Henry Rifle Forums

In the June 2019 issue of Dillon's Blue Press magazine. It's free, or you can read it online.
Very cool article including historical quotes from Civil War Henry owners.

Thanks for posting.

Thanks for the read. Interesting stats, especially about the performance of the repeating lever-action during some Civil War battles. What an advantage in firepower those soldiers had!

I really liked the comment a union Private wrote in the letter home to his sister after a July 22, 1864 battle, defending a union supply wagon train.

"I stood and fired ninety founds without stopping. My gun barrel was so hot that I could not touch it. Spit on it and it would siz."

There are more details in the article to be sure, but that line stood out. Battle Proven.

Due to my interest in and desire and eventually getting one of these reproductions I have read most of this information elsewhere but I don't think I've come acrosss this story before. It certainly does point out one of the weaknesses of this particular rifle. Can't imagine not having at least one glove handy and being able to fire this rifle repeatedly although given the choice of life and death I might be able. Warts and all however the Henry certainly was head and shoulders above everything else when it came to volume of fire. The only thing close being the Spencer but if you ever watch someone trying to shoot a Spencer it looks as though the rifle is working the person versus the other way around. There's just no way given it's much smaller magazine and more difficult nature of operation that a Spencer could possibly keep up when it came to volume of fire.

All I know is that the Henry rifle was something that always appealed to me. I guess in part because I am just old, in part because of the history and it's connection to the Civil War, in part because of the things I grew up seeing in Movies and TV Shows, and in part because how good looking that rifle is. I may very well have seen the 1892 more but when I saw that brass receiver I know I perked up a bit more and paid more attention. So the Henry and the 1866 Yellow Boy always just looked real cool to me.

I can attest to the barrel getting hot...I don't very often do the Rifleman thing but when I do, that barrel heats up big time. And fast.

I've yet to experience this on mine but that's only because I've yet to have the opportunity to fire mine yet. However having experience with guns I know for a fact that can be a problem. However since I will never use this rifle in combat nor take it out in inclement weather and mud or dirt the lack or forearm, magazine tube sleeve, magazine follower, and lack of loading gate will never be an issue for me.

So instead of the warts I can focus on how great it feels to fire something that harkens back to history what a gorgeous looking rifle this thing really is.

Thank goodness for modern improvements as there are so many which actually are more practical or more useable.


However Thank God we still have the ability to experience some of those things which although are less so they are much more so when it comes to Craftmanship, Beauty and History.


You just keep that Glock and that AR and I'll just keep smiling more with my SA's, my Revolvers, my 1911, and my Henry.