Henry repeating rifle
| Henry rifle | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Type | Lever-action rifle |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | United States (Union) Confederate States |
| Wars |
American Civil War Indian Wars |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Benjamin Tyler Henry |
| Designed | 1860 |
| Manufacturer | New Haven Arms Company |
| Produced | 1860–1866 |
| No. built | c. 14,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 9 lb 4 oz (4.2 kg) |
| Length | 44.75 in (113.7 cm) |
| Barrel length | 24 in (61 cm) |
|
|
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| Caliber | .44 Henry rimfire |
| Action | breech-loading lever action |
| Feed system | 15-round tubular magazine +1 round in the chamber |
The Henry repeating rifle is a lever-action, breech-loading, tubular magazine rifle famed both for its use at the Battle of the Little Bighorn and being the basis for the iconic Winchester rifle of the American Wild West.
Designed by Benjamin Tyler Henry in 1860, the Henry was introduced in the early 1860s and produced through 1866 in the United States by the New Haven Arms Company. It was adopted in small quantities by the Union in the Civil War, favored for its greater firepower than the standard issue carbine. Many later found their way West, notably in the hands of the Sioux and Cheyenne in their obliteration of Custer's U.S. Cavalry troops in June 1876.
Modern replicas are produced by A. Uberti Firearms and Henry Repeating Arms. Most are chambered in .44-40 Winchester or .45 Long Colt.
The original Henry rifle was a sixteen shot .44 caliber rimfire, lever-action, breech-loading rifle patented by Benjamin Tyler Henry in 1860 after three years of design work. The Henry was an improved version of the earlier Volition Repeating Rifle, and later Volcanic Repeating Rifle. The Henry used copper (later brass) rimfire cartridges with a 216 grain (14.0 gram, 0.490 ounce) bullet over 25 grains (1.6 g, 0.056 oz.) of gunpowder. Production was very small (150 to 200 a month) until the middle of 1864. Nine hundred were manufactured between summer and October 1862; by 1864, production had peaked at 290 per month, bringing the total to 8,000 manufactured. By the time production ended in 1866, approximately 14,000 units had been manufactured.
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