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Posted By: CJF Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/01/21 11:05 PM
Picked up a small single shot in 360 2.25". It's a top grade Alexander Henry small frame takedown falling block. It has some issues I'm exploring, but first off, I wanted to try a new image hosting service here to see if it works out (picr.de).







Posted By: Mike Rowe Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/02/21 12:38 AM
Make sure you examine the wrist very closely for cracks - the Henrys are bad about cracking along the line between the loading trough and the mainspring inlet (sometimes you can see daylight through the inletting alone, they are so thin there).
It looks like it'll be a dandy with a little cleaning!
How's the bore?
Posted By: CJF Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/02/21 03:08 AM
Thankfully no cracks. The whole rifle is very dainty. The stock and action weigh only 38.8ozs (2 lbs, 6.7ozs). The forearm is 4.2ozs. The entire rifle's weight fully assembled is 5 lbs 1.7ozs.

Bore is great.

The defect with the rifle is that the barrel is either a replacement or has been abused in that it does not fit properly within recess in the boss coming out the front of the receiver.

When you install the barrel, the final mating of the lug to the recess causes the muzzle to rise slightly, resulting in the barrel's underside lifting out of the channel in the action boss by a millimeter or two. The receiver still appears undamaged and square. I would think that a smith could either tig some additional material to the lug and refile to fit, or remove the existing lug and fashion a new one, and refit to the barrel.

The barrel was at one time fitted with a scope. Perhaps the additional weight on the scope stressed the system. Or the more modern 360 2.25 nitro rounds were fired, and not the lighter 360 BPE or NFB. Barrel is proved for 22gr of cordite and a 190gr bullet, and is marked 360 2.25" Has both BP and NP proofs. The barrel is not marked with a manufacturer's name. Lock is marked Alex Henry.

I will need to get additional pictures up and gather some further opinions on how to make this right and who to have do the work.
Posted By: CJF Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/02/21 03:22 AM
Additional pictures to help show the problem. Note that the lug or boss coming out the front of the receiver, into which the barrel lug rotates (and which has the pivot pin for the lever that drops the block) shows signs of mistreatment by someone who didn't know what they were doing, but apparently owned a vise. What a jerk.




















Posted By: CJF Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/02/21 03:25 AM

Posted By: SKB Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/02/21 10:46 AM
Neat little rifle. I saw that one listed at auction and considered giving it a home myself. Any issues other than the fact that a scope was once mounted to it?
Posted By: CJF Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/02/21 02:54 PM
Not that I can find Steve, besides the barrel fit issue described right above this block of pictures.
Posted By: SKB Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/02/21 03:12 PM
Likely a re-barrel then, every A. Henry I have had in my hands was signed on the barrel. Henry rifling or conventional?

The lug sure does not look to fit the recess correctly. Hard saying if repairing the fit of that barrel will be worth the effort or not.
Steve
Posted By: CJF Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/02/21 03:26 PM
I would be satisfied with either a new barrel or this one fit. Would be work that presumably would be unique, at least in this application
Posted By: SKB Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/02/21 03:29 PM
Give a call if you like, right up my alley. I have a thing for both Scottish rifles and single shots.
Since it may not be original, it might be a candidate worthy of sleaving to .22 LR. Presumably an extractor would not be too difficult. Pretty nice rifle if you can get it shooting again, but it would be nice to see a few pictures of the entire gun.

Nice find.
Posted By: SKB Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/02/21 05:05 PM
Certainly possible to convert to rimfire, it would also include altering the breech block and firing pin and might require a new block as well. The firing pin is retained by a nut which is threaded into the block on the same axis as the pin. It may be easier to make a new block with the pin in the proper location that to alter the original block. If it was mine I would go back to .360, either 2&1/4" bpe or 2&7/16" bpe. I have a double in the 2&7/16" version which was a favorite chambering of Henry's.



I suppose it would be a bit of work. But a fine squirrel rifle if one did. There are not very many .22 lr English rook rifles for some reason, though that would seem to be the ideal cartridge for them, as light as they are.

