TINCANBANDIT's Gunsmithing : Week 28 2023

This Week in Firearms History:

July 9: In 1776, in New York after the Declaration of Independence is read, patriots take down a lead statue of King George and melt down the lead to make bullets; in 1819, gun designer Elias Howe is born.

July 10: In 1955 legendary lawman Frank Hamer dies at the age of 71; 1964 S&W introduces the model 58 in .41 Magnum.

July 11: In 1767 President John Quincy Adams is born; in 1798 The United States Marine Corps is created; in 1960 To Kill a Mockingbird is published.

July 12: In 1861 Wild Bill Hickok is in his first gunfight, he kills 3 men; in 1985 the movie Silverado is released, in 2002 Road to Perdition is released in theaters.

July 13: In 1765 gun maker and inventor Simeon North is born in Berlin, CT; in 1988 The Dead Pool, the last Dirty Harry movie is released.

July 14: In 1814 Samuel Colt is born; in 1881 Billy the Kid is killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett; in 1998 Col. Rex Applegate dies.

July 15: In 1099, the first Christian Crusade in Jerusalem; in 1918 the Second Battle of Marne begins; in 1988 Die Hard is released in theaters.

Gun of the Week: 1860 Henry Rifle

The story of the Henry rifle begins with Smith & Wesson. How you ask? The two men famous for their revolvers actually got their start in the gun business when they bought the patent to the Jennings rifle, which was an improvement on the Hunt rifle, these were the first lever action rifles.

The company was known as the Volcanic Arms Company, when Smith & Wesson decided to sell their interest in the company to one of the investors, Oliver Winchester. Winchester happily bought them out. He also offered work to some of the gunsmiths working at Volcanic. He then moved the operations to New Haven Connecticut and started a new company called New Haven Arms Co.

Benjamin Tyler Henry was put in charge of redesigning the Volcanic to use the new rimfire cartridge ammunition.

The rifle was introduced in 1860, just in time for the Civil War, which it saw some action in. The rifle was nick-named in honor of the designer, which caused some turmoil.

The Henry, produced in .44 Rimfire, held 16 rounds in the tube magazine.

Funny side note, in the north the gun was known as the Henry, in the south it was known as the "yankee rifle you load on Sunday and shoot all week".

The rifle was made until 1866, that year Henry decided to sue Oliver Winchester, claiming he had designed the rifle and he should own the patent, even though he did so while under the employment of New Haven Arms.

To prevent a hostile take-over Winchester reorganized the company into the Winchester Repeating Arms Company.

Today originals sell for beaucoup Quatloos, but both Uberti and Henry Repeating Arms make centerfire replicas.

Cartridge of the Week: .44-40 Winchester

The .44-40 Winchester was developed for the Winchester model of 1873 rifle, both will celebrate their 150th birthdays this year.

The .44-40 was originally a black powder round and followed the typical naming conventions of using the bore diameter, followed by the black powder charge weight.

The bullet used was .427" in diameter, close to the .44 Magnum's .430. Bullet weights typically run 200- 225 grains. The cartridge is still produced as there are several replica guns still made in this caliber.

Gun Quote of the Week:

"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”

― H.L. Mencken, On Politics: A Carnival of Buncombe

Bubba Gun of the Week:

Seamus O'Grady from Schitzville, Kentucky had a little too much whisky one night and decided to stipple his new Glock 19. The result is a competitor for a Golden Poop in the "most heinous treatment of a Glock pistol" category.