Halfway Creek Charlie: I am looking forward to your range report.
Y'll love the Henry and as you will treat her with respect she will reward you with great longrange accuracy despite the lousy but period correct sights!
You should be doing OK to 150 or 200 yards in .45 Colt caliber!
Bootsie

I found my Henry (44-40) to be more accurate out at 200+ yards than my 66 or 73.

Helo:
I just got a used Henrys and had the same trouble turning the loading barrel band. My problem wasn't not knowing how to work it  but it was a little screw between the barrel and magazine tube just at the bottom where  the seam between the barrel and the loading band meet. The screw is flat on one side and round the rest. It had turned out about 1/4 turn and prevented the barrel loading band from rotating. Don't know what the screw is for and I don't think it is a loading band lock but not sure. Just used a gunsmithing screw driver and tightened the screw and all is wonderful  again.
Also, Load at a slant, let the magazine follower down easy and when your shooting watch that your hand doesn't hold back the plunger and it goes a slaming down when you remove or change hand positions. Have heard of slam fires in the mag tubes if follower spring slams to hard. If you shoot a lot a glove will be needed cause the barrel will get hot quick.
Enjoy.
Have a good one.
Old Badger

I used my Henry this past week at the NCOWS National Shoot.  I didn't use a spacer stick and it didn't take me long to figure out where to place my hand to keep from doing the Henry hop.  I hold the rifle with my right hand and load it with my right.

I really enjoyed shooting it.  I have had it for a couple of years but didn't shoot it enough to learn how to get around the hop.  I didn't want to use a stick because I don't think it's historically correct but that's just for me.  I don't care what others choose to do.  I should have shot it on paper first though.  I was hitting 8" low at about 25 yards.  At most CAS shoots this isn't important but when the targets are on the small side then you want to have your sights set to hit point of aim

Will Ketchum

Boy what a day!
The Belgian Colt from Rifle  came today. Boy is it ACES! and an early Gun too. S/N 299X

I got a  ASM 1860 Army and an early Uberti 58 Remy Navy from Tubac, Nice guns too, and a custom pair of Tommy Tornado Holsters in the mail too. (like his avatar)

The holsters from TT are great, lined, and basket weaved with the Texas star weave stamp. and fringed and the tops are covered in buckskin or goat or?? fringed and the fringe is twisted,  like the ones in his post picture(avatar). Really nice ones.

You are NOT an Amatuer TommyT!

I picked up the Henry and went and shot the bejeebers out of it. Found out how to open the false muzzle(really easy once you do it once).
Cut my finger on the mag tube first time I opened the False muzzle.

Out of approx 100 shots I had one boo-boo.
A factory Winchester Cowboy load wasn't crimped and collasped the bullet into the brass and jammed the lifter.
Had my wits about me, I disengaged the extractor dropped the shell back down after unloading the Mag, and slid the offending case out the magazine, reloaded and blazed away.

It feeds PMC, 3-D and Winchester Factory cowboy loads equally well. and I didn't notice any difference in placement one brand to another.

Rifle shoots dead on for windage at CAS Rifle Range, but a 1/4 bull right, so I have to adjust the rear sight, because the front is a non driftable blade in the muzzle band. Minor problem, except Old Goofus here drifted the rear sight the wrong way the first time.....DUH Back sight moves the opposite way you want to move the group. Front sight moves the WAY you want to move the group. I reversed that . So I gotta adjust the sight again.

This thing shoots a one 2"-2 1/2"ragged hole groups at the CAS rifle Range. I can shoot it almost as well offhand as on the bench.

Other than Operator error, the collasped case/bullet, the gun is ACES!

Did I say I love this gun?

QuoteDUH Back sight moves the opposite way you want to move the group. Front sight moves the WAY you want to move the group. I reversed that . So I gotta adjust the sight again.

Howdy

Better try that again. Move the rear sight in the direction you want the group to move. Move the front sight in opposite direction of where you want the group to move.

Will Ketchum:

Of course nobody would use a spacer stick 100 or more years ago. They would load the magazine up to the brim and there would be no space for a spacer stick. I only do it because we are not allowed to load it to the brim. If I could I would. But you're right, let's not throw stones at anybody else's shooting habits.

Just an aside on accuracy. I have often heard shooters say their Henrys are very accurate at long rang. I have always suspected it is because the integral magazine makes the barrel stiffer than an ordinary octagonal barrel, and cuts down on the sympathetic vibrations as the bullet goes down the bore. Don't know it to be a fact, my miserable eyesight makes any sort of long distances shooting kind of hit or miss for me, no matter what the rifle is.

Old Badger, that screw you refer to is the one you remove in order to disassemble the front sleeve from the barrel.  You must be careful to maintain control of the now compressed magazine spring and follower when removing the sleeve, as it will attempt to launch itself across the room.

The front is Elkskin and the side fringe is Deer.

Yepper! That's what I thought after I looked at them close........Now I'm going to have to have left side to match the right side, because these and the Colts(Navies and Armies) just cry to be carried like Hickock's. Butt Forward. I have shot two matchs using the Colts and carried them butt forward, but turned my right(strong side)Pistol around in the holster at the loading stand. But they feel great carried buut forward fer sure.

TT I love these holsters.

   What no pictures?      HCC ya sound like a Happy Camper

Pictures will follow shorly. Gotta go load some 45LC......