Forums.NitroExpress.com

Home | Ezine | Forums | Links | Contact NitroExpress.com: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears!

*** Enjoy NitroExpress.com? Participate and join in. ***

You are not logged in. [Login]

Main Index · Search · Active Topics
New user · Who's Online · FAQ · Calendar

Double Rifles, Single Shots & Combinations >> Double Rifle Photos & Archive

Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | >> (show all)

AkMike
.416 member

Reged: 19/11/05
Posts: 2576
Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: 470evans]
#167633 - 12/09/10 02:16 PM

Hammer guns are a dime a dozen compared to the hammerless ones, I'd guess. I really like my hammerless Henry. But my hammered falling block Henry is awfully nice too.

Flip a coin and decide!

--------------------
"When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing; when you see that money is flowing to those who deal not in goods, but in favors; you may know that your society is doomed." Ayn Rand

Post Extras:

rigbymauser
.400 member

Reged: 15/05/05
Posts: 1971
Loc: Denmark

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: 470evans]
#167652 - 12/09/10 11:00 PM

I really like the hammerlessgun with jones underlever. You have a fine collection Curl

Post Extras:

MacNaughton360
.275 member

Reged: 10/12/07
Posts: 99
Loc: Indiana, USA

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: rigbymauser]
#167680 - 13/09/10 11:02 AM

For all practical purposes, the hammerless is probably better and safer in a dangerous situation.
That being said, however, I'd prefer the one with hammers myself. I like the classic lines.

Post Extras:

peter
removed

Reged: 11/04/07
Posts: 1493
Loc: denmark

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: MacNaughton360]
#167712 - 14/09/10 01:46 AM

roscoe

i fills my heart with joy that you have been bitten with the henry bug, as bad as you have.

to me there is no choise though, the alex henry hammerless action is a work of art that no other maker can ever come close to, somebody should remake that action

and offer it for sale to the general public again.

hammer rifles are fun and great to use, but to me there is no way they compare to this action.

so when you get tired of the hammerless, its two larger brothers are waiting for it in my den

best

peter

Post Extras:

mehulkamdar
.416 member

Reged: 09/01/04
Posts: 3688
Loc: State of Ill-Annoy USA.

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: CptCurl]
#167853 - 16/09/10 09:11 AM

So who was the greater beauty - Marilyn Monroe or Grace Kelly?

You are one lucky devil, Roscoe, to have both!

Congratulations and good hunting, my friend!

--------------------
The Ark was made by amateurs. Experts built the Titanic.

Mehul Kamdar

Post Extras:

Buchsemann
.333 member

Reged: 12/12/08
Posts: 439
Loc: Wisconsin, USA

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: mehulkamdar]
#167955 - 18/09/10 05:59 AM

Curl,

Were you planning on bringing the subject earless Henry to the Vintagers next week?

Buchseman

--------------------
Happy the man, and happy he alone,
He who can call today his own:
He who, secure within, can say,
Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today.

- John Dryden

Post Extras:

CptCurl
.450 member

Reged: 01/05/04
Posts: 5275
Loc: Fincastle, Botetourt County, V...

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: Buchsemann]
#167984 - 18/09/10 09:12 PM

I could.

Curl

--------------------
RoscoeStephenson.com

YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.

Post Extras:

Chasseur
.375 member

Reged: 18/11/03
Posts: 771
Loc: Hunting classic Indian game!

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: CptCurl]
#174327 - 28/01/11 07:05 PM

I'll take the hammered one Curly!

--------------------
In regards to action he should devote himself to hunting...
-Machiavelli

Post Extras:

Mike_Bailey
.400 member

Reged: 26/02/07
Posts: 2289
Loc: GB

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: Chasseur]
#174333 - 28/01/11 09:02 PM

Man, I wish they could talk, some stories I bet. Senor Curl, have you looked up any history on the chap from the Shropshire regiment ? best, Mike

Post Extras:

CptCurl
.450 member

Reged: 01/05/04
Posts: 5275
Loc: Fincastle, Botetourt County, V...

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: Mike_Bailey]
#174342 - 28/01/11 09:49 PM

Mike, Actually not much. I think I did a quick Google search and found a few listings. There are people a lot better at this type of research than I.

Chasseur, It's good to see you back. Get your nose out of the books and back on NE.com. We miss you. You need to come to Virginia and play. It's not fun with you stuck out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Curl

--------------------
RoscoeStephenson.com

YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.

Post Extras:

Mike_Bailey
.400 member

Reged: 26/02/07
Posts: 2289
Loc: GB

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: CptCurl]
#174344 - 28/01/11 10:13 PM

Found him on Google, Hugh Lyle Smyth, born at Crabwall Hall, co. Chester on Friday 11th Feb 1870, Captain Shropshire Light Infantry, have to dig a bit deeper

best, Mike

Post Extras:

CptCurl
.450 member

Reged: 01/05/04
Posts: 5275
Loc: Fincastle, Botetourt County, V...

