This Henry Lever Action Rifle was manufactured during the seventh month of production: January 1863. The barrel/magazine originally had a blue finish, the hammer and lever are color casehardened and the straight grain American walnut stock is oil-finished. The rifle has the early style receiver with rear sight dovetail fitted with a buckhorn, rear sight. The first style buttplate has a rounded heel. The magazine has the small diameter follower used to about serial number 1900. The lower receiver has the early straight follower cut. The buttplate screws are the early, hand fitted style. The buttplate has a hinged trap door. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped with the first style legend: "HENRY'S PATENT. OCT. 16. 1860/MANUFACT'D BY THE NEWHAVEN ARMS. CO. NEWHAVEN. CT." This legend was used until approximately serial number 3500 and utilizes serif letters for all the marking except the second "NEWHAVEN" which is stamped in block letters. The serial number is: on the top barrel flat, the lower left side of the receiver tang beneath the stock, in the upper tang inlet of the stock, on the inside of the buttplate, the shanks of the two hand-fitted buttplate screws and on the shanks of the two of the three tang screws. Only early production Henry rifles had serial numbered tang screws. The Henry rifle was the most advanced rifle available during the Civil War. Although the federal government armed only one regiment (1st District of Columbia Cavalry) with Henry rifles during the war, experts believe that most Henry rifles manufactured thru 1864 were privately purchased by individual soldiers who wanted the advantage of a 15-shot, lever action repeating rifle. Oliver Winchester's largest dealers were located in Louisville, Kentucky, and Columbus, Ohio, and Henry rifles were purchased in large numbers by Midwestern soldiers. By 1864 several Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky regiments were armed with significant numbers of privately purchased Henry rifles.

Good, showing wear typically associated with weapons that saw active military service and subsequent civilian use. The barrel is missing the front sight blade and the folding leaf rear sight. The barrel and integral magazine have a plum-brown patina with scattered patches of surface oxidation and some small spots of pitting. The New Haven Arms Co., legend and the rifle serial number are both sharp. The edges of the side plates are battered. The buckhorn rear sight is a period replacement. The upper receiver tang has been drilled and tapped for a tang sight. The bolt has been altered for center-fire firing pin. The brass receiver and buttplate have a deep aged patina. The hammer, trigger and lever have a mottled gray brown, patina. The stock is very good with handling marks primarily on the right side and wrist. Mechanically fine. This is a solid example of an early production Henry rifle that probably saw service in the Civil War.