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EARLY HENRY MODEL 1860 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:10,000.00 USD Estimated At:20,000.00 - 35,000.00 USD
EARLY HENRY MODEL 1860 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.
SN 655. Cal. 44 RF Henry. Scarce early Henry with 24-1/4" oct bbl that has integral magazine tube, slightly modified German silver front sight & a broken Henry ladder rear sight in the receiver seat. Bbl seat is empty. Top flat has the small size, 2-line Henry's Patent address. Mounted with uncheckered straight grain American walnut with early perch belly stock & first type brass crescent buttplate with large trap & corresponding large hole to accommodate a 4-pc wood cleaning rod, which is missing. SN is found in the usual place on the top flat of the bbl between the rear sight seat & frame. It is also found on the left side of lower tang, under the wood, inside the top tang channel of buttstock & inside buttplate tang. All three tang screws & both buttplate screws are matching numbered. This is an early 2nd type Henry with lever latch, otherwise has all of the earliest features including the sharp radius at the top rear of the receiver, perch belly stock & small sized bbl address. The brass magazine follower, however has the large thumb pad but the receiver does not have a milled flat in the follower slot. CONDITION: Very fine, all matching, loading sleeve & rnd part of the bbl were not checked, however the loading sleeve has exact matching patina to the bbl. Bbl, magazine tube & loading sleeve retain strong blue in the gullets with the balance a dark plummy blue patina along with some very fine pin prick pitting on the top and side flats. Receiver has some light wrench marks on the front sides with some light battering on the side plates which also have some small hammer nicks and overall retains a beautiful medium to dark mustard patina. Hammer retains silvered case colors & the lever a dark plummy patina. Buttplate retains a medium mustard patina. Stock is sound with usual light nicks, scratches & dings and retains most of its orig varnish. Mechanics are fine. Strong bore with moderate pitting & a ring about an 1-1/2" from the muzzle which restricts the loading sleeve. Altogether a fine early Henry rifle that probably saw frontier service. 4-49073 JR147