Benjamin Tyler Henry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benjamin Tyler Henry
|
|
|---|---|
Benjamin Tyler Henry
|
|
| Born | March 22, 1821 |
| Died | June 8, 1898 (aged 77) New Haven County, Connecticut, US
|
| Occupation | Firearms designer and inventor |
Benjamin Tyler Henry (born March 22, 1821 – died June 8, 1898) was an American gunsmith and manufacturer. He is famous for inventing the Henry rifle. This was the first dependable lever-action repeating rifle.
Contents
Early Life and Inventions
Benjamin Tyler Henry was born in Claremont, New Hampshire, in 1821. When he was young, he learned how to be a gunsmith. He worked hard and became a shop foreman. This was at the Robins & Lawrence Arms Company. Here, he worked with Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson. They worked together on a rifle called the "Volitional Repeater."
Working with Smith & Wesson
In 1854, Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson started a new company. They made the gun's working parts even better. They created the Smith & Wesson Lever pistol. They also developed a new type of bullet. Their company was first called "Smith & Wesson Company."
In 1855, new investors joined the company. One of them was Oliver Winchester. The company's name changed to "Volcanic Repeating Arms Company." This company bought all the rights to the Volcanic gun designs. Both rifle and pistol versions were being made then.
The New Haven Arms Company
Daniel B. Wesson stayed as the plant manager for eight months. Then, he left to start a new company with Horace Smith. Oliver Winchester later took over the Volcanic Arms Company. He moved the factory to New Haven, Connecticut. In April 1857, it became the New Haven Arms Company. Benjamin Henry was hired as the plant superintendent.
The Henry Rifle
On October 16, 1860, Benjamin Henry received a patent for his new rifle. It was called the Henry .44 caliber repeating rifle. This rifle quickly showed how good its lever-action design was. It was used during the American Civil War. Soldiers used Henry rifles alongside other guns. The first Henry rifles for the army were made in mid-1862.
Changes and New Companies
In 1864, Benjamin Henry felt he wasn't paid enough. He tried to get the state to give him ownership of New Haven Arms. Oliver Winchester quickly returned from Europe. He stopped Henry's plan. Winchester then changed New Haven Arms again. It became the Winchester Repeating Arms Company.
Winchester made many changes to the basic design of the Henry rifle. He improved it to create the first Winchester rifle. This was called the Model 1866. It used the same .44 caliber bullets as the Henry rifle. But it had a better magazine. It also had a loading gate on the side. This was invented by Nelson King, a Winchester employee. For the first time, it also had a wooden forearm.
Benjamin Henry left the Winchester Repeating Arms Company because of this disagreement. He worked as his own gunsmith until he passed away in 1898.
See also
- Winchester Repeating Arms Company
- Winchester rifle
- Henry repeating rifle
