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LOT 11
Exceptional Civil War Production New Haven Arms First Model Henry Lever Action Rifle - Serial no. 2427, 44 Henry RF cal., 24 inch octagon bbl., blue finish, varnished walnut stock. This is an extraordinary example of a Henry lever action rifle that was manufactured by the New Haven Arms Co. of New Haven, Connecticut, in 1863. The rifle has the distinctive brass receiver and crescent buttplate with octagon barrel and integral 15-shot magazine. The rifle has the first style receiver with rear sight dovetail and early style buttplate with rounded heel. The rear sight dovetail on the receiver was discontinued about serial number 3,000 and a buttplate with pointed heel was introduced at about serial number 4,000. The barrel has the second pattern nickel silver front sight blade with tapered front and flat back and third pattern folding leaf rear sight. The third pattern rear sight is distinguished by “900” stamped below the center notch in the top of the leaf elevator bar with rounded ends and lack of the elevator stop screw in the top of the leaf. The magazine has the large diameter brass follower used after serial number 1,900. The receiver has milled flats on either side of the follower slot. The stock and barrel are not fitted with a sling swivel and loop for a sling hook (sling swivels and loops were extra cost, special order items until mid-1863). The buttplate has a hinged brass trapdoor and the butt trap contains
a jointed four-piece hickory cleaning rod. The stock is straight grain American walnut with a varnished piano finish. The rifle has a blue barrel and integral magazine. The hammer, trigger and lever are color casehardened. The rear sight components, bolt and receiver, trigger spring and buttplate screws have a fire blue finish. The top barrel flat
is roll stamped with the two-line legend “HENRY’S PATENT. OCT. 16. 1860/MANUFACT’D BY THE NEWHAVEN ARMS.CO. NEWHAVEN.CT.” The legend is the smaller first style which utilizes Roman (serifed) letters for all of the address except for the second “NEWHAVEN” which is stamped
12 in Gothic (block) letters.