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: Mike_Bailey]
#174346 - 28/01/11 10:45 PM

That's interesting!

As I understand it, Hugh Lyle Smyth was the second owner of this rifle. I was told by the man I bought it from that it was originally made for Russian royalty. You can see from this closeup that originally the lid was embossed with a crown over an "H" and possibly a name or other inscription. Smyth had it cut out and his name inserted.

However, I have good evidence that Smyth owned the rifle as early as 23 August 1906. Contained in the case is its key, and on the key is an old, very yellowed identifying tag on which is written "23/8/06 Key of HL Smyth Esq guncase". I suppose the rifle was in the shop for cleaning or repair.

Priceless treasures, and snippets of history these are!

It would be interesting to learn about the "Crown over H" emblem. I am told that Dixon & MacNaughton will not give the names of original owners.

Curl

Post Extras:

rigbymauser
.400 member

Reged: 15/05/05
Posts: 1971
Loc: Denmark

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: 470evans]
#174348 - 28/01/11 11:48 PM

I really admire these fine guns..Regardless of ears or not, the backaction, jones underlever deliver gracefullness as all victorian style english doubles has. I admit here in writing I envy you a little..:LOL

Post Extras:

CptCurl
.450 member

Reged: 01/05/04
Posts: 5275
Loc: Fincastle, Botetourt County, V...

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: rigbymauser]
#174349 - 28/01/11 11:55 PM

I agree. Recently I acquired a hammerless Purdey .303 with Beesley locks and "Lever over guard" (Jones underlever). It is superbly graceful. I'll do some photos on it soon.

Curl

--------------------
RoscoeStephenson.com

YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.

Post Extras:

Buchsemann
.333 member

Reged: 12/12/08
Posts: 439
Loc: Wisconsin, USA

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: CptCurl]
#174353 - 29/01/11 02:41 AM

Curl,

You certainly have been running into some fine firearms. They're all very very nice.

I'll be watching for more pictures to follow.

Regards,

Buchseman

--------------------
Happy the man, and happy he alone,
He who can call today his own:
He who, secure within, can say,
Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today.

- John Dryden

Post Extras:

CptCurl
.450 member

Reged: 01/05/04
Posts: 5275
Loc: Fincastle, Botetourt County, V...

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: Buchsemann]
#174358 - 29/01/11 03:48 AM

It's certainly possible Smyth put the rifle in storage on August 23, 1906. Maybe he was being assigned to duty in India. He couldn't take this rifle with him at that time because of the .45 caliber ban in India. That's probably when this rifle went into deep storage, as did many .45 caliber rifles owned by British officers.

If only the rifle could talk. . .

Curl

--------------------
RoscoeStephenson.com

YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.

Post Extras:

AkMike
.416 member

Reged: 19/11/05
Posts: 2576
Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: CptCurl]
#174359 - 29/01/11 04:23 AM

Capt. Curl.

My wife is from Ukraine and is very good at history. We've traveled around the FSU some and one of the stops made was at the Czars summer Palace at Yalta. (The same one that Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin met at towards the end of WWII)
Czars Nicholas emblem was the royal crown you've shown (on your 'Smythe' rifle) With the cyrillic written "N" for Nicholas.

BUT that letter is written as an "H" in our latin.

A tour of the palace will show that almost everything there has this same emblem.

Oh if that rifle could talk!

--------------------
"When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing; when you see that money is flowing to those who deal not in goods, but in favors; you may know that your society is doomed." Ayn Rand

Post Extras:

AkMike
.416 member

Reged: 19/11/05
Posts: 2576
Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: AkMike]
#174360 - 29/01/11 04:51 AM

Have a look at the styleized emblem of the richest man in the world of that time here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czar_Nicholas_Romanov_II

The traditional double headed eagle is the Royal Emblem but the Crown 'H' was only for the Czar of the Russia's.

--------------------
"When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing; when you see that money is flowing to those who deal not in goods, but in favors; you may know that your society is doomed." Ayn Rand

Post Extras:

CptCurl
.450 member

Reged: 01/05/04
Posts: 5275
Loc: Fincastle, Botetourt County, V...

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: AkMike]
#174362 - 29/01/11 05:30 AM

Well damn my abject ignorance!

Mike, you might be on to something here. I just did a search in Google Images and the emblem comes up many times.

I think I should twist some arms at Dixon & MacNaughton for information. Next I'll curse Hugh Lyle Smyth for defacing the Czar's rifle case!

Curl

--------------------
RoscoeStephenson.com

YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.

