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1860 Henry shooters be aware....


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I might be shooting my '60 Henry at the Rockford 2-day tomorrow so I need to remember some basics in shooting this thing in competition. 1) Many here know to be careful loading - easily letting the cartridges slide down the tube, not dropping them with the gun vertical, and easing the follower down. 2) then there's doing that 'Henry Hop' so the follower can continue to push the cartridges in the mag tube as ya shoot....but one thing to remember...and I'm not sure if others have had this happen...

 

Be aware of when you lay the rifle on the table as not to hit the front of the barrel too hard. It might just cock the sleeve (top of the barrel that rotates to facilitate loading). If that happens the spring can get jammed and then there will be no spring pressure to allow the cartridges to be pushed toward the carrier by the follower. It happened to me twice last year....kinda funny as I would point the rifle up to allow the round to slid down toward the carrier.

 

Just something to think about.

 

Hope y'all have a great weekend shooting :)

 

 

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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There is something "not right" with the "lock" on your sleeve. It should NOT turn unless the follower releases the lock.

 

Coffinmaker

 

that's what I thought - will double check the ole gal - thanks...

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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Guest Texas Jack Black

I might be shooting my '60 Henry at the Rockford 2-day tomorrow so I need to remember some basics in shooting this thing in competition. 1) Many here know to be careful loading - easily letting the cartridges slide down the tube, not dropping them with the gun vertical, and easing the follower down. 2) then there's doing that 'Henry Hop' so the follower can continue to push the cartridges in the mag tube as ya shoot....but one thing to remember...and I'm not sure if others have had this happen...

 

Be aware of when you lay the rifle on the table as not to hit the front of the barrel too hard. It might just cock the sleeve (top of the barrel that rotates to facilitate loading). If that happens the spring can get jammed and then there will be no spring pressure to allow the cartridges to be pushed toward the carrier by the follower. It happened to me twice last year....kinda funny as I would point the rifle up to allow the round to slid down toward the carrier.

 

Just something to think about.

 

Hope y'all have a great weekend shooting :)

 

 

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

Hey Pilgrim, How long have you been shooting SASS? ;) ;)

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Hey Gunner, You can get a dowel rod and some brass pin's and cut it to lenght so you won't have to move your hand. Brisco

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Another thing to watch when picking it up too is not the catch the follower on the table edge which will allow it to spring toward as you bring it up to your shoulder.

 

I hold my Henry by the receiver so I don't have to worry about the hop.

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Another thing to watch when picking it up too is not the catch the follower on the table edge which will allow it to spring toward as you bring it up to your shoulder.

 

I hold my Henry by the receiver so I don't have to worry about the hop.

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Hey Pilgrim, How long have you been shooting SASS? ;) ;)

 

Mr TJ 'all hat-no cattle' Black speaks, but as usual has nothing kind to say..

 

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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Hey Gunner, You can get a dowel rod and some brass pin's and cut it to lenght so you won't have to move your hand. Brisco

 

Thanks - that is something I'm going to do!

 

Eventually I want AJ's carrier that accepts the C45S as that has ballistics about the same as the original Henry 44 Rimfire cartridge.

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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Another thing to watch when picking it up too is not the catch the follower on the table edge which will allow it to spring toward as you bring it up to your shoulder.

 

I hold my Henry by the receiver so I don't have to worry about the hop.

 

I tried and for some accurate shooting it works good, but I can't control the sweep so much...maybe it's just something I have to work on.

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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Anybody notice Anse's uncle sitting on the log droppin the cartridges into his vertical Henry in Episode 2? :rolleyes:

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Anybody notice Anse's uncle sitting on the log droppin the cartridges into his vertical Henry in Episode 2? :rolleyes:

 

I saw him handlin' one for sure....I guess I must have the Hatfield Armory Collection - the 1873 that 'Devil' used and the 1860 of that Jim Vance :lol: Guess I need t get some brass framed Remmie pistolas...

 

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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There is something "not right" with the "lock" on your sleeve. It should NOT turn unless the follower releases the lock.

 

Coffinmaker

 

Yeah, I put a little pressure on it and the indicator at the end of the barrel rises when I turn the barrel - hmmmm...how to fix that'n :unsure:

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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Guest Texas Jack Black

Mr TJ 'all hat-no cattle' Black speaks, but as usual has nothing kind to say..

