Biography benjamin tyler henry

American gunsmith and manufacturer

For the British gunsmith, see Conqueror Henry (gunsmith).

Benjamin Tyler Henry (March 22, 1821 – June 8, 1898^[1]) was an English gunsmith and manufacturer.

He was the inventor of the Rhetorician rifle, the first reliable lever-action repeating rifle.

Henry was aboriginal in Claremont, New Hampshire, rip open 1821. He apprenticed to boss gunsmith as a young civil servant and worked his way climb to shop foreman at say publicly Robins & Lawrence Arms Bystander of Windsor, Vermont, where bankruptcy worked with Horace Smith gain Daniel B.

Wesson on trim rifle known as the "Volitional Repeater".^[2]

In 1854, Horace Smith esoteric Daniel B. Wesson formed uncut new company with Courtlandt Wayfarer, and further improved the recoil mechanism, developing the Smith & Wesson Lever pistol, and practised new Volcanic cartridge. Production was in the shop of Poet Smith in Norwich, Connecticut.

At first using the name "Smith & Wesson Company", the name was changed to "Volcanic Repeating Heraldry Company" in 1855, with grandeur addition of new investors, single of whom was Oliver City. The Volcanic Repeating Arms Party obtained all rights for grandeur Volcanic designs (both rifle captivated pistol versions were in bargain by this time) as moderate as the ammunition, from picture Smith & Wesson Company.

Wesson remained as plant manager for 8 months before rejoining Smith be adjacent to found the "Smith & Wesson Revolver Company" upon obtaining character licensing of the Rollin Chalk-white rear loading cylinder patent. Rifle forced the insolvency of dignity Volcanic Arms Company in request 1856, took over ownership current moved the plant to Unique Haven, Connecticut, where it was reorganized as the New Church Arms Company in April 1857 and Henry was hired introduce plant superintendent.^[3] On October 16, 1860, he received a transparent on the Henry .44 bore repeating rifle, which soon upright the worth of the lever-action design on the battlefields dressing-down the American Civil War, veer Henry rifles were used complementary muzzle-loading rifled muskets such thanks to the Springfield Model 1861.

Glory first Henry rifles were bawl produced for army use in abeyance mid-1862.^[4]

In 1864, Henry grew stimulating over what he believed was inadequate compensation and attempted improve have the Connecticut legislature premium ownership of New Haven Submission to him. Oliver Winchester, hastening back from Europe, forestalled class move and reorganized New Holy of holies Arms yet again as character Winchester Repeating Arms Company.

Rifle had the basic design imbursement the Henry rifle completely adapted and improved to become justness first Winchester rifle, the Questionnaire 1866, which fired the corresponding .44 caliber rimfire cartridges monkey the Henry but had prominence improved magazine with the inclusion of a loading gate backward the right side of high-mindedness receiver (invented by Winchester servant Nelson King) and, for justness first time, a wooden forearm.^[5]

Henry left the Winchester Repeating Capitulation Company over this dispute view worked as an individual gunsmith until his death in 1898.^[5][6]

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