Cleaning Rods within a Reproduction Henry

[MarkTK36thIL]

With the modern reproduction Henry rifle from Uberti, there is only about a 3 inch channel for where the disassembled cleaning rods would go.

Has anyone tried drilling out the channel within the stock to allow the cleaning rods to fit? Or wood the extra wood loss result in an unstable stock?

Thanks,
Mark

[Jim Wimbish, 10395]

I doubt that anyone would be willing to tempt fate by drilling out their stock. Besides we all use one piece rods when we shoot. I guess that only a reenactor would care about putting a 3 piece rod in the butt stock of a Henry. Heck, I didn't even know what the compartment was for.

I just checked my Henry's. The Cimarron has a compartment deep enough for a three piece rod, while the EMF has the shallow compartment (3 inches). The EMF is civilian and the Cimarron is military. I think that the trap is more an issue of what the importer was willing to pay for.

[Lou Lou Lou]

At least one fellow I know had a 3 piece rod for the compartment. Drilling it out, no.

[Ron/The Old Reb]

When the Henry's first came out there was someone making three piece rods for them and selling them at the fort.

[RaiderANV]

My Cimarron Arms Henry (military version) was drilled deep for the cleaning rods from the Factory.

[MarkTK36thIL]

I talked to Butch over at Antique Gun Parts and sounds like he was making a bunch of them over the years. Might have just been a fluke of measuring, but the metal rods would be a welcomed addition to cleaning in the field.

[John Holland]

If I recall correctly, the Henry Rifle butt trap cleaning rod sections were made from wood. The metal sectioned butt trap cleaning rods didn't make their appearance until after the Civil War. Again, as I recall it.

[MarkTK36thIL]

That's what I was thinking. The Winchester site said that 0-3,000 Henrys were wooden cleaning rods, but they seemed to have made the change after the 3,000 serial range.

http://www.rarewinchesters.com/articles/art_hen_06.shtml

There's far more knowledgeable people out there than me on the subject, so I was hoping they'd set me straight.

[jonk]

Heck, it was news to me that they had a butt trap. My Uberti 1860 doesn't have one, solid butt plate.

Anyone care to weigh in on which repros have them?

[P.Altland]

Military vs. Civilian versions


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[Curt]

Hi!

Correct.

The cleaning rod "holes" basically came in two types, "early and late." Early types having a larger diameter hold to accommodate the larger wooden rods. At about serial number 3XXX they switched to smaller diameter steel rods requiring smaller stock holes.

Rods came in wood with steel (I am assuming actually iron, but don't know) end ferrules, and then a transitional steel capped with brass. And a brass eyelet or loop section at the end.

Later milled steel ones had a brass rammer on one end and a brass eyelet on the other.

Due to use and loss, over time....as well as them being removed for sale separately, it is hard to find originals with rods.

Curt

[kowdok]

I purchased my brass framed Henry about 3 yrs ago from a long time skirmisher. The gun has Navy Arms Co. New Jersey made in Italy on the barrel. I'm under the impression that Navy Arms was just a distributor for certain firearms. I'm assuming that Navy had a contract with some Italian Co. to make the gun for them. It has the long cleaning rod hole in the stock with a steel 4 section rod with a brass screw in jag on one end and the long slot on the other. I was told that the rod was an original so I was assuming he meant the late 1800s, but now I'm wondering if he meant it was original to the reproduction. Anyone with any thoughts on this.
Jim Rogers

[MarkTK36thIL]

Butch's Antique Gun Parts had a contract with an importer company to produce 200-300 cleaning rods over the years. Perhaps he was working under Navy Arms then. I'll have to ask him again.

[John Holland]

Jim - If you have an original antique Henry cleaning rod set it is probably worth as much as your reproduction Henry rifle!

[kowdok]

Thanks John, that's exactly what the gentleman told me that I bought it from, it was worth as much as the gun was. Is there any way to know for sure.(my question key does not work).

Jim Rogers

PS- If you will be at the BOD meeting and I can remember it, I'll bring it for you to give your opinion on.

[John Holland]

I will probably not be at the January Board meeting. Although, I must tell you I do not have the expertise to identify an original Henry cleaning rod set!