Post Extras:

AkMike
.416 member

Reged: 19/11/05
Posts: 2576
Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: CptCurl]
#174365 - 29/01/11 05:47 AM

Roscoe, I've been looking thru my pictures for the last hour or more trying to find the shots I took while visiting the Czars palace in Yalta. I guess I'll need to wait til the wife comes gome to find them.

They will show the crests that are there even on the walls!

Surf around for pictures of the Czar'spalace called Livadia
and you might find more.

--------------------
"When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing; when you see that money is flowing to those who deal not in goods, but in favors; you may know that your society is doomed." Ayn Rand

Post Extras:

AkMike
.416 member

Reged: 19/11/05
Posts: 2576
Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: CptCurl]
#174366 - 29/01/11 05:51 AM

Quote:

Well damn my abject ignorance!

Next I'll curse Hugh Lyle Smyth for defacing the Czar's rifle case!

Curl

I think that I'd find his final resting place and pour a bottle of fine scotch on it... After I filter it thru my kidneys!

If this can be proven to have been made for Czar Nicholas he made a big mistake.

BTW did you know that Nicholas was first cousins to most of the European Royality? Even King George of England.

--------------------
"When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing; when you see that money is flowing to those who deal not in goods, but in favors; you may know that your society is doomed." Ayn Rand

Post Extras:

kuduae
.400 member

Reged: 13/01/10
Posts: 1781
Loc: middle of Germany

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: CptCurl]
#174368 - 29/01/11 05:57 AM

No, I don't think this to be the distinctive two-lobed crown of the Russian Czar. What is left after Smyth had his name applied, points to a rather flat crown. Four pearl-adorned bands support a banded orb surmounted with a cross. If you look into
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_(heraldry)
, this type of crown was used as a symbol by many continental sovereigns, princes, dukes and so on. Many of such persons were named "H", Henry, Heinrich, Harald and so on. Most of the European nobility were related in one or several ways to Queen Victoria and other British nobility. Remember, until 1915 the House of Windsor was called House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha after the prince consort Albert.

Post Extras:

Chasseur
.375 member

Reged: 18/11/03
Posts: 771
Loc: Hunting classic Indian game!

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: AkMike]
#174369 - 29/01/11 05:57 AM

Hey Curly, I'll be posting more now. Got a little more free time.

You got to come out to the Pacific to stalk spotted deer and shoot Indian francolin!

--------------------
In regards to action he should devote himself to hunting...
-Machiavelli

Post Extras:

CptCurl
.450 member

Reged: 01/05/04
Posts: 5275
Loc: Fincastle, Botetourt County, V...

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: kuduae]
#174370 - 29/01/11 06:52 AM

Quote:

No, I don't think this to be the distinctive two-lobed crown of the Russian Czar. What is left after Smyth had his name applied, points to a rather flat crown. Four pearl-adorned bands support a banded orb surmounted with a cross. If you look into
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_(heraldry)
, this type of crown was used as a symbol by many continental sovereigns, princes, dukes and so on. Many of such persons were named "H", Henry, Heinrich, Harald and so on. Most of the European nobility were related in one or several ways to Queen Victoria and other British nobility. Remember, until 1915 the House of Windsor was called House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha after the prince consort Albert.

Kuduae makes the point that this crown doesn't appear to be the two-lobed crown of the Russian Czar. That would be consistent with the timeframe. Nicholas II became the Czar May 26, 1896. This rifle was made before that date, I would think. So if it pre-dated his coronation, the embossed crown may represent the prince's crown. The Wiki link posted by Kuduae shows the various Russian crowns. The prince's crown is very similar and does not have two lobes.

Of course this is all speculation. I don't even know the date this rifle was made. Henry serial numbers basically tell you nothing about the date.

I guess I'll try to get something out of Dixon & MacNaughton. I wish Barry Wilcox were still there, because I'm sure he would oblige.

Curl

--------------------
RoscoeStephenson.com

YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.

Post Extras:

AkMike
.416 member

Reged: 19/11/05
Posts: 2576
Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Re: D-Damn H-Henry, No ears! [Re: CptCurl]
#174372 - 29/01/11 07:11 AM

Please keep us posted!

--------------------
"When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing; when you see that money is flowing to those who deal not in goods, but in favors; you may know that your society is doomed." Ayn Rand

Post Extras:

Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | >> (show all)

Extra information

0 registered and 28 anonymous users are browsing this forum.

Moderator: CptCurl

Print Topic

Forum Permissions
      You cannot start new topics
      You cannot reply to topics
      HTML is disabled
      UBBCode is enabled

Rating:
Topic views: 23120

Jump to

NitroExpress.com

Home | Ezine | Forums | Links | Contact