GUN SPRING 2017
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/11/2017
SCARCE MARTIALLY MARKED HENRY MODEL 1860 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.HENRY1860346244 RFCal 44 RF Henry. Beautiful Martial Henry with 24-1/4" oct bbl, integral magazine, square back German silver front sight and 3rd type 900 yd Henry ladder rear sight without slide stop screw. Top flat of bbl has the small Henry's Patent and Company address 2-line marking. Mounted with uncheckered dark walnut buttstock with straight grip and brass buttplate that has rounded heel and large trap to accommodate the accompanying 4-pc hickory and steel cleaning rod. SN was observed on top flat of bbl, at the receiver, left side of lower tang under the wood, in top tang channel of buttstock and inside toe of buttplate. Buttplate screws are matching numbered to rifle. The 3 tang screws are correct for this serial range and are un-numbered. Right front side of frame is marked with 2 small "H" inspector initials with corresponding "H" on the right bbl flat below the inspector initials "C.G.C". Right wrist of buttstock has a clear "CGC" inspectors cartouche and right heel of buttstock has a small "H" inspector initial with corresponding "H" on the right heel of buttplate. This rifle is listed by SN in the inventory of the Third Regiment U.S. Veteran Volunteers of 1865 in the booklet The Historic Henry Rifle, Sword. This rifle was one of 60 rifles ordered by the government and filled on Oct 31, 1863. The referenced publication also reveals that there were 783 rifles issued to the 1st D.C. Cavalry which would have included this rifle. The 1st D.C. Cavalry was initially organized for provost duty around Washington D.C., but in the spring of 1864 they were transferred to the Virginia peninsula and rushed into active service in May. In August of that year about 250 of those Henry rifles had been lost in battle. They lost still more rifles at Stoney Creek and Sycamore Church VA in June & September of 1864. In August 1864 7 companies of 1st D.C. Cavalry were transferred to the 1st Maine Cavalry, taking their Henry rifles with them. In total there were 1100 Henry rifles procured specifically for the 1st D.C. Cavalry. At the end of the war 62 of these rifles were sold to discharged soldiers of the 1st Maine Cavalry and 65 rifles remained with the 1st D.C. Cavalry. Many of the remaining Henry rifles were then issued to Company F of the 97th Indiana Infantry Volunteers. In addition some of the turned-in or arsenal inventory rifles were used to help arm a regiment of veteran volunteers that had been organized in Feb and March of 1865. When the 3rd Veteran Volunteer Regiment was recruited part of their incentive was that upon completion of honorable service they would be allowed to retain their arms and accoutrements. Apparently most of those veterans availed themselves of the opportunity to obtain a Henry rifle. Undoubtedly those rifles lost in battle and those rifles purchased or retained by discharged Union veterans would have ordinarily seen very hard service on the American Frontier. Examples of these rifles are seldom encountered and almost never found with a visible cartouche on the stock. They usually show their extreme hard service. CONDITION: Very fine, all matching. Bbl & magazine retain a dark brown patina with fine surface pitting. Receiver & side plates show crisp sharp edges and a dark carmel colored patina. Buttplate is a matching patina. Hammer retains mottled case colors on the sides, being dark patina on the edges. Lever is a dark brown patina with fine surface pitting. Trigger retains most of its orig blue finish with a few spots of rust. Buttstock has a nearly invisible hairline back of the top tang, otherwise is sound with a few light nicks & scratches and retains a dark finish. Screw heads retain generous amounts of orig blue. Mechanics are crisp, strong bore with moderate to heavy pitting. 51137-1 JRL (15,000-25,000)