.44 Henry
Encyclopedia
The .44 Henry, also known as the .44 Rimfire, the .44 Long Rimfire, or the 11x23R (11x23mm rimfire) cartridge was a rim-fire round that uses a .875 inch casing. The round has a total length of 1.345 inches. It uses a 200 or 216 grain bullet with a .446 diameter. The cartridge was loaded with 26 to 28 grains of black powder. The round had a muzzle velocity of approximately 1125 feet per second, with a muzzle energy of 568 foot pounds of energy.
, A 19th century American gunsmith
. Henry was the foreman of the New Haven Arms Company
, who had been working on a new, innovative rifle and rimfire cartridge. On October 16, 1860, Henry was granted a patent for the famous Henry Repeating Rifle. Both the cartridge and the rifle were named for Henry, its inventor.
of about 0.153, which reflects very poor long range capabilities. The .44 Henry had an arcing trajectory, making hitting a target past 200 yards almost impossible for the average shooter.. Modern comparisons to the .44 Henry rifle's ballistics would include such cartridges as the 200gr .45 ACP, and 200gr .44 Special. Although these latter can nearly achieve the Henry Rifle's velocity from a handgun. The resulting effective range for military or small medium game would be well under 100 yards.
Repeating rifle. This rifle was used in the American Civil War
, mainly by Union troops. It was also used by the very few Confederate
troops who managed to capture these rifles.
After the Civil War, the Henry cartridge was used in the Winchester Model 1866 rifles during the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878) by the Turkish Troops and in the Franco-Prussian War
1870/71 by the French.
In civilian models, Winchester Mod 66 rifles and carbines, Smith & Wesson No. 3 Revolver
s, Colt Model 1860 Army Long Cylinder Conversions and the Colt Model 1871/72 “Open Top” used the same cartridge. From 1875 until 1880, Colt produced 1873 Colt Single Action Army
revolvers in the Henry caliber to accommodate the owners of Henry- and Winchester Mod 1866 rifles and carbines.
The .44 Henry cartridge was perfected by George R. Stetson’s U.S. Patent 120403, assigned to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company on October 31, 1871. It has as its object the use of swaged and lubricated projectiles of greater perfection in shape.
Background
The cartridge is named in honor of Benjamin Tyler HenryBenjamin Tyler Henry
Benjamin Tyler Henry was an American gunsmith and manufacturer. He was the inventor of the Henry rifle, the first reliable lever-action repeating rifle....
, A 19th century American gunsmith
Gunsmith
A gunsmith is a person who repairs, modifies, designs, or builds firearms. This occupation is different from an armorer. The armorer primarily maintains weapons and limited repairs involving parts replacement and possibly work involving accurization...
. Henry was the foreman of the New Haven Arms Company
U.S. Repeating Arms Company
The U.S. Repeating Arms Company. Inc. is the current business name of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, famous for making Winchester rifles....
, who had been working on a new, innovative rifle and rimfire cartridge. On October 16, 1860, Henry was granted a patent for the famous Henry Repeating Rifle. Both the cartridge and the rifle were named for Henry, its inventor.
Ballistics
The cartridge's 200-grain bullet had a flat nose. A pointed nose was later used, with a ballistic coefficientBallistic coefficient
In ballistics, the ballistic coefficient of a body is a measure of its ability to overcome air resistance in flight. It is inversely proportional to the negative acceleration—a high number indicates a low negative acceleration. BC is a function of mass, diameter, and drag coefficient...
of about 0.153, which reflects very poor long range capabilities. The .44 Henry had an arcing trajectory, making hitting a target past 200 yards almost impossible for the average shooter.. Modern comparisons to the .44 Henry rifle's ballistics would include such cartridges as the 200gr .45 ACP, and 200gr .44 Special. Although these latter can nearly achieve the Henry Rifle's velocity from a handgun. The resulting effective range for military or small medium game would be well under 100 yards.
Military use
The .44 Henry cartridge was used most notably in the Henry Model 1860Henry rifle
The Henry repeating rifle was a lever-action, breech-loading, tubular magazine rifle.-History:The original Henry rifle was a .44 caliber rimfire, lever-action, breech-loading rifle designed by Benjamin Tyler Henry in the late 1850s. The Henry rifle was an improved version of the earlier Volcanic...
Repeating rifle. This rifle was used in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, mainly by Union troops. It was also used by the very few Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
troops who managed to capture these rifles.
After the Civil War, the Henry cartridge was used in the Winchester Model 1866 rifles during the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878) by the Turkish Troops and in the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
1870/71 by the French.
In civilian models, Winchester Mod 66 rifles and carbines, Smith & Wesson No. 3 Revolver
Smith & Wesson No. 3 Revolver
The Smith & Wesson model 3 was a single-action, cartridge-firing, top-break revolver produced by Smith & Wesson from 1870 to 1915, and again recently as a reproduction by Smith & Wesson themselves, Armi San Marco, and Uberti.It was produced in several variations and sub-variations, including both...
s, Colt Model 1860 Army Long Cylinder Conversions and the Colt Model 1871/72 “Open Top” used the same cartridge. From 1875 until 1880, Colt produced 1873 Colt Single Action Army
Colt Single Action Army
The Colt Single Action Army is a single action revolver with a revolving cylinder holding six metallic cartridges. It was designed for the U.S...
revolvers in the Henry caliber to accommodate the owners of Henry- and Winchester Mod 1866 rifles and carbines.
Later Developments
The cartridge casings were originally made from copper, and later in brass. The cartridge was still commercially made into the 1930s.The .44 Henry cartridge was perfected by George R. Stetson’s U.S. Patent 120403, assigned to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company on October 31, 1871. It has as its object the use of swaged and lubricated projectiles of greater perfection in shape.