This Henry lever action rifle was manufactured by the New Haven Arms Company during the second month of production, July 1862. The rifle has the distinctive octagon barrel with integral 15-shot magazine and brass receiver and buttplate. The barrel/magazine is blued, the hammer and lever are color casehardened and the straight grain American walnut stock is oil finished. The rifle has the first pattern receiver with alternate rear sight dovetail and early buttplate with rounded heel and has the very desirable feature of being without a lever catch. The barrel has the first style folding leaf rear sight with round top and "1000" marking below the center notch and a replacement brass front sight. The magazine has the small diameter follower and the lower receiver has the early, straight follower cut. The early style stock has a nearly vertical comb angle. The buttplate and tang have hand-fitted screws with serial numbered shanks. The stock and barrel lack the sling swivel and loop for a sling hook which were special order items on early production Henry rifles. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped with the smaller, first style, legend: "HENRY'S PATENT. OCT. 16. 1860/MANUFACT'D BY THE NEWHAVEN ARMS. CO. NEWHAVEN. CT" in two lines. This legend uses serif letters for all the marking except the second "NEWHAVEN" which is stamped in block letters. The serial number, "312" is stamped: (1) on the top barrel flat between the rear sight and the receiver, (2) on the inside of the buttplate near the top of the heel and (3) on the shanks of both buttplate screws. The butt trap contains a four-piece jointed, steel cleaning rod supplied with late production Henry rifles. 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, it is generally believed that most Henry rifles manufactured during the Civil War were privately purchased by individual soldiers who wanted the advantage of a 15-shot, lever action repeating rifle. Most of the early sales of Henry rifles were made by New Haven Arms Co., agents in Louisville, Kentucky and surrounding states. Henry rifles proved to be especially popular with Midwestern soldiers. By 1864 several Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky regiments were armed with significant numbers of privately purchased Henry rifles.