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I have a copy of The History of Winchester Firearms 1866-1992, by Thomas Henshaw, and it mentions Connecticut granted a charter to Henyr Repeating Arms on July 7, 1865, which had its name changed in August 1866 to Winchester Repeating Arms. Anyone know how accurate that statement is?
All men have fears. The brave put down their fears and go forward, sometimes to death but always to victory.
Old guns are like old cars and old men. They are meant to be taken out and used from time to time, not locked away or put on display in a museum.
Oliver Winchester was the primary (largest) stock holder in the Henry Repeating Arms Company, and when it filed for bankruptcy, as the majority stock holder, he took control of it, and shortly thereafter, renamed it.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert H. said
Oliver Winchester was the primary (largest) stock holder in the Henry Repeating Arms Company, and when it filed for bankruptcy, as the majority stock holder, he took control of it, and shortly thereafter, renamed it.
Bert
Winchester’s buyout of Wesson’s interest in New Haven Arms happened in the late 1850s, shortly before the Henry Patent rifle was developed.
Was this Henry Repeating Arms of 1865 an interim company, or something set up by BT Henry in an attempt to manufacture his rifle on his own?
All men have fears. The brave put down their fears and go forward, sometimes to death but always to victory.
Old guns are like old cars and old men. They are meant to be taken out and used from time to time, not locked away or put on display in a museum.
The Henry Repeating Arms Company (the actual name when founded was “The New Haven Arms Company”) existed from 1857 – 1866, and No, it was not an interim company. It morphed from the original Volcanic Arms Company in 1857 and assumed the new name “The New Haven Arms Company”. In 1865 (when the Civil War ended), their market dried up quickly, and ultimately so did they. Thomas Henshaw has a brief synopsis of the history in his book “The History of Winchester Firearms 1866-1992”. Herbert G. Houze discusses it in much greater detail in his book “Winchester Repeating Arms Company, Its History & Development from 1865 to 1981”.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
I’m confused. Did it go Volcanic >>New Haven Arms >>Henry Repeating Arms >>Winchester?
All men have fears. The brave put down their fears and go forward, sometimes to death but always to victory.
Old guns are like old cars and old men. They are meant to be taken out and used from time to time, not locked away or put on display in a museum.
J B said
I’m confused. Did it go Volcanic >>New Haven Arms >>Henry Repeating Arms >>Winchester?
Yes, I believe that is correct.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
J B said
I’m confused. Did it go Volcanic >>New Haven Arms >>Henry Repeating Arms >>Winchester?
Actually it started as Walter Hunt’s rocket ball ammunition in 1846. Patents were applied for his Volition Repeater and the rocket ball ammo in 1846. Hunt hired George Arrowsmith and later Lewis Jennings. Not many of the Volition Repeaters were made.
Jennings improvements to the Volition became the Jennings rifle. Hardly any of the Hunt gun was retained. The Jennings received it’s patent on 12/25/1848. Courtland Palmer acquired the patents held by Hunt and Jennings. Palmer contracted with Robbins & Lawrence Co. to produce the Jennings rifle. A current employee of Robbins & Lawrence was Benjamin Tyler Henry. Not many Jennings rifles were produced.
In 1850 Horace Smith was hired by Palmer . Also in 1850 Daniel Wesson was working for Leonard Pistol Works. He was assigned to Robbins & Lawrence. Now you have Jennings, Smith, Wesson and Henry working together. With Smith’s improvements to the Jennings it is known now as the Smith Jennings. This design was too complicated and the ammunition was not suitable so again, not many were made.
In 1852 both Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson were working for Allen, Brown & Luther Co. Smith & Wesson’s informal partnership started in 1852. In 1853 Smith & Wesson applied for a Patent for a self contained cartridge. A certain amount of people think this was based upon the Flobert style cartridge and their ensuing gun was based upon the Venditti lever action pistol. Sometime in either 1854 or 1855 Henry was hired by Smith & Wesson. This pistol is the first to look like the later Henry action and receiver. In 1854 a formal partnership was formed with Palmer, Smith and Wesson known as the Smith & Wesson Co.
In 1855 Smith & Wesson Co. was reorganized as the Volcanic Repeating Arms Co. By 1857 the company was in financial trouble and was declared insolvent. Oliver Winchester formed the New Haven Arms Co. on 5/1/1857. Winchester kept the Volcanic name for marketing purposes. Henry was hired sometime between 1857 and 1858. By 1861 the New Haven Arms Co. was on the verge of bankruptcy.
In May of 1865 Henry and the secretary of the New Haven Arms Co. had the the name of the company changed to the Henry Repeating Rifle Co. while Winchester was in Europe. Winchester forced the bankruptcy of the new company by calling due the notes and not letting them use the manufacturing facilities.
On February 20, 1867 the new name of the company was the Winchester Repeating Arms Co.
Very interesting! I was familiar with everything except Henry’s attempted coup. Thank you for that!
All men have fears. The brave put down their fears and go forward, sometimes to death but always to victory.
Old guns are like old cars and old men. They are meant to be taken out and used from time to time, not locked away or put on display in a museum.
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