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Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 284
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Sidelock
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Sidelock

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An Alexander Henry right side hammer rifle in 450 #2 has come to live with me. It is of about mid 1870s vintage and is somewhat unusual in that it is fitted with a detachable rear long range tang sight. The sight is not made to come down low enough to be used with the front sight at anything less than 4 or 5 hundred yards and the rifle has the usual barrel mounted 2 leaf and a slide bar rear sight. Pondering this I started looking at the front sight which seemed a bit odd to me. It is obviously original but just a very small square sided and ended block with a bead and set well back from the muzzle. The interesting thing is that the sight block has a hole running through its base. I could well see a detachable and higher front sight that would sit on the block and fasten through the hole and possibly even have a wind gauge adjustment. Since the 450 #2 was a popular target cartridge of the period it stands to reason that the rifle could have been ordered with, in effect, 2 sets of sights. The barrel also appears to have a very fast twist that was used with the heavy target bullets. Has anyone seen anything like this or a Henry with an odd holed front sight? While I'm writing, does anyone have a spare set of 450 #2 (500/450 #2 Musket to use one of its longer names) loading dies sitting around the house?

Last edited by HalfaDouble; 09/20/21 06:55 PM.
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Sidelock
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I'd be interested to see photos of the entire rifle but especially the front sight. Your situation is not an uncommon one and several different types of front sights exist to deal with it. I'm not aware of anything like that from Henry, but it would not surprise me. I have a ladder front sight to install on my front sight for this problem.

Does your rifle have that most unique elevating cheek piece or signs of having had a heel-mounted rear sight?

What is the rifling twist?

If you have good photos, I may know someone that will probably know. He is a long range Henry collector, though mostly for muzzleloaders.


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BrentD, (Professor - just for Stan)

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Sidelock
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There is a thread on the Facebook Alexander Henry group discussing the removable target sights on a muzzleloader.
Some nice pictures in that group from time to time as well.


http://www.bertramandco.com/
Booking African hunts, firearms import services

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Sidelock
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Sidelock

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SKB, that sounds interesting. Do you have a link to that thread? Brent, I've PM'ed you. No elevating cheek piece and no heel mount. Just a nice Grade 2 Henry with long range sight provisions - up to 800 on the barrel ladder sight and a long ways on the tang. Twist is 18. I have pics.

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https://www.facebook.com/groups/AlexHenryRifles

It is a private group, you will need to ask to join.


http://www.bertramandco.com/
Booking African hunts, firearms import services

Here for the meltdowns
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Sidelock
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I was fortunate to see this Alexander Henry after Halfadouble purchased it! Made me weak in the knees just holding and examining such a gorgeous rifle! I hope he can post pictures here as it's really a lovely firearm!

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Sidelock
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Val, it is, indeed, beautiful. And, no doubt, extraordinarily functional as well.


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BrentD, (Professor - just for Stan)

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]


Joined: Oct 2016
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Sidelock
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Sidelock

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Vall, I seem to recall fondling a nice Ballard that you picked up;-) Will we hear about that one?

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I guess so, but hate to drag down your post with my much lower grade Rigby Ballard Chauncey! Mine's a nice gun, but not on the level of your Alexander Henry!

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Sidelock
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Sidelock

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Yeah, right, JUST a Rigby Ballard. I think Brent will be posting pics of mine when he gets through giving his dog swimming lessons in Lake Michigan;-
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