 

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

 

 

Only trying to save you from hurting yourself, You seemed to not know the workings of your own rifle. ;) I was trying to show you some compassion. :rolleyes:

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Only trying to save you from hurting yourself, You seemed to not know the workings of your own rifle. ;) I was trying to show you some compassion. :rolleyes:

 

Sounds good ;)

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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surely his were rimfire. ;)

 

I assume they were dummy rounds as the armorer on the film crew usually does all loading of firearms rather than trust live blanks to the actors. :lol:

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Hay Pard dont drop it in the MUD at Rockford tomarrow !

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Hay Pard dont drop it in the MUD at Rockford tomarrow !

 

GREAT SHOOTIN' WITH YA PARD! ~ the Henry performed admirably...

 

Upon inspection the nitch where the plunger key sets down in rounded (how, I don't know) and the key itself is worn. Will have to figure out how to fix 'er. However, it gave no probs today and I didn;t have one miss with the rifle....but that dern pistola miss on the last stage....grrr :lol: . Tomorrow is a new day and hope to finish the match without another miss :)

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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UB, also saw the Uncle go into a shoot-out with the follower on his Henry all the way bottomed out ie no ammo.

Rafe :FlagAm:

 

Well....The good Uncle was a bit under the infuence I would gather :lol:

 

 

That's why libations are enjoyed AFTER the shooting ...^_^ ...surprised he lived as long as he did.

 

 

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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Hay GG great shoot today Pard !

God bless and be safe .

Hope to see you soon .

Lets git together for a beer some day after work . :huh:

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HMMM now you boys has done stirred up a bit of a question in my mind. The old Henry rimfires from the CW had to be mighty hard to git ammo for, even soon after the CW I would think? When one thinks of all the small hidden communities scattered sparsely around the country Im sure the few rifles that fokes had would require careful conservation of ammo to avoid running out for long periods, Might not have been to common to have more than three or four rounds in the gun at any one time???

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HMMM now you boys has done stirred up a bit of a question in my mind. The old Henry rimfires from the CW had to be mighty hard to git ammo for, even soon after the CW I would think? When one thinks of all the small hidden communities scattered sparsely around the country Im sure the few rifles that fokes had would require careful conservation of ammo to avoid running out for long periods, Might not have been to common to have more than three or four rounds in the gun at any one time???

Good point. My Grandfather ran a company store at a coal mine in Aflex Kentucky in the early 1900's, and the only gun he could ever get or sell was a single shot shotgun. No one in that area (other than the mine owner) could afford a Henry. ;)

 

BSD

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Yes, and remember the stories our old pappies used to tell us, concerning their youth, about being given an exact number of the little 22shorts and how they were expected to bring that exact number of small game animals home fer the pot. Those old Henrys were never that popular for the masses and I suspect that reloading the rimfires was virtually an impossible feat for most of the old timers. It has been claimed by some that Indians had mastered the art of reloading those rimfires so I might jist be wrong BUT at best those reloads were probably extremely unreliable, if they did exist at all??

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could explain why he ran out of ammo when he was killed!

Rafe :FlagAm:

Er... maybe that should be; "could explain why he was killed when he ran out of ammo." At the opening of that scene, you could see the follower about halfway up the magazine, and then clearly see it back at the receiver when he laid it aside and drew his revolver.

When YOU go hunting, do you load up your magazine all the way? Yes, some states have rules about that, but... if there weren't... would you be inclined to lug around a 15-shot Henry, fully loaded, or just put 5 or 6 cartridges as you thought you might need?

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Er... maybe that should be; "could explain why he was killed when he ran out of ammo." At the opening of that scene, you could see the follower about halfway up the magazine, and then clearly see it back at the receiver when he laid it aside and drew his revolver.

When YOU go hunting, do you load up your magazine all the way? Yes, some states have rules about that, but... if there weren't... would you be inclined to lug around a 15-shot Henry, fully loaded, or just put 5 or 6 cartridges as you thought you might need?

 

Much as that old by drank I'd speculate he jest forgot to recharge his magazine.

Probably never let his jug go dry though. :lol:

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HMMM now you boys has done stirred up a bit of a question in my mind. The old Henry rimfires from the CW had to be mighty hard to git ammo for, even soon after the CW I would think? When one thinks of all the small hidden communities scattered sparsely around the country Im sure the few rifles that fokes had would require careful conservation of ammo to avoid running out for long periods, Might not have been to common to have more than three or four rounds in the gun at any one time???

