Well, the thesis was that the A&T built rifle barrels using the Henry Patent rifling had chronological patent use numbers from about 1862 (or earlier...not clear) up to 1888. Several internet posters claimed this was true - I don't think anyone of them ever tested it out. Gun "truisms" seem to take on a life of their own.
It looked like a graph using 5 or six data points was reasonably consistent. Additional look at very early use numbers 3 -700 on Alexr Henry single barrel .451 M-L rifles show some semblance of order (probably 1860-65). But there are 4 guns with A&T use #'s radically outside the curve. And there are use numbers which are higher on a 1869 gun than on an 1873 gun. This variance is difficult to deconflict or reconcile. (Toby as always warned me of this).
So, I guess we'll have to consign this theory to the ash heap of history. I'll continue looking at the Henry Patent use #'s on A&T barrels just for the heck of it hoping to make some sense of the chronology. There are a lot of them out there but sellers don't seem to want to post the use #'s - or they may not recognize them as such (in a lot of cases we are talking about the firearms sellers equivalent of carpet merchants and camel dealers). Maybe at the least, it'll convince sellers that there is interest in what's on their guns and encourage them to publish the info.
For curiosity, still wondering about how Henry got his patent extended for 14 years in 1874...a couple of years ago when I was looking at Reilly Martini Henry's I vaguely recall something about a deal the arsenal made with Henry on the Martini-Henry.. Curiosity is a dangerous thing but for the moment, ensconced in the house, cleaning a muzzle loader for the 20th time, I just need another vodka.
Last edited by Argo44; 03/30/20 08:00 PM.
