Deluxe early production Henry Lever-Action rifle manufactured by the New Haven Arms Company in January 1863. The rifle has the early Henry features which include a rear sight dovetail on the receiver, small diameter magazine follower, straight follower cut in the receiver, first style buttplate with rounded heel, and hand fitted buttplate and upper tang screws. The barrel has the nickel-silver flat back rear sight blade introduced about serial number 1,200 and Third Style folding leaf rear sight with 900 yard center notch and no elevator bar stop screw. The buttplate has a hinged butt trap door and the trap contains the four piece jointed hickory cleaning rod furnished with early production Henry rifles. The rifle is not fitted with a sling swivel and sling hook loop which were optional on early production Henry rifles. The receiver, upper tang and buttplate heel feature the early style New Haven Arms factory engraving with large scrolls and floral spays on a punch-dot background and double line scalloped borders. Very similar factory engraving on Henry rifles serial numbers, 1100, 1441,1449 and 1570 is illustrated on pages 20, 21, 22 and 26 of "WINCHESTER ENGRAVING" by R.L. Wilson. This style of engraving is believed to have been executed by Samuel Hodgson who did most factory engraving for the New Haven Arms Company. The brass (gunmetal) receiver and crescent buttplate are silver plated, the barrel and integral 15-shot magazine are blue and the hammer and lever are color casehardened. The stock is well figured select grade walnut with a high polish piano finish. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped with the legend: "HENRY'S PATENT. OCT. 16. 1860/MANUFACT'D BY THE NEW HAVEN ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN. CT." in two lines ahead of the rear sight. The serial number, "1495" is stamped on the top barrel flat between the rear sight and receiver, on left side of the lower receiver tang beneath the stock, in the upper tang inlet of the stock, on the inside of the buttplate below the lower buttplate screw hole, on the shanks of both hand fitted buttplate screws and on all three of the tang screws. Most Henry rifles manufactured during the Civil War were intended for sale to individual Federal soldiers or for military contracts; deluxe factory engraved rifles with special finishes are rare.

Very fine. This rifle is all original and retains 70% of the original blue and 90% original silver-plated finish. The blue on the barrel and magazine has some minor edge and high-point wear but remains at least 85% intact. The New Haven Arms Co., legend and serial number are sharp. Wear is confined primarily to contact points of the buttplate. The scroll engraving on the receiver and buttplate is sharp. The case colors on the hammer, trigger and lever have faded to a mottled gray patina. The select grade walnut stock retains nearly all of the high polish piano finish and is very fine with a few scattered, and very minor handling marks and scratches. This is an exceptional example of an early production, deluxe factory engraved and silver plated Henry rifle.