Henry 1865 Repeating Rifle Catalogue

Description: Henry 1865 Repeating Rifle Catalogue50 pages over 8" x 5 1/2" soft-cover in full color. New re-print restored and digitally enhanced. The first Henry Co. Catalog. Illustrated. NOTE: Two pages of testimonials are missing from this reprint. Utilizing the basic concept of a self-contained metallic cartridge as patented by Smith and Wesson the 16-shot Henry was the first truly practical repeating rifle. It was perfected by B. Tyler Henry for the New Haven Arms Company and its principal stockholder Oliver F. Winchester. Only about 14000 were manufactured by this Company between 1860 and 1866. Because of the turbulent times and the superior firepower offered by this weapon a very high percentage of the Henry rifles saw active service either in the Civil War or on the western frontier. With slight modifications it would in 1866 evolve to the famed "Yellow Boy" Winchester. Public acceptance of the Henry was instantaneous. Although the cartridge itself the .44 caliber rimfire was low-powered the capability of being able to fire 16 shots rapidly constituted an enormous advantage. When used in early skirmishes these new rifles demonstrated overwhelming firepower. The factory was never able to catch up with orders and only one model was manufactured on a regular basis. During the Civil War some Northern volunteer units bought their own Henry rifles and ammunition and considered it money well spent. The Confederates referred to the Henrys as "that damn Yankee rifle that can be loaded on Sunday and fired all week." Considering they were using single-shot Springfields versus 16-shot Henrys their comment is understandable. The cost of a Henry ranged from $42 in the East to $75 in California . A contemporary advertisement claimed the Henry to be "the most effective weapon in the world" - and at the time it was the truth. The arrival of the Henry on the frontier revolutionized the fighting tactics of both Indians and whites. Previously when attacking a small party the Indians strategy was for a few warriors to charge and draw the fire of the riflemen's single-shot rifles. Then the remainder of the Indians would rush before their opponents could reload. The first Indians to encounter the new Henry rifles were obviously in for a very rude surprise. Such an incident occurred in 1865 when some 40 Blackfeet warriors attacked two miners in Montana and to their surprise and horror the Indians were completely defeated by the guns "that wouldn't stop shooting." Thereafter they referred to the Henrys as "Spirit Guns." The Henry found early and enthusiastic acceptance in Wyoming . Travelers through this volatile country knew full well that they passed through on the thin tolerance of the hostile tribes. The prudent secured the best firearms they could get. One of the most notable uses of the Henry in the Powder River area was the 1866 Fetterman Battle. Two Civilians Isaac Fisher and James Wheatley were armed with Henrys and by all accounts inflicted numerous casualties on the Indians before running out of ammunition and being overwhelmed. Used by permission of www.travel-to-wyoming.com.We are not affiliated with any arms or gun manufacturer. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR THE CONTENTS LIST Delivery: We print to order every two or three days and that way we can offer the entire 5500+ inventory at a reasonable price. Each item is printed, collated, bound, packaged and shipped as soon as we can but it takes a little time so please be patient. Quality: Our mission is to preserve old firearms catalogs at a reasonable price before they are all gone, but our reprints are NOT forgeries of originals, they are exact copies of the originals but not necessarily the exact size or on the original paper or with the original binding. This stinks! During the last 15 years we have had over 50,000 happy customers from all over the world, but we cannot please everyone all the time, nevertheless we can put things right, even if the post office destroys your package. Just let us know if you are disappointed. CONTENTS INCLUDE: CORNELL PUBLICATIONSWe ship worldwide within 5-8 days of payment and will cheerfully combine shipping charges for multiple purchases. Please see all our listings by following the links above or below. Also you may search the text of all our listings by entering a word(s) in 'Search Store' above. Please see thousands of firearms and sporting goods – books, manuals and catalogs from 1850s on for sale in our Ebay Store. Cornell Publications all rights reserved. Powered by SixBit's eCommerce Solution

Price: 16.95 USD

Location: Brighton, Michigan

End Time: 2024-12-05T18:56:20.000Z

Shipping Cost: 3.63 USD