Designed and introduced by Benjamin Tyler Henry in 1860, the original Henry was a sixteen-shot .44 caliber rimfire breech-loading lever-action rifle. It was produced from 1860 until 1866 in the United States by the New Haven Arms Company.

Aug 26, 2022 · The First Henry Rifle. You can’t talk about Henry Repeating Arms without talking about the 1860 Henry Rifle; it did become the basis for virtually every rifle Winchester produced following it.

America was engulfed in the searing flames of the Civil War, and the first Henry rifles were in the hands of Union soldiers by mid 1862. Due to its revolutionary design and rapid rate of fire, the Henry quickly found popularity both with the military and civilian purchasers.

Jun 13, 2024 · The Henry rifle was the first lever action rifle ever made. Here's the story behind this historic rifle and how it influenced others to come.

The 1860 Henry Rifle is among history's most influential firearms designs and continues to soldier on today. Why the 1860 Henry Rifle remains important: The first commercially successful repeating rifle. Basically an improved Volcanic Rifle. Design enhanced with a self-cocking mechanism. Ammunition also upgraded to .44 Henry Rimfire.

Jan 24, 2025 · The Henry rifle was the first practical lever-action repeating rifle and the immediate forerunner of the Winchester rifle. About 14,000 were made between 1860 and 1866 by the New Haven Arms Company. And 1,731 went to the Civil War battlefields and many more out West.

Nov 10, 2024 · The Henry rifle, a lever-action rifle, was first produced in the mid-19th century by Oliver Winchester, a prominent figure in the American firearms industry. The rifle was designed by Benjamin Tyler Henry, a skilled gunsmith and inventor, who worked for the Winchester Repeating Arms Company.

Sep 22, 2015 · After the Civil War, the Henry rifle was redesigned into the side-loading 1866, the first rifle to carry the Winchester name. It again generally had a brass frame and used the 44 rimfire cartridge. Then came the 1873 Winchester and with it, the rimfire cartridge gave way to the 44-40 centerfire.

Designed by Benjamin Tyler Henry, the Henry Rifle was considered one of the most advanced weapons of its day. The toggle-link action was nearly identical to that used in the Smith & Wesson volcanic pistols and the Volcanics manufactured by the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company.

The Henry rifle was the immediate forerunner of the famous Winchester rifles. About 14,000 Henrys were made between 1860 and 1866 by the New Haven Arms Company. The Henry rifle was developed from the Volcanic firearms system and was built around the .44 rimfire cartridge.