Henry Single Shot Initial Impressions

[doghawg]

Those are some interesting numbers. I wonder if a reduced power small spring might work out...hmmm. Can we talk you into going back to lab and coming up with some small spring weights?? You may have to start charging a consultant fee, lol

I just returned from a few days of deer hunting with the Henry and wish I could report slaying some big beast but...didn't see anything I wanted to shoot. IMO Henry got everything right with the H0-15, EXCEPT the hammer and trigger pull. It's a sweet handling little rifle for walking through the brush or sitting in a 16 ft. ladder stand. For me it's also a natural pointing gun for offhand shooting. Even with a pound more than my preferred 3 1/2 to 4lb. hunting trigger it's easy to smack clay pigeons in a dirt berm at 50-60 yards....not bad for a shaky old buzzard.

[rfd]

a great little single shot rifle, for sure. except for the danged trigger/hammer pull weights - but we know how to mitigate that.

the newly arrived .357mag has some exceptional wood, too ....

[megasupermagnum]

Those are some interesting numbers. I wonder if a reduced power small spring might work out...hmmm. Can we talk you into going back to lab and coming up with some small spring weights?? You may have to start charging a consultant fee, lol

I just returned from a few days of deer hunting with the Henry and wish I could report slaying some big beast but...didn't see anything I wanted to shoot. IMO Henry got everything right with the H0-15, EXCEPT the hammer and trigger pull. It's a sweet handling little rifle for walking through the brush or sitting in a 16 ft. ladder stand. For me it's also a natural pointing gun for offhand shooting. Even with a pound more than my preferred 3 1/2 to 4lb. hunting trigger it's easy to smack clay pigeons in a dirt berm at 50-60 yards....not bad for a shaky old buzzard.

I had the same idea, but between the three springs I found, they should be all that is needed. No need to get too excited about me, I'm just some guy who works with springs every day, and knows his way around the industrial websites. I'm a long shot from an engineer, or anyone who actually knows the science behind this trigger.

What I gather from others, Henry did what they did so that a cocked gun can be dropped in nearly any way, and the hammer will not drop. The smaller inner spring is shorter, is preloaded quite a bit from the stock bolt, and then compressed more when the hammer is cocked. This creates a big stacking effect, and keeps the hammer from falling... and the trigger from being pulled. It could be that the big factory spring is the heaviest duty spring Henry could get their hands on, and wanted more. That could be the only reason the small spring is in there. I don't know that though, and I doubt anyone could get that answer unless we speak to a Henry engineer. None of their lever rifles use two hammer springs.

[rfd]

... What I gather from others, Henry did what they did so that a cocked gun can be dropped in nearly any way, and the hammer will not drop.

THAT is the answer i got from both anthony and his GM, and their reasoning is steeped in litigious origins.


The smaller inner spring is shorter, is preloaded quite a bit from the stock bolt, and then compressed more when the hammer is cocked. This creates a big stacking effect, and keeps the hammer from falling... and the trigger from being pulled.

the smaller spring is the "hammer boost", no question about it, and as we know it does have an effect on the trigger as well. i don't need the smaller spring with my .223 but absolutely need the smaller spring to stop the light primer strikes on my .357. however, that smaller spring is about 50% too hefty and could/should be further reduced. since i have a pair of them, i'm going to coil cut one and see what happens.

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[AP2020]

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Sounds good, definitely let us know the results of shortening the smaller spring. The H015-357 is my next acquisition.

[Tackleberry41]

Finally seen one of these rifles in a rack. Nice brass receiver 20ga, very nice.

[rfd]

fwiw - not solid brass, brass plated.

[Ohiopatriot]

Anyone here still have the 31# spring available for sale? If not I'll order some up and keep a couple and offer the rest up if anyones interested.

[rfd]

Anyone here still have the 31# spring available for sale? If not I'll order some up and keep a couple and offer them up.

contact CB member AP2020 (look for him in this thread), he's got a bunch of 31# springs for sale.

[Ohiopatriot]

contact CB member AP2020 (look for him in this thread), he's got a bunch of 31# springs for sale.

Will do, thanks. I thought he listed them as sold pending funds.

[Pecos Pete]

fwiw - not solid brass, brass plated.

I could be mistaken, but I believe the .22s are brass plated while the other lever guns and the single shots are a solid brass alloy.

[Ohiopatriot]

AP2020 has all his sold pending funds, so I have ordered a pack from Grainger that should get to me Dec 22. I will have 8 extra so if anyone is interested PM me and I will get them to you. $4 ea. shipped.

[Retired_Handloader]

Many Thanks to RFD for pointing us to another source of these springs, namely eBay. However, be very aware of that particular sellers' poor feedback (Less than 97%). His stated delivery time is 4-5 weeks from today (December 9th). Granger is "out-of-stock" as of today. The spring specs have already been posted here, and further looking around ebay may produce another seller with the same product. Just a thought, is all. I'll HAPPILY buy from another member here, if one of you has one left. If I had been more attentive, I'd have bought a 3-pack when it was offered.....

new cheaper source for henry h015 fix'em springs (thanx to quicktdoo @ graybeard) - $22.29/shipped for ten .....

https://www.ebay.com/i/273445557456?chn=ps

[megasupermagnum]

I don't know what these springs are normally for. I wonder if the vendors are baffled why they are selling like hot cakes all of a sudden?

[rfd]

Many Thanks to RFD for pointing us to another source of these springs, namely eBay. However, be very aware of that particular sellers' poor feedback (Less than 97%). His stated delivery time is 4-5 weeks from today (December 9th). Granger is "out-of-stock" as of today. The spring specs have already been posted here, and further looking around ebay may produce another seller with the same product. Just a thought, is all. I'll HAPPILY buy from another member here, if one of you has one left. If I had been more attentive, I'd have bought a 3-pack when it was offered.....

fwiw, i believe that AP2020 got his springs from that ebay seller with no transaction issues.

the 3-pack that megasupermagnum offered contained one 31# spring and two other progressively heavier springs. you only want the 31# spring. you *may* need to reuse the stock smaller inner spring if you get light primer strikes. that's about it.

[rfd]

I don't know what these springs are normally for. I wonder if the vendors are baffled why they are selling like hot cakes all of a sudden?

wolff needs to get in on this and make life easier for all those legions of henry h015-xxxx owners.

[hpdrifter]

I found some at Century Spring, on internet. Not sure if they sell to individuals. Maybe a wholesaler.

Part #71437S. They list it as a 32# spring.

[uscra112]

?? This business of stacking springs ain't gonna do any good for sear longevity, never mind trigger pull.

The old Stevens Model 44 single shots were well regarded for their light, crisp trigger. The secret, if there was one, was that the geometry of the hammer spring actually REDUCED the force on the hammer, and hence the sear, as it came to full cock. Even today you still find these old crocks with reliable 2# triggers, after 100+ years of aging. Guess Henry doesn't know that.

[30-30 guy]

Ohiopatriot, I will take one of those springs.

[Ohiopatriot]

30-30 guy PM sent.

I expect them from Grainger on the 22nd. I now have 5 remaining.