When was my H006C built?
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2024 8:06 pm
First post, so please bear with me.
I acquired an H006C before the new year and worked it over. It was manufactured on 1 July 2006, firmly at the Brooklyn site as the barrel says. It has seen quite a few rounds and has a couple of rough spots, mostly closing the action safety. I also have an H006C from the estate of a very good friend, manufactured sometime before 2018 (I called during the pandemic for a date.). The two rifles are distinctly different aside from the caliber.
The .45 furniture is distinct mostly in the overall longer length of the forearm furniture and reliefs in the stock. It is also very nice walnut. It was beaten up, so I decided to refinish the wood. Stripping the factory finish is a challenge. I have restored a couple of dozen Gerstner tool chests and none were as hard to get down to bare wood as the Brooklyn Henry, but the payoff was great. Hidden figuring is very apparent and beautiful after a couple of dozen hand applied and hand burnished coats of Arrow Wood Finish. I'm still working on polishing the action for the smoothness my .357 has.
Fast forward to the .357. It needed a stock refresh as well since my buddy just piled it into his stuffed gun safe. The furniture is at coat 10 and starting to look like I want, but not as nice figuring as the earlier BB. In the recleaning process, I noted the lever is a little sloppy, but sourced shims on line and will install next week.
For refinishing walnut, I never completely close the grain. I like the look, feel and with a coat of Renaissance Wax, the climate in the desert southwest won't be a problem.
I should also say that I put a Marbles bullseye sight on the back of the .45 since the elevator was well abused. The .357 has the two #4-40 holes under the previously abused semi-buckhorn sight. That will be replaced with a Skinner Golden Boy sight as it matches the .357 from Bayonne, perfectly.
My last note and question is, has anyone tried to amass a serial number data base for Henry (other than the factory) to look at when exactly manufacturing shifted from Brooklyn to Bayonne to Rice Lake?
I also have an H011C, as an homage to my great great grandfather in the Michigan Cavalry under Custer and Sherman, which was certainly manufactured in Bayonne.
I acquired an H006C before the new year and worked it over. It was manufactured on 1 July 2006, firmly at the Brooklyn site as the barrel says. It has seen quite a few rounds and has a couple of rough spots, mostly closing the action safety. I also have an H006C from the estate of a very good friend, manufactured sometime before 2018 (I called during the pandemic for a date.). The two rifles are distinctly different aside from the caliber.
The .45 furniture is distinct mostly in the overall longer length of the forearm furniture and reliefs in the stock. It is also very nice walnut. It was beaten up, so I decided to refinish the wood. Stripping the factory finish is a challenge. I have restored a couple of dozen Gerstner tool chests and none were as hard to get down to bare wood as the Brooklyn Henry, but the payoff was great. Hidden figuring is very apparent and beautiful after a couple of dozen hand applied and hand burnished coats of Arrow Wood Finish. I'm still working on polishing the action for the smoothness my .357 has.
Fast forward to the .357. It needed a stock refresh as well since my buddy just piled it into his stuffed gun safe. The furniture is at coat 10 and starting to look like I want, but not as nice figuring as the earlier BB. In the recleaning process, I noted the lever is a little sloppy, but sourced shims on line and will install next week.
For refinishing walnut, I never completely close the grain. I like the look, feel and with a coat of Renaissance Wax, the climate in the desert southwest won't be a problem.
I should also say that I put a Marbles bullseye sight on the back of the .45 since the elevator was well abused. The .357 has the two #4-40 holes under the previously abused semi-buckhorn sight. That will be replaced with a Skinner Golden Boy sight as it matches the .357 from Bayonne, perfectly.
My last note and question is, has anyone tried to amass a serial number data base for Henry (other than the factory) to look at when exactly manufacturing shifted from Brooklyn to Bayonne to Rice Lake?
I also have an H011C, as an homage to my great great grandfather in the Michigan Cavalry under Custer and Sherman, which was certainly manufactured in Bayonne.
