Henry purchase

[Provost]

The following was sent to me in email. In order to get her info up here asap, I've chosen to post her email and ask members to contribute their insights to resolve her problem. I'm going to send her the link to this thread so she can read the messages.

I will try to get her on as a member so she can follow up or clarify any issues, but until then, please post your comments here.

It looks like she could use some help finding a source at the very least. Please post your recommendations and your reasons for them.

Thank you.

Provost

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I don't get how to put this question on the site, But I am considering getting my son a henry repeating rifle as a gift for his reenacting. I don't know if they can be used with no bullet. I don't know if they are allowed. I know nothing about it,other than you don't have to reload everytime you shoot. I asked at a gun shop where I was considering buying one and the guy was clueless. He said to look on this site. Just something he googled right then.
Can one of you please help an old lady?

Barbara

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[desotobob]

As aCowboy Shooter, I love my Henry. But, they are well over $1000 and have all modern markings. The only appropriate Henry is the 1860 Henry, typically made by Uberti. As far as a reenacting Rifle, there are rare events where they would be appropriate and even rarer than that for Confederate impressions. Theye were not in great numbers during the war.
A better and much cheaper plan would be to spend the money on a good defarbed Springfield or Enfield. Then he would be mostly right for any impression, and could go more Progressive in the future. And you could save several hundred of dollars. Also, 1860 Henry blanks still sue the .45 or .44-40 brass, which as we Cowboy shooters know is getting quite expensive. Paper tubes and powder are MUCH cheaper.
By no means would I get a lever action from the Henry company, for those are all 1873 and beyond.

[Silas]

Although anyone would be proud to find a Henry rifle under the tree at Christmas, you might want to check with your son about other items he needs. When done correctly, a Henry calls for a very specific impression, and the opportunities to use one at events is significantly less than at other events. This means the firearm may not get much use which may be the opposite of what you intend with such a well intentioned gift.

There are other weapons which have broader usage. The big three are an 1842 Springfield, an 1853 Enfield and 1861 Springfield. The most appropriate weapon depends upon what impression your son presently does and what he intends to do in the hobby.

[flattop32355]

Let's start with some basic questions:

How old is your son? Most reenactments don't allow children under 16 yrs old to carry a weapon onto the field. For some events, it's 18 yrs old.

Is he a member of a reenacting unit? If so, do the other members use Henry's in their overall impression, or would another weapon be more suitable for his unit's impression?

Does he reenact Union or Confederate or both? Not much call for a Henry if he's doing Confederate, and not a lot for most Union, either.

When you ask about using it without bullets, are you meaning using blank cartridges (the powder is there, but no projectile), or just pulling the trigger without anything there to go "bang"? Reenactors generally use blank cartridges, and with a Henry's rate of fire, it can cost a bit to keep it supplied.

[Quickstep]

Greetings, Barbara. I don't mind giving advice to an old lady if you don't mind taking some from an old man. :)

If you visit this website: http://www.cimarron-firearms.com/RepeatingRifles/Henry.htm you will see the 1860 Civil War model of the Henry rifle that the fellas here are talking about. If you look at the price list, you'll also see that it costs around $1,600.00 new! I've seen some used ones cheaper but they're hard to come by. Uberti also sells them new for around $1,300 http://www.uberti.com/firearms/1860_henry.php

You've got to be careful though--there are other rifles out there that use "Henry" in their names. For example, there's a .22 caliber "Henry" rifle that sells for under $400, but it is totally unsuitable for Civil War reenacting. I saw a couple of "Henry" rifles at a gun show last weekend for around $750, but they were reproductions of models that were made after the war and again would not be appropriate for Civil War reenacting.

Also, as the learned gentlemen here have noted, there is very limited use for the 1860 model Henry rifle in Civil War reenacting and reloading the blanks can be expensive and time consuming (none of this, however, has stopped me from trying to get my hands on one.) ;)

So, here are some options:

1. Spend the $1,300 to $1,600 on a new 1860 Civil War model Henry rifle from Cimarron or Uberti and watch your son's eyes explode out of his head on Christmas morning.

2. Look for a used Civil War model 1860 Henry. You can expect to spend anywhere from $750 to $1,000 and you'll probably get to enjoy the same reaction on Christmas day. Again, they are hard to find. I've been looking for one for quite a while...

3. Forget about surprising him and flat out ask him if really wants a 1860 model Henry rifle (of course he does!!) or is there another type of firearm he could use for reenacting that doesn't cost an arm and a leg and he could more use out of. (Preferred option).

4. Adopt me. :)

PS--a little help with the terminology used here. When Robert calls himself a Cowboy Shooter, it doesn't mean he shoots cowboys for fun--he's a Cowboy Action Shooting enthusiast (as am I) and participates in live firing competitions using period firearms.

Also, a "defarbed" gun is one that has had the modern markings taken off to make it look more authentic. There's more to it than that, but that's the basic idea.

A "Progressive" is a Civil War reenactor who delves deeply into the soldier's experience and attempts to duplicate it as authentically as possible.

An "impression" is essentially a character that a re-enactor portrays--a Confederate infantryman, a Union cavalry officer, etc. Your son's "impression" determines the type of firearm he would be using when portraying a soldier from that era.

[desotobob]

Thanks Claude for adding that really good info. I forget sometimes that my shortcuts are not known by everyone. (Although we do have Cowboy-shaped targets at our range). Very good post.

[Provost]

Gentleman, I thank you as well...

Provost

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Thank you for your help. That link you gave me had several reply's to my question. I did want to say to Bernard that my son is 41 years old, and yes, he belongs with the 36th Texas Cavalry (dismounted). They act as Confederate when they aren't asked to act as Union, for lack of numbers. So kinda half and half.
Anyway, I guess you all talked me out of it, Darwin, my son, just thought it might be easier to load once. His Captain has a Le Matt revolver. Maybe I could get one of those, but he really could use an iPad for work. Guess I will get him that, as boring as it is. Or the LeMatt? Sorry to go on and on. Thanks again. Going to the Liendo Plantation reenactment, Hemstead,TX this weekend. Wonder if any of you guys are going there.

Barbara