Fulfilled a long-time year dream recently and picked up a black powder, hammer double rifle by Alexander Henry. 500BPE with all the trimmings made as a best quality gun in 1871. I have a great interest in late 19th Century Scottish and Indian deer stalking so I've wanted one of these rifles for many a year.

I had our resident double gun guru Captain Curl check out the gun for me and it met his approval. Next I visited him up in the beautiful mountains of western Virginia and we embarked on an endeavor to make her shoot. Much bourbon, rye, hot air, H4198, case filler and lead bullets were expended in the effort. Even VAgrouser came to help out and it was a pleasure to meet him and his Henry rifle.

Unlike most of the other British gunmakers in the 19th and early 20th Centuries who were shotgun makers who occasionally made rifle, Henry (like other Scots makers) was a rifle maker first and foremost and you see this in how well his rifles shoot.

I got her shooting and took her on the hill successfully stalking deer about two week ago. Few thing better than successfully stalking deer with 100 year old binoculars and a 140 year old rifle.

Thank you Curly for all your help!