammunition were issues in a package containing 10 (paper wrapped) rounds and a paper twist of 12 Primers (all wrapped in a paper wrapper to make neat package).

[@bazzathegreat3517]

I imagine that waste of ammo was high in the list of rejection reasons. It is such a General's answer. We would win this war if all my men weren't incompetent, wasting all the damn ammo. I don't imagine any General has actually ever lost a battle do to his own actions.

[@Platinum_Squid]

Hey not sure if you still read the comments on older videos but thank you for compiling these and other series into playlist. Really enjoy the story of the weapons you feature.

[@Gabthar]

DESIRE TO LOAD ON SUNDAY AND SHOOT ALL WEEK Intensifies

[@anzaca1]

I keep asking myself why Ian doesn't have a TV show.

[@vandabo]

How did people measure the muzzle velocity of firearms back in the day? Or do we only know these numbers from using modern tech to measure the speeds of original historical loads?

[@paulmanson253]

vandabo Well,back in which day ? Certainly by the mid 1880s the British military used 2 big metal screens,batteries and a fairly complex electromechanical mechanism to measure bullet velocity directly at the range. I downloaded a copy of the book,try the Gutenberg. org project.Technologies we think of as modern are often surprisingly old. Look up how old Maxwells equations are,the basics of electricity go back farther than most people think. Ice was being manufactured using ammonia as a refrigerant gas shortly after the American Civil War. Mark Twain wrote about how that alone transformed life in cities like New Orleans. One step at a time,but that was a really big deal to people who lived at the time.The US Navy chose a particular thread form about then. We know it now as UNC, or coarse thread. Before then,there was no accepted standard in the USA.Humble nuts and bolts,but interchangeable fasteners are a big deal if not existing before.

[@evilstoner18]

This has to be the most satisfying sounding action I've ever heard

[@truktronton88]

Love your vids, Ian. Love the odd guns, the way you talk about them, love every minute of it lol cheers from Indonesia.

[@EuropeYear1917]

Winchesters! This is a topic I am all for being given an overload of info in a short period of time... Unlike Bergmanns. And the SA80 overload was fascinating, but not as fascinating as this topic!. Nothing against the Bergmann or the SA80, but I'm just far more interested in Winchester rifles, having grown up in the American West, where they seem to be popular (and where they are frequently featured in movies about the Old West). (P.S.: Don't let the screen name fool you, I am not Nicholas II, back from the dead. Therefore I did actually grow up in the American West, I'm not pulling anybody's leg. I just happened to study Russian history for a little while in college, before switching to being a vocal music major, so... that's why I'm shown as being the Tsar.)

[@jacksonlewis4365]

the military not adopting for the primer and powder: change is bad!

[@raijinmeister]

Beautiful weapon. It's amazing how something so simple was so revolutionary. But usually, it's how it is.

[@natedorney7032]

Had Custer's men had Spencers at little bighorn instead of the trapdoor carbines, I think that it would have made a bigger impact on the warriors and allowed some of his battalion to survive instead of being wiped out to a man.

[@ship4427]

It is a very interesting progression, thanx for the knowledge.

[@Spearfisher1970]

14:15 - "there was Henry center fire ammunition made for a period of time" - I'm sort of surprised that the Henry-specific center fire cartridges didn't catch on as a main-stream cartridge since it was right there at the start of center fire cartridges.

[@thechemtrailkid]

Really handsome rifle on top of everything else

[@RadioactiveLobster]

8 part series!! Yes please.

[@killswitchrules99]

Bro, you're seriously the coolest bastard alive. I can't get enough of this damn channel. It almost makes me mad how good it is. Damn! Seriously seriously, thank you so much for all the hard work. You lit a flame to my burgeoning interest in firearms and military systems. I'm a total nerd for guns and such now, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I could only hope to be at your level of gun nerd brother, and I say that with the utmost respect! That'll do Ian. Keep em coming. For lil baby Jesus sake, just please keep em coming!

