Question about Henry rifles with no forearm/forestock

[Maven]

I'm currently reading the novel, "News of the World," which is pretty interesting, but which shows the author's unfamiliarity with post 1865 firearms. (The novel takes place in TX in 1870, btw.) Among the author's claims is that Henry shooters wore a glove on one hand to guard against burns from the hot magazine and bbl. when the rifle was fired rapidly. Was that really the case as that was the first time I've seen that claim? Btw, the author also mentioned the Henry lacked a floor arm (sic). I wonder where she got that gem and where her editors/fact checkers were.

[sac]

I'm currently reading the novel, "News of the World," which is pretty interesting, but which shows the author's unfamiliarity with post 1865 firearms. (The novel takes place in TX in 1870, btw.) Among the author's claims is that Henry shooters wore a glove on one hand to guard against burns from the hot magazine and bbl. when the rifle was fired rapidly. Was that really the case as that was the first time I've seen that claim? Btw, the author also mentioned the Henry lacked a floor arm (sic). I wonder where she got that gem and where her editors/fact checkers were.

Henry's do not have the fore arm, I don't know if in the 1800's that they used a glove on the one hand, but do know that cowboy action shooters use one when they shoot BP with a Henry.

[northmn]

Mike Venturino mentioned an excavation where a number of Henry rim fires were found where there were Indian engagements as the rifle was used as kind of an "assault" rifle in its day. That D----d Yankee rifle that could be loaded on Sunday and Fired all Week. I mention all this because it was used for continuous fire on occasion. Some carried it in Indian Territory as a defense weapon that had a lot of firepower for its day. As BP does generate a lot of heat and for that use a glove might be in order. We have fore stocks for a reason. The 44 Henry was a rimfire holding 28 grains of powder under a 200 grain bullet. For other use it may have not been too practical as it was replaced by the 44-40.
A later model was made with a forearm but the original did not have a forearm and I believe it was loaded similar to a 22 with no loading gate.

DEP

[1Hawkeye]

She was right Henrys don't have a forearm and they do get hot quick as for the gloves every body riding or working cattle already was wearing them.

[Beerd]

Why would the magazine get hot?

As for floor arm, my spell check says it's OK.
..

[ammohead]

The magazine on a early Henry is not as disconnected from the bbl as other lever actions that followed. Heat from the bbl was transfered to the magazine tube by conduction and radiation. With that many cartridges in the magazine one can generate a lot of heat in one sitting.

[OverMax]

Native Americans got to see Henry quite a bit back in the settler days. Was it not a Native American who made the quip. "Load on Sunday and shoots all week rifle."

[BigAl52]

Ya and they had no side gate which Im sure made those Native Americans mad as those real leverguns needed a side gate to be a real levergun.

[Maven]

Thanks to all who answered! Btw, I know from experience how hot a bbl. gets after firing BP loaded cartridges. E.g., I loaded my 10.5" bbl'ed Ruger SBH with 32gr. FFFg and Ly. 429421 and fired a full cylinder. Afterward, the bbl. was hot + accuracy was excellent. Btw, velocity was a touch under 900fps.

Finished "News of the World" last night and highly recommend it.

[northmn]

As I mentioned earlier, the Confederates called it the Yankee rifle you loaded on Sunday and shot all week. They were introduced in the Civil War. The 1860 Henry was popular and had no forearm, the 66 had a forearm. I think it had a couple of other improvements also.

DEP

[LIMPINGJ]

A loading gate was the other big improvement on the 1866.

[Smoke4320]

New Production of the "original " henry by the current Henry rifles


https://www.henryrifles.com/wp-conte...ginal-Hero.jpg

[OlDeuce]

The Henry is a Beautiful Old Design! I have the Iron frame Henry and is so smooth and shoots well!! .44 is the way to go! My next Henry will be the
Civil War model......

Ol Deuce

[bedbugbilly]

I'm sure the term was used frequently by those facing repeating rifles, but I think that you'd better go back and check on the history of the phrase "load on Sunday and shoot all week". It has always been my understanding that the phrase was attributed to Lincoln when he test fired the Spencer which was fed by a magazine tube through the buttstock.

[Walter Laich]

remember we're talking about the Henry 1860 rifle. It was loaded from the front of the magazine tube and the tube was 'welded' to the bottom of the barrel. Mine is heavy!

Winchester 1866 was basically the 1860 with a King's Loading gate and a forearm. The mag tube attachment was different, too.

Most fast cowboy shooters use the Winchester 1873 which can be said to be a modification of the 1866.