AAAAAAHHHHH! I may be getting a Henry again!

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Well, as you all know, I sold my Henry because I was bewitched by a beautiful Marlin Century Limited 44-40 I had to have.  Well I got the Century and love it.  It shoot better than I did at the match Sunday. 

The good new is that it looks like I am getting an iron frame 44-40 Henry, and not having to sell my Century or my Spencer.  A pard took a fancy to a Navy Arms Schofield revolver I own, and wants to trade for it, some ammo, and a little denero. I want to get back into real BP, and the Schofield won't work for that.

Being able to have both the Century and the Henry will make me so happy that I may wet myself like a happy puppy!

[Dusty Morningwood]

Welcome home! 

[Silver Creek Slim]

Way ta go, pard.

Slim

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[Henry4440]

I told you before TL, never sell your Henry.I've made that mistake once.
But i tell you something.Pssst, i think to buy a Spencer.
 

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Oooooooooooooo.....

I am picking it up tonight.  Pictures tomorrow! <ggggg>

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Yahoo!

I picked it up last night.  The attached pics are small, I will email the full size so our illustrious moderator can post them.

It is a Navy Arms iron frame 44-40.  My pard bought it in 1991 from a dealer who had it for several years.  Serial number is M008XX.  It was unfired when he bought it, and he hasn't fired 200 rounds through it.  He had a tang sight on it (blasphemy!) which he romoved. It was only on the one screw, so it was not drilled and tapped.  He gave me a new rear ladder sight assembly with it as he lost the one he took off.  He also gave me the sling swivel set from VTI he never put on it.  The wood is gorgeous and well figured.

I drifted in the new rear sight, measured it and exactly centered it on the top flat of the barrel.  I loaded a couple Black Hills 44-40s I had on my desk in the den, went out on the back deck, and proceed to shoot at a baseball sized bump of rock that was sticking up out of the dirt (part of a boulder) about 60 yards away toward the range below.  Both shots nailed it dead center!  I was pleased.  With the rear and front sights exactly centered on the barrel, it means the axis of the bore is true and straight also. (Years ago I had a henry that had the sight drifted all the way left to center at 25 yards, at it was off 4" left at 50 yards because the bore was off axis.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Another picture

[Henry4440]

He Bernie, she looks great.I like the wood.
And , what have you learned?Never sell your Henry.
 

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Yep,

I learned.  It is a case of "What was I thinking?? "

In fairness, I love the Century Limited (see attached pics)  She is gorgeous and bewitching

I guess all is well that ends well.  While the brass one I sold shoots as good as this one, I think I like the iron frame better than brass.  It has character.

I did an article on an iron frame Henry a few years ago, but it was 45 Colt, and as I was doing Real BP at the time, the .45 Colt had too much blow-by. So I did not keep it after the article and went with the brass 44-40 Henry instead.

[Irish Dave]

TL:

I bought a brass framed .45LC Henry from you several years ago. It was a great rifle, till it was stolen in a residential burglary in 2005. It was a dandy. I'm sure you'll enjoy the new one.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Howdy,

I remember.  I think that was either when I decided to go back to 44-40 or when my roof on my rental went bad just before my daughter decided to get married (with me paying!)

Did you ever get another Henry?  I may have a 44-40 1866 available that I got in for an article.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Hello the camp!

Well last night I inletted the stock for the sling swivel and inset it in.  Looks good.  Tonight I will drill and tap the front sling "U".  I ordered my Henry sling from S&S.

Anyone with a ,ilitary model tell me how many inches from the front of the sling "U" to the muzzel?  It looks centered in the length of the barrel in the pictures.

I will post pictures when done.

[Henry4440]

Hi TL.
Here are some pics.
http://www.rarewinchesters.com/gunroom/1860/M60-04434/02.JPG




Hope it will help.
 

[Flint]

Oh, to live in a house I could shoot out on the back porch of.......

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Yep, it is nice to be able to do it.  Unfortunately, I won't be able to shoot from the porch after I move to Ill.  I will have to go down to my creek bottom instead <GGGGG>.

I got the sling swivel inletted into the stock, and drill and tapped the barrel for the front "U" for the sling, and got it installed last night.  Next I need to wait for my sling from S&S gear.  It should be here tomorrow.

After that, I will take some pics and show it off!

[Tuolumne Lawman]

By the way.  Did anyone else notice that all three sling "U"s on the barrels of the three guns shown were in different places?  I guess I got it right no matter where I put it.

[Coffinmaker]

Well ........... of the actual martial Henry rifles I have seen in collections or displayed for sale (huge dollars) as long as the front sling mount was "near" the middle "somewhere," it's "right.  I've come to the conclusion the folks that put those guns together just "eyeballed" it and slapped 'er on.
Cabinet makers and machinists of the age often used "Story Poles" or "Story Sticks" with the measurements of repeat instillations.  I would suspect each assembly person at Henry & Winchester had something similar.
So, twould seem, as long as you get it securely on the barrel, it's OK!!!


Coffinmaker