[@bunkstagner298]

the amazing part is the whole barrel/magazine tube assembly was milled out of one piece of steel. This is a pretty hard thing to do with CNC machining. What superb craftsmen in those days.

[@cs-rj8ru]

Well in the dark ol days before cnc a maker simply had a whole floor of machines, each jigged up for a specific task. A floor of skilled machinists and well, there you go.

[@kg6qzx]

Ian, just curious about the Henry Carbines...are there any estimate as to how many Henry rifles were converted to carbines? They would then be considered "modified" and less valued as such? Were these mods typically done around the period or later? I love carbine Winchesters but in the case of Henry rifles...stay with an original.

[@derekstocker6661]

The .44 Henry rimfire cartridge of 1860s must have been quite good as it was still being used in the 1872 Colt Open Frame revolver. This is a great series of tutorials on firearms and just goes to show the ingenuity of man to destroy each other....

[@micah97]

I ran across a Henry on Sunday that was apparently an ordinance department accepted rifle I didn't take it out of the case its for sale in Gettysburg pa. I think they want 50000 for it. They have a lot that I'm sure forgotten weapons would have interest in there shop

[@aaronbuckmaster7063]

I love my first reproduction run from Henry in a 44-40 Deluxe. Gorgeous tiger striped walnut stock. They are smooth as butter, fast and very very little recoil. Sweet accurate and fun. One extra thing. The side plates especially on the new Henry’s are sharp as a razor. When you remove the side plates BE CAREFUL.

[@DrTarrandProfessorFether]

Yep… dropped a cover plate on my exposed foot… 1 hour later, I noticed dried blood all over the place…

[@malakiblunt]

I dont like to be pedantic , but technically guns metal (aka red brass) is an alloy of copper tin and zinc and some times lead , the royal navy used 85-5-5-5 copper and equal parts lead zinc and tin to cast ther guns. , so it is neither bronze nor brass - in reality it just shows the problems of giving metal alloys names. Archaeologists no longer use the term bronze instead just saying copper alloy Correction evidently i do like to be pedantic

[@milgeekmedia]

Actually, the follower coming back and hitting your hand *may* have been advantageous - especially for a gun with such a high rate of fire (for the time). The follower hitting your hand could be a handy (excuse the pun) reminder of how many shots you had left? (Perhaps?) Great video as usual.

[@Asertix357]

This was a very educational episode for me. I honestly thought iron-framed Henry rifles were just a contemporary modern creation by companies like Uberti and Cimarron.

[@GogglesAreAwsome]

I have notice you mentioning metric measurements as well as imperial. As an inhabitant of the rest of the world, I thank you :)

[@bwxmoto]

Winchester 94 in .30-30 is a fun gun to shoot.

[@jordanlittle5391]

This is like the best california rifle

[@JoshuaNicoll]

Gun metal is more accurate to say it's a brass bronze hybrid, it has properties of both, as it has tin and zinc, but no where near as much zinc as brass, it's closer to bronze.

[@evanjohnson1299]

1860 Henry- Scaled up the old Voltanic pistol to a rifle and developed a proper self-contained cartridge and had double firing pins to improve reliability of rim-fire. 1866 Winchester-used the king's loading gate eliminating the weak point of the loading tube improving the handling. model 1873-created the 40WCF the first lever gun to come out of the factory with centerfire Model 1876-scaled up the action of the ongoing design to barely handle a weakened rifle cartridge 45-60(the army used 45-70) maxed out the original Henry design Model 1886-1rst John Browning design created a proper locking block 1rst lever to handle true rifle rounds 1rst design capable of handling smokeless powder. Model 1892- scaled down the 1886 for pistol caliber meant to replace older models with smokeless powder centerfire. Model 1894-simplified and strengthened the locking action most successful lever gun ever 7million+ made introduced the 30-30 Model 1895- tweaked the action to accept a magazine eliminating the under-barrel tube can handle big boy rounds like .405win, Teddy Roosevelt's favorite rifle and only levergun used by country in large numbers