In every field of human endeavour there is a select group of individuals who are given credit for making such major contributions that they become synonymous with their achievements. In the area of firearms development, one name that must be included on that honoured roster is Benjamin Tyler Henry. His invention: The Henry Rifle.
It was Mr Henry who conceived the first practical, lever-action repeating rifle patented in 1860. The Henry gave a single man the firepower of a dozen marksmen armed with muzzle-loading muskets.
America was engulfed in the searing flames of the Civil War, and the first Henry rifles were in the hands of Union soldiers by mid-1862. Due to its revolutionary design and rapid rate of fire, the Henry quickly found popularity both with the military and civilian purchasers. Early sales were especially brisk in Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri and Indiana.
