doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Henry action marks

If the gun has not been over in the States until 30 years ago you might consider this. There was a period in the Birmingham trade when one or two workshops like Bailon's who had hundreds of guns in at a time ,stamped a reference number on guns. I am not saying that Bailon's did ,I use them as an example.This practice went on for a while until complaints from customers stopped it.
The numbers would be a reference to a register and have no other significance.
There were also times when guns were commanded by the Home Guard during WW2 that were also marked for identification and I have seen numbers stamped to indicate ownership by Estates and state organisations such as the Forestry Commision.

Gunman,thanks. At first I had thought the gun may have been made by Brazier,but was dissuaded of that by Chris Clark of TWGLMS,who has extensively researched Braziers,and he did not think it was a Brazier control#,but if someone else assembled the gun for Henry it just may be.
I have never seen the ID#s you mentioned. I owned a Coggie that had #s branded in the stock just past the trigger guard for Kenyan import control,but that's it for me. I hadn't thought anyonre other than the gun industry would use the flats for ID.

Look carefully at watertable, I guess both serial number and these digits 54 35 made by the same chisel stamps, i.e. at the same time.

They do look like the same stamp and they do look like they were done at the same time,but that is an interesting twist.
The 3 in the serial# looks just like the 3 in the 35 just to the right,whatever that means.

I recently saw this gun at The Weston Park gamefair in Staffordshire, England. I'm afraid I can't help you regarding the 54 35 issue but from my discussions with the sellers I'm confident it was actioned by Braziers of Wolverhampton for Alex Henry using the 1865 EC Hodges extractor patent no.3113 under licence. The number 146 is very likely a patent use number. Hope this helps a bit. Hope you are well Justin!

Robert (gt gt grandson of EC Hodges)

Had a pair of 12 bore barrels in last week for a strip and relay . They had been sleeved in 1977 ,I do not know who did the work but the numbers "3" & "35" were stamped on the flats. Unfourtunatly I was unable to get a photo as my customer wanted them back ASAP to get them blacked as he hopes to shoot it in the early new year. The style of the stamps appeared very close to those on the Henry.

I know it is an imposition,gunman,but if you would ask the owner about those #s I would aprreciate it greatly. Justin

Sorry Mate, but the barrels came to me from a dealer so it would not be policy for me to ask. I doubt however that the owner would even be aware of them as the average British shooter unlike you colonials ,doesn't look at his gun and probably not know if there was any thing odd if he did. I will keep a look out for further examples, as they are not uncommon .

Thanks,gunman,I understand,but if you see'em again,please let me know.