 

Actually, the rimfire ammo for the Henry was made by Winchester up until 1934. It was commonly available during the period of the feud. That said, ammo of any kind was expensive, and folks were careful about use.

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In 1997 I went to Oak Ridge, TN, to work on a project. I worked with an older gentleman, in his late 70s, who had been born and raised in north Tennessee, in the area near the Dale Hollow Lake. Bill was born soon after the end of WW I, and grew up in depression era rural Tennessee. Bill told me that cap and ball revolvers and muzzle loading rifles and shotguns were very popular well into the late 30s, because the cost of black powder was so much less than loaded cartridges. When Bill returned to Tennessee after his time in service during WW II, he married his sweetheart. Bill showed me the wedding gift he received from his brother in law, a nearly pristine 1851 Colt revolver. Bill told me that in rural Tennessee, black powder was sold in stores well into the 1950s. Bill told me some very interesting stories about northern Tennessee, and I consider myself enriched by having known him.

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Henry did well....but it happened again - had to point the rifle upward to let the little buggers slide down the tube - kinda fun though :lol:

 

So I brought out the '92...which has no heft and felt like a toy gun :D

 

 

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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Actually, the rimfire ammo for the Henry was made by Winchester up until 1934. It was commonly available during the period of the feud. That said, ammo of any kind was expensive, and folks were careful about use.

 

That is correct. There was no shortage of 44 Henry Rimfire ammo. Not only was the Henry and the Winchester Model 1866chambered for it, there were several C&B conversion revolvers that were chambered for it too. Conserving ammo is one thing, but don't confuse that with the commercial availability of the ammo.

 

By the way, my main match rifle has been an 'iron framed' Henry chambered for 44-40 for several years now. Yesterday we shot in the rain all day, so I took it completely apart to get all the water out. Been some time since I had it apart, no problem getting it apart, but I had to do a little bit of 'remembering' to get it back together again without any spare parts left on the bench.

 

I don't do the Henry hop, I have a wooden spacer that keeps the follower just ahead of my hand. Yes, you have to be careful loading one, never drop the rounds straight down the tube. I lay it almost horizontal on the loading table and wrap my hand around the magazine up near the opening. That way if the follower should somehow slip loose, my hand will stop it before it slams into the cartridges. The stick also serves as a bit of a safety device. With ten rounds in the magazine and the stick in place, the follower could only move about 1/4" before stopping on the stick. Hopefully not far enough to build up the speed needed to fire any primers.

 

I am also very careful when picking it up off of a table, so the follower does not get grabbed and then released.

 

I'm also not too fond of stages that require the rifle to be staged in a scabbard. That's another accident waiting to happen if the follower is grabbed by the leather on the way out. Don't have to do it very often, but had to do it today. I pulled it out gently, being careful about the follower. Not very good for speed, but then shooting a Henry with Black Powder is not about speed anyway.

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That is correct. There was no shortage of 44 Henry Rimfire ammo. Not only was the Henry and the Winchester Model 1866chambered for it, there were several C&B conversion revolvers that were chambered for it too. Conserving ammo is one thing, but don't confuse that with the commercial availability of the ammo.

 

By the way, my main match rifle has been an 'iron framed' Henry chambered for 44-40 for several years now. Yesterday we shot in the rain all day, so I took it completely apart to get all the water out. Been some time since I had it apart, no problem getting it apart, but I had to do a little bit of 'remembering' to get it back together again without any spare parts left on the bench.

 

I don't do the Henry hop, I have a wooden spacer that keeps the follower just ahead of my hand. Yes, you have to be careful loading one, never drop the rounds straight down the tube. I lay it almost horizontal on the loading table and wrap my hand around the magazine up near the opening. That way if the follower should somehow slip loose, my hand will stop it before it slams into the cartridges. The stick also serves as a bit of a safety device. With ten rounds in the magazine and the stick in place, the follower could only move about 1/4" before stopping on the stick. Hopefully not far enough to build up the speed needed to fire any primers.

 

I am also very careful when picking it up off of a table, so the follower does not get grabbed and then released.

 

I'm also not too fond of stages that require the rifle to be staged in a scabbard. That's another accident waiting to happen if the follower is grabbed by the leather on the way out. Don't have to do it very often, but had to do it today. I pulled it out gently, being careful about the follower. Not very good for speed, but then shooting a Henry with Black Powder is not about speed anyway.

 

Yup ~ somedays ya just wana look GOOD and play in STYLE. Henry helps in getting that done :D

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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