The most advanced specimen of small arms to be used in service during the Civil War, this identified weapon is the distinctive repeating ‘Henry’ rifle. The Henry was a .44 caliber, brass-framed, lever-action longarm without a forend of which many Confederate soldiers remembered that “they (Yankees) could wind it up on Sunday and shoot all week.” Stamped with serial #7189, this piece was one of some 14,000 Henry rifles manufactured between 1860 and 1866.

From the records at Winchester Firearms, this Henry rifle was produced in the last quarter of 1864 at the New Haven Arms Co. facility in New Haven, Connecticut. During the Civil War, this Henry rifle was issued to Robert N. Davis of the 3^rd Regiment, USVV (U.S. Veteran Volunteers) and is identified to him via unit ordnance records with the serial # (7189). Private Davis was a twenty-eight-year-old ship joiner from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who enlisted first in Co. B, 2^nd PA Reserve militia infantry (31^st PA Vols) on August 21, 1862 for 3 years.  He served with the 2^nd PA, was wounded near Fredericksburg, VA on Dec 13, 1862. Records indicate he was shot in the right wrist.

He returned to the same unit and stayed until June 1864 when Davis re-enlisted as a Veteran Volunteer with the 191^st PA Volunteer Infantry where he served until August 26, 1864 when he was discharged, time expired. Later in March 1865, the soldier again mustered into service with Co. H, 3^rd Regiment, USVV (US Veteran Volunteer Infantry (1^st Army Corp).  Davis finally mustered out of the army in Parkersburg, WV on Aug 22, 1865. Records indicate that Davis was present on the unit’s roll in Sept & Oct 1865 and made a payment to the government of $40.75 for the “loss of Henry Rifle & sling, brush, and rod”. It is likely that Davis lost his rifle intentionally and had sent it home. Robert Davis returned to Philadelphia, eventually gained an army pension, married twice, and passed away in that city on Jan. 26, 1904.

Davis’s Henry rifle employed sixteen, .44 rimfire caliber, metallic cartridges of which fifteen could be loaded into the tubular magazine below the octagonal barrel. Rifle measures 43½” long overall including stock, and has a 24¼” long barrel with a front-loading, integral tubular magazine mounted below. Magazine held fifteen .44 caliber rimfire metallic cartridges plus one more in the chamber. Entire octagonal barrel surface exhibits an overall coating of old, fine rust pitting of dark gray and brown patina. Barrel edges show light wear but no rounding. Serial number #7189 stamped on barrel just in front of the brass receiver / frame and behind the rear sight. Rifled bore is lightly pitted and has a dusty appearance but should clean to semi-bright or better. Receiver, frame, and the contoured butt plate both wear a pleasing, untouched, smooth bronze patina. Stamped in block letters / numerals on the top barrel flat, directly in front of the folding-leaf, sliding long-range rear sight, is the two-line maker mark “HENRY’S PATENT OCT. 16, 1860 / MANUFACT’D BY THE NEW HAVEN ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN, CT.” Markings are visible but not sharp due to the light pitting. Barrel muzzle area has the original, high brass blade front sight.

Rifle was loaded by contracting the magazine spring (strong, not dented) below the tube all the way forward into the barrel muzzle section, twisting this 5” long section on its horizontal axis to expose the open magazine to inset the cartridges. The muzzle loading section on this rifle is tightly closed likely from the pitting. When loaded, turn and align the muzzle section to the closed position. Rifle retains the original magazine sliding spring in very strong condition.

Unvarnished, black walnut stock exhibits the famed ‘Henry Bump’ on the left side of shoulder stock just below that sling swivel. No government cartouches present. Stock, with its 9” comb, exhibits very few minor dings, dents and small gouges from normal handling / use. No break or cracks. Stock has a screwed-in base for a single hinged sling swivel at the upper left shoulder area. A fixed, screw-in sling hook is mounted horizontally to the barrel channel on left side. Rifle retains its lever locking latch on bottom of stock at triggerguard tang. Action is tight and crisp. Rifle comes with the soldier’s military and pension records from the National Archives in Washington, DC.

A great, seldom-seen, wartime production Henry Rifle at a very reasonable price.

DISCLAIMER: All firearms are sold as collector's items only - we do not accept responsibility as to the shooting safety or reliability of any antique firearm. All firearms are described as accurately as possible, given the restraints of a catalog listing length. We want satisfied customers & often "under" describe the weapons. Any city or state regulations regarding owning antique firearms are the responsibility of the purchaser. All firearms are "mechanically perfect" unless noted, but again, are NOT warranted as safe to fire.

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