Henry lever action rifle manufactured by the New Haven Arms Co., in April 1865. The rifle has the distinctive brass "gunmetal" receiver and crescent buttplate and blued octagon barrel with integral 15-shot magazine. The hammer and lever are color case-hardened and the stock is straight grain American walnut. The barrel has the late square back, nickel-silver front sight and folding leaf rear sight with 1000 yard center notch. The magazine has the large late pattern brass follower. The second style receiver has the late style beveled follower cut-out and lacks the alternate rear sight dovetail which was eliminated at about serial number 3,000. The buttplate has the late pattern sharp profile heel with hinged trap. The buttplate screws are the correct style cap head machine screws rather than the hand-fitted serial numbered buttplate screws used on earlier production rifles. The left side of the stock and barrel have a sling swivel and loop for a sling hook which were standard features on later production Henry rifles. The top barrel flat is die-stamped with the second style legend "HENRY'S PATENT. OCT. 16.1860/MANUFACT'D BY THE NEWHAVEN ARMS CO. NEWHAVEN CT." in two lines. The second style legend is slightly larger than the marking used on Henry rifles thru about serial number 4,000 and utilizes all serif (Roman) letters rather than the combination of serifed and block (Gothic) letters in the first style legend. The serial number "8983" is located on the top of the barrel between the rear sight dovetail and the frame, on the lower left side of the tang beneath the stock, in the upper tang inlet of the stock and on the inside of the buttplate. All of the visible serial numbers match. The buttplate screws and tang screws on late production Henry rifles were not serial numbered.

Fair. The barrel/magazine has a mottled brown patina. The upper and lower tang screws are modern replacements. The barrel edges are slightly rounded and there is some scattered pitting and age discoloration on the sides of the barrel. The barrel legend and serial number are clear. The brass receiver is in good condition and has a good-looking, un-polished, patina. The side plate joints are tight and the side plates show no sign of having been removed. The receiver has extensive forward handling wear as the lower portion is rounded upward. The buttplate has the same patina as the receiver but shows slightly more handling wear. The hammer and lever have a gray-brown patina with light high-point wear. The sanded, reoiled stock is in good condition but fits to the tang very loosely. This is a solid representative example of a early-mid 1865 production Henry lever action rifle.