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LOT 3047
Outstanding Civil War Production New Haven Arms Company Henry Lever Action Rifle - Serial no. 6543, 44 Henry RF cal., 24
inch bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut stock. This exceptional Henry rifle was manufactured by the New Haven Arms Company
c. September 1864. This rifle has the distinctive 24-inch blued octagon barrel with integral 15-shot magazine and brass receiver which
immediately identify a Henry rifle. The barrel has the later style, square back, nickel-silver front sight and folding leaf rear sight with 900 yard
center notch and elevation bar stop screw. The magazine has the large diameter brass follower. The second style receiver lacks the rear sight
dovetail found on most Henry rifles manufactured in 1862 and 1863. The bottom of the receiver has a beveled follower cut. The hammer spur
has coarse hand-cut knurling. The second style brass buttplate has a sharply pointed heel and hinged butt trapdoor. The butt trap correctly
contains the four-piece jointed, steel cleaning rod with brass tip furnished with Henry rifles in this serial number range. The left side of the
stock has a sling swivel, and the left side of the has a screw-fastened ring for a sling hook. The sling swivel and ring were standard features on
Henry rifles by 1864. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped with the second style, two-line legend: “HENRY’S PATENT OCT. 16. 1860/MANUFACT’D
BY THE NEWHAVEN ARMS CO. NEWHAVEN CT.” ahead of the rear sight. The second style legend is slightly larger than the legend used through
about serial number 3600 and has all serif letters. The serial number is roll-stamped on the top barrel flat between the rear sight and the receiver
and is visible on the left side of the lower tang beneath the stock, in the stock upper tang inlet and on the inside of the buttplate. All of the visible
serial numbers match. The later style buttplate and receiver screws correctly lack the serial numbers on the shank found on the hand-fitted screws
of earlier production Henry rifles. The barrel/magazine has a commercial blue finish. The rear sight, bolt, trigger, loading lever, sling swivel and ring all
have a fiery, niter blue finish (this is one of the very few Henry rifle with sufficient finish remaining on the lever, trigger and sling swivel to show these components originally had a niter blue rather than casehardened finish). The receiver and crescent buttplate have a natural brass finish. The hammer
is casehardened with muted case colors. The straight grain, American walnut stock is oil-finished. Experts believe that most of the 9,000 Henry rifle manufactured between the beginning of production in April 1862 and the end of the Civil War in April 1865 were privately purchased by individual Federal soldiers who appreciated the firepower offered by the Henry repeating rifle. Several Midwestern regiments were primarily armed with privately purchased Henry rifles. Nearly all of the Civil War production Henry rifles show moderate to heavy service use. A Henry rifle with even traces of the blue finish on the barrel/magazine is scarce. Henry rifles with large amounts of original finish are very rare and highly desirable.
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