Page 22 - 4094-BOOK1

20
LOT 14
Outstanding Well-Documented Civil War Era Factory Engraved and Silver Plated New Haven
Arms Co. Henry Lever Action Rifle, Featured on the Cover of Gun Report’s October 1957 Issue
and in “Winchester Engraving” Books, with Wooden Henry Cleaning Rod - Serial no. 1449, 44 Henry
RF cal., 24 1/4 inch octagon bbl., blue/silver finish, deluxe walnut stock. Rock Island Auction Company
is honored to be able to offer this absolutely stunning example of an engraved and silver plated Henry
rifle, bearing serial number 1449, as manufactured in 1863 during the middle of the Civil War. Factory
engraved Henry rifles are scarce and among the most desirable of all the antique firearms by collectors
today thanks to their important place in the development of lever action firearms and the Winchester
Repeating Arms Co., as well as their place in the history of the American Civil War, the West, and popular
culture. This highly attractive factory engraved Henry is about as desirable as it gets, with a factory silver
plated brass frame and buttplate, along with a deluxe select grain walnut stock. The combination of
silver plating and engraving was a $10 special order option offered from the New Haven Arms Company
starting in 1862, and the frequency of Henry rifles made with these options quickly declined due to the
company discouraging special order features during the peak of production at the height of the Civil
War in order to meet production demands. Many of these special ordered Henry rifles were known to
have been presented to officers and prominent individuals. This rifle is featured on the cover of the
October 1957 issue of the Gun Report magazine, and page 31 states; “The Henry rifle on this month’s
cover is certainly a presentation model even though it bears no inscription. It is in excellent condition
and apparently fired very little as the bore is almost like new.” This rifle is also featured on page 16 of
“The Book of Winchester Engraving” (1975 publication) and page 22 of “Winchester Engraving” (1989
publication) both by R.L. Wilson, in which the photo captions indicate that its engraving pattern makes
it nearly a twin to serial number 1441 pictured in the books. The engraving is similar to those on other
Henry rifles of the period and consists of scrollwork, decorative borders, and floral blooms with punchdot
backgrounds on the frame, side panels, and first type buttplate. Equipped with a provision for a blade
front sight (absent), with a dovetail mounted fixed notch rear sight on the barrel and a flip-up notch
sight mounted in the dovetail slot on top of the frame. The top of the barrel is marked with the two-line
Henry patent and New Haven Arms Co. address markings ahead of the rear sight and the serial number
is located at the breech. Includes an original early type Henry four-piece hickory cleaning rod with iron
ferrules located inside the butt compartment.
Featured on the cover of
"The Gun Report" from
October 1957.