Make: New Haven Arms Co.

Model: 1860 Henry

Serial Number: 1643

Year of Manufacture: Ca. February-April 1863, Antique

Caliber: .44 Henry Rimfire

Action Type: Lever Action Rifle with Slotted Full-Length Tubular Magazine

Markings: The top of the barrel is marked “HENRY’S PATENT OCT. 16, 1860 / MANUFACT’D BY THE NEW HAVEN ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN, CT.” (early-style marking) and at the receiver with “1643”. The left side of the lower tang is marked “1643” and "U". The inside of the buttplate at the toe and the top tang inlet of the stock are each stamped "1643". The serial number or a portion of it is also marked on the buttplate and stock mounting screws. The bottom tang has the "punch-dot" inspection mark behind the stock mounting screw hole. The barrel and magazine block each have assembly number "251"; the barrel collar does not have a legible assembly number. The lever-arm is marked "1461".

Barrel Length: 24″ Octagonal

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a German silver blade in a collar screw-set to the barrel at the muzzle end. The rear sight is a folding ladder-style sight. The rear sight presents a “V”-notch when folded down. When folded up, the ladder has a “V”-notch slider and is graduated from 2-8 in 100s of yards. There is a notch at the top of the ladder marked “900”. The rear sight slider is quite loose below about 750 yards when it gets quite tight.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stock is one-piece smooth walnut with a straight wrist, straight comb, and brass crescent buttplate with a trapdoor cover on a storage compartment (nothing in the compartment). There is a Henry “bump” on the left side under a sling-plate with swivel (there is another sling mount on the left of the barrel assembly). The stock has scattered nicks, dings, scuffs, and scratches. There is a more notable ding in the left of the wrist toward the bottom. There is a crack in the left-front of the wrist and a more notable crack extending back from the left-rear of the top tang below the comb. Under the receiver, the front face of the wrist is cracked almost to the front mounting screw. Under the buttplate is a crack across the top mounting screw hole. The LOP measures 13 3/8″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The buttplate has scattered light nicks and scratches, and has gone to a mustard patina with the crystalline appearance of old brass. Overall, the stock is in Good Condition as Antique.

Type of Finish: The barrel is blued. The lever, hammer, and trigger are case colored. The receiver, carrier, and magazine follower are brass.

Finish Originality: Original to the parts. The lever is a replacement.

Bore Condition: The bore is gray with well defined rifling. There is scattered erosion and pitting in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 5+ out of 10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 25% of its metal finish. The steel parts have gone to a fairly uniform light patina with scattered surface erosion and pitting, most notable on the barrel. The receiver has gone to a mustard patina with the crystalline appearance of old brass. There are scattered nicks, dings, scuffs, and scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with usable slots. The markings are generally clear, though portions of the barrel address are obscured by erosion. Overall, this rifle is in Good Condition as Antique.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The hammer does not have a half-cock safety. We have not fired this rifle. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None

Our Assessment: Henry repeating rifles were highly prized by Union troops in the Civil War. With a round in the chamber, a Henry was capable of firing 16 shots in about 11 seconds, just about the same amount of time it would take even a seasoned “Billy Yank” to reload and fire one shot with his standard muzzleloading Springfield. The Henry quickly became known as the “rifle that you could load on Sunday and shoot all week long”, and earned a fearsome reputation during the “War Between the States”. One period advertisement read, “A resolute man, armed with one of these Rifles, particularly on horseback, CANNOT BE CAPTURED.” While most Henrys used in the Civil War were acquired by regiments with their own funds or even by individual soldiers, some units were issued Henry rifles directly from the Ordnance Department. One such unit was the 1st District of Columbia Volunteer Cavalry Regiment (also known as the 1st DC Cavalry). 1,100 Henry rifles in the serial number range 1392-4000 were issued to the 1st DC Cavalry in 1863. Those Henrys in the early portion (under 3000) of that range were never actually Ordnance Department inspected/accepted; they were simply “bought off the shelves” and issued. The exact serial numbers of those Henrys purchased were also never recorded. With this rifle being serial number 1643, it’s squarely in the 1st DC Cavalry range.

This US Civil War 1st DC Cavalry Range Model 1860 Henry Rifle was made in ca. February-April 1863 and is in Good Condition. It features a 24” octagonal barrel, 25% of its original blue, brass, and case colored finish, a majority of serial number matching parts, though the lever is a non-matching earlier numbered replacement, a one-piece walnut stock with several scattered cracks throughout, but with the all important “Henry Bump” on the left side of the buttstock below the sling swivel (nobody is exactly sure why this bump occurs on some Henry stocks but not others), solid mechanics, and a gray bore with well defined rifling, scattered erosion, and scattered pitting. This is a wonderful example of an honest, early US Civil War Henry in the 1st DC Cavalry serial number range.