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Scarce Documented Civil War U.S. 2nd Contract Martially Inspected 3rd Veteran Volunteer Infantry New Haven Arms Co. Henry Lever Action Rifle - Serial no. 7485, 44 Henry RF cal., 24 1/4 inch octagon bbl., blue/ bright finish, walnut stock. These late production U.S. contract rifles are generally referred to as “Type II” rifles to distinguish them from the 800 “Type I” U.S. Contract Henry rifles purchased in 1863 to arm the 1st D.C. Cavalry Regiment. The Type II rifles were issued to the 3rd U.S. Veteran Volunteer Infantry (VVI) regiment. The 3rd VVI was one of nine veteran volunteer regiments recruited in early 1865 to serve as an elite corps of experienced infantry. The VVI regiments were issued Sharps, Spencer, or Henry rifles. As an enlistment incentive, VVI soldiers were allowed to retain their rifles on discharge. The 3rd VVI was organized in February 1865 at Camp Stoneman, District of Columbia, and was stationed in the Shenandoah Valley and Washington defenses before it was mustered out of service at Camp Butler, Illinois, in July 1866. This rifle is listed by serial number on page 75 of “The Historic Henry Rifle” by Sword as one of the serial number reported by the 3rd Regiment U.S. Veteran Volunteer Infantry
in 1865. It would have been shipped around April 1865 near the end of the Civil War. Rifles for this unit are listed as shipping on April 19, 1865, on page 74 of Sword’s book. It has the tiny “JT” inspection mark on the wrist identifying it as a Type II U.S. contract Henry rifle. These Type II rifles are found in the 7000-9000 range. The vast
174 majority of the rifles within this range were commercial production rather than government contract pieces, so this marking is significant in identifying this rifle as a true U.S. martial contract Henry.
This rifle has a blue barrel with integral magazine and the distinctive Henry brass gunmetal receiver and crescent buttplate. The hammer and lever have a casehardened finish. The barrel has the late nickel-silver squareback front sight blade and dovetail mounted folding leaf rear sight. The rear sight has a 900 yard center notch and retaining screw at the top of the leaf. The brass buttplate is the second pattern with sharply pointed heel. The buttplate
has a hinged trap door, and the trap contains a four-piece jointed steel cleaning rod issued with Henry rifles in this serial number range. The straight grain black walnut stock has a varnished finish. The left side of the stock has a factory sling swivel, and the left side of the barrel has a factory screw-fastened loop for a sling hook. Sling swivels were standard features on Type II U.S. Henry rifles. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the late style two-line legend “HENRY’S PATENT.OCT.16.1860/MANUFACT’D. BY THE NEWHAVEN ARMS. CO. NEWHAVEN.CT.” ahead of the rear sight and “7278” behind the rear sight. The matching serial number is also on the left side of the lower receiver tang, inside of the upper tang inlet of the stock, and on the inside of the buttplate at the toe. The buttplate and receiver have the late style cap screws which are correctly not stamped with the rifle serial number.