This is a solid original example of a Civil War production Henry lever-action rifle that was manufactured by the New Haven Arms Co., in 1863-1864. This commercial production rifle has a factory sling swivel inlet into the left side of the stock and a sling loop screwed to the left side of the barrel. The rifle is fitted with the first pattern butt plate with rounded heel. The barrel has a factory nickel-sliver front sight and adjustable, folding rear sight calibrated to 900 yards. The butt trap contains two pieces of the later pattern, steel, five-piece, jointed cleaning rod issued with Henry rifles. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the two-line legend: "HENRY'S PATENT. OCT. 16. 1860/MANUFCT'ED BY THE NEWHAVEN ARMS CO., NEWHAVEN. CT." ahead of the rear sight. The serial number, "4545" is located on the top barrel flat behind the rear sight, on the lower left side of the receiver tang and in the upper tang inlet of the stock. The buttplate could not be removed to examine the serial number on the inside of the buttplate or buttplate screws. The rifle has the distinctive brass receiver and buttplate with blued barrel and case-hardened hammer and loading lever. The walnut stock has a varnished finish.

Very good plus. The barrel has a mottled brown patina with light surface texture and slightly rounded edges. The barrel markings and serial number are very crisp. The case-hardened hammer and loading lever have a silver-brown patina. There is moderate pitting on the hammer spur and loading lever. The brass receiver and buttplate have not been polished and have a mellow patina. The side plate joints are tight with some old pry-marks on the joints of the upper edges of the side-plates and receiver. The receiver has some scattered, light, handling marks. The buttplate shows slightly more handling wear. The stock is in near fine overall condition with scattered light handling marks and a shallow, dime-sized indentation on the upper right side behind the comb. The correct "Henry bump" (a raised portion of the stock caused by the factory driving the cleaning rod channel off center) is very evident below the sling swivel. This is a very good original example of an 1864 production Henry lever action rifle. Although only 1,731 of the 14,000 Henry Rifles manufactured by the New Haven Arms Co., between 1860 and 1866 were purchased by the Ordnance Department a majority of the 1860-1865 production Henry Rifles were privately purchased by Federal soldiers, primarily in Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky and saw action in the Civil War.