The 1860 Henry was the .30 M1 Carbine of the day!

[Tuolumne Lawman]

When you look at the 1860 Henry, especially in the context of the Civil War, it filled a role not much different than the USGI 30 M1 Carbine did in WW2.  Neither was a major rifle caliber, neither was great at ranges of more than 150-200 yards, but both offered awesome firepower under that range.  In the Civil War, it was favored by small unit skirmishers and body guards for Generals, including Jeff Davis!  In WW2, it was prized in the Pacific, where the fighting was close and personal in the jungle or in Europe when clearing villages.  Merrill's Marauders in Burma favored the Carbine, as did my dad who fought with one on Iwo Jima.  He only told me "It never let me down" and he came home in one piece.

If you think of it, there are many parallels. A gun writer in the 80s and 90s -who passed away in 2000, Robert (Bob) Shimek, called the 1860 Henry the "First Assault Rifle" because of its relatively awesome fire power.

BtW, both carried 15 rounds...