7/22/2023 0 Comments 1870 repeating gitboxIn the memoirs from the epoch, it is reported that Dzialynski had used a 16 shot rifle in combat, but it is more likely that he had used a weapon of his own design. It is theorized that Henry's rifle was used in the January Uprising by Count Jan Kanty Dzialynski in the Battle of Pyzdry and First Battle of Ignacewo. Houze, one man armed with a Henry rifle was the equivalent of 14 or 15 men equipped with single-shot guns. According to firearms historian Herbert G. The rifle was, however, known to have been used at least in part by some Confederate units in Louisiana, Texas, and Virginia, as well as the personal bodyguards of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Those few Confederate troops who came into possession of captured Henry rifles had little way to resupply the ammunition it used, making its widespread use by Confederate forces impractical. Confederate Colonel John Mosby, who became infamous for his sudden raids against advanced Union positions, when first encountering the Henry in battle called it "that damned Yankee rifle that can be loaded on Sunday and fired all week." Since then that phrase became associated with the Henry rifle. Since tactics had not been developed to take advantage of their firepower, Henrys were frequently used by scouts, skirmishers, flank guards, and raiding parties rather than in regular infantry formations. Soldiers who saved their pay to buy one believed it would help save their lives. When used correctly, the brass- receiver rifles had an exceptionally high rate of fire compared to any other weapon on the battlefield. Most of these units were associated with Sherman's Western troops. Many infantry soldiers purchased Henrys with their reenlistment bounties of 1864. Another weak point for the Henry was that it could not be equipped with a bayonet. The relative fragility of Henrys compared to Spencers hampered their official acceptance. However, 6,000 to 7,000 saw use by the Union on the field through private purchases by soldiers who could afford it. The Commonwealth of Kentucky purchased a further 50. Just 1,731 of the standard rifles were purchased by the government during the Civil War. By the time the run ended in 1866, approximately 14,000 units had been manufactured.įor a Civil War soldier, owning a Henry rifle was a point of pride. Production peaked at 290 per month by 1864, bringing the total to 8,000. Nine hundred were manufactured between summer and October 1862. Only 150 to 200 rifles a month were initially produced. The Henry used copper (later brass) rimfire cartridges with a 216 grain (14.0 gram, 0.490 ounce) bullet over 25 grains (1.6 g, 0.056 oz.) of black powder. The Henry was an improved version of the earlier Volition, and later Volcanic. 44 caliber rimfire breech-loading lever-action rifle, patented by Benjamin Tyler Henry in 1860 after three years of design work. The original Henry rifle was a sixteen-shot. Many later found their way West, notably in the hands of a few of the Sioux and Cheyenne in their defeat of Custer's U.S. The Henry was adopted in small quantities by the Union in the Civil War, favored for its greater firepower than the standard-issue carbine. It was introduced in the early 1860s and produced through 1866 in the United States by the New Haven Arms Company. 44 caliber rimfire breech-loading lever-action rifle. The Henry repeating rifle is a lever-action tubular magazine rifle famed both for its use at the Battle of the Little Bighorn and being the basis for the iconic Winchester rifle of the American Wild West.ĭesigned by Benjamin Tyler Henry in 1860, the original Henry was a sixteen-shot. United States, Confederate States, Native Americans, PolandĪmerican Civil War, Indian Wars, January Uprising,ġ5-round tubular magazine +1 round in the chamber
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