Henry Maker Marks?

[Gary Van Kauwenbergh, 101]

I'm trying to figure out the proof and makers marks on my steel framed Henry rifle, Cat. 1583, H0014x. It has "NAVY ARM CO. on the top flat of the barrel around the rear sight.

The year mark is AS, meaning it was made in 1987.

It has a five-pointed star inside a circle of rifling, with "PSF" below it.

It also has a circle of rifling with a wreath inside with a "G" at the 9 o'clock position, a "V" at 6 o'clock, and "T" at 3 o'clock.

Does anyone know what the last two marks mean?

Gary

[Steve Renner, 9011v]

Gary, they are proof marks, here

There are two standardized proof house marks. The first
is the provisional Gardone proof, consisting of a star surrounded
by eight lands and grooves over a coat of arms
featuring a hammer and anvil and crossed bayoneted
rifles; the second is a star surround by eight lands and
grooves over the capital letters PN. All firearms produced
in Italy since 1950, regardless of type, receive the first
stamping. The second, also instituted in 1950, is the first
black powder proof for Gardone and Brescia, and is only
used on black powder arms. Thus all black powder arms
must bear both proof house symbols.

[Gary Van Kauwenbergh, 101]

I've got the first mark you cite, but the second is different. Instead of the "PN", it has "PSF". I'm thinking it's a different mark because it can fire smokeless powder?

The makers mark has me stumped. It's marked "Made in Italy", but the makers mark isn't any of the marks shown in the "Moderm Black Powder Proofmarks" article by Dennis Adler that I think you're referencing.

Are you going to be at Sandy Ford? Maybe I'll bring it with and show you.

Gary

[Edwin Flint, 8427]

I don't know about marks but I have been told that there has only been one maker of the Henry as a reproduction rifle. There are many importers, but all repro Henrys are made by Uberti.

If someone knows different, I would like to know.

[Walt Magee]

Some of the imports had their own specs to lower the Uberti wholesale price. Maria Uberti told me 10 years ago that any Henry not marked Uberti on the barrel, the Uberti Company would not warrantee and the gun would have to be sent to the importer for repair or adjustment.
Cimmarrone and the other importers, which I cant remember all the names of, would just give you a run around. They could not or would not fix the gun or stand behind it (and neither would Uberti for obvious reasons)
Uberti is no longer in Conn. and is now owned by Berretta and parts are supplied by Numrich and lately by even a different outfit.
I would not buy one without Uberti stamped on it.

[Gary Van Kauwenbergh, 101]

Just to close this topic out for anyone following it:

There is no makers mark on my Henry. All of the marks are for proofs.

Henrys are all made by Ubertti for four different importers. Navy Arms, Cimarron Firearms, Taylor's and Co., and EMF. Henrys will always show the proof marks, but what maker marks they have will depend on the year of manufacture and which importer it was made for.

Smokeless powder proof marks are used on Henrys. PSF (pulvere sensa fumo) is the proof for nitro or smokeless. PN (pulvere negro)is the proof for black powder.

GVT stands for Gardone Val Trompia which is a proof house run by the Italian government near the town of Brescia. It's the old definitive proof house mark. The other mark was the provisional proof mark.

Gary Van Kauwenbergh
114 ILL Inf