We can't rifle turkeys here, so those 'tweener cartridges like .310 cadets, .25-20s and so on are always hanging around looking for work.
Posted By: Mike Rowe Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/02/21 11:24 PM
It looks to me like some goober has filed half the nocksform off the barrel at the breech, and put a screw there too. Probably the same clot who bent everything up.
Some people really need to learn their limitations.....
Posted By: SKB Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/02/21 11:51 PM
Right past bodger and straight to clot.....
Posted By: keith Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/03/21 06:55 AM
Originally Posted By: SKB
Give a call if you like, right up my alley. I have a thing for both Scottish rifles and single shots.


Don't have another melt-down Queen Stevie, but from the posts you make here, it appears that the things that are really right up your alley are criticizing Donald Trump and Republicans, supporting anti-gun Democrats like Altzheimer Joe Biden, disrupting gun rights discussions, and dancing around your gay Festivus pole.

Another consideration is that CJF might not be as patient as BrentD, and wish to wait the rest of his life for you to work on his gun, or pay you just to have you farm the work out to someone else, while you spend all day here

https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=588144#Post588144

Paybacks Queen Stevie... can be a real b!tch. But you'll be a triggered little Liberal snowflake, and forget what you did yesterday.
Posted By: SKB Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/03/21 09:47 AM
Billie, you are projecting again. It is you who has been having the extended melt down, as evidenced by your recent string of angry posts. Similar story with your infatuation with gay sex. We all know about your relationship with frAnk, no need for you to run from it.

If you only knew how many conservatives despise your behavior you would be shocked. I know because they tell me.

Timelines? I have had Brent's gun under a year, pretty quick for the amount of metal and wood work required.

I gave CJF a realistic timeline for his job when we spoke yesterday at length. A very enjoyable conversation.

What I did yesterday? awwe....your poor wittle feelings have been hurt.

Grow a pair you pansie.
Posted By: keith Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/03/21 04:12 PM
Yep, triggered... and you're also crying like a typical Libtard snowflake Queen Stevie.

I'm sure you feel that your long timelines for turn-around on customer's guns is reasonable. We can only imagine how bad it would be if you didn't farm-out a lot of work to real gunsmiths. You have to make some excuse for the large amount of time you spend here supporting Joe Biden, posting false data from anti-gun organizations, and trying to convince us that Donald Trump would screw gun owners and infringe upon our rights.

I actually don't believe that many conservatives complain to you about me, because I have seen real conservatives here for years, openly complaining about you and the other Libtards. I'm quite confident that they are not PM'ing you in private to tell you that they really think I'm a bad guy, but are simply afraid to say it in the open. Tell us you little fraud, was it John Roberts???


Originally Posted By: John Roberts
Steve, Are you a Democrat?

JR


Of course, you tell lies all the time Queen Stevie Remember how you also tried to tell us that your Libtard buddy Last Dollar was a true conservative? What a laugh! I'm sure I'd be very shocked to hear that he despised me. Speaking of lies and projections, it is always amusing how you keep trying to hide your queerness by deflecting it onto me and jOe. You don't see any infatuation with gay sex from me. More accurately, I call it a sick perversion, and am just giving my opinion about your obvious life in the closet. You also don't see us defending gay marriage, wearing buckle-strap girls shoes, posting off-topic Threads about gay secular holidays like Festivus, or most importantly... living a life without women. Pretty easy to see where you're coming from you poor little victim and rainbow warrior. Here's a flag for your rainbow Festivus pole, snowflake.


Posted By: SKB Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/03/21 04:27 PM
You do seem angry.....get those meds checked, maybe after you find your big girl panties.
Posted By: CJF Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/03/21 05:36 PM
And back to the subject at hand...

Here's a shot showing the size of the action. You can also see the poor fit between the handguard and action at the bottom. What's happening is that as the takedown barrel's lug rotates into its mating lug on the receiver boss, the poor fit causes the muzzle t lift upwards, taking the handguard up with it. The handguard itself mates perfectly with the action when it's not attached to the barrel, but then what good is that?

Posted By: SKB Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/03/21 05:50 PM
Does the barrel hanger appear bent up Chris?

That action is much bigger than mine. I have been pondering what to re-barrel my own gun to. I may follow Brents siggestion and go with .22 LR on it. I know my gun was a .360 as well but I am sure a rook cartridge not the 2&1/4"bpe. I'm not that enthused about loading for a rook and .22lr is just so useful.
Posted By: Der Ami Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/03/21 06:22 PM
SKB,
Re-barreling to 38 special is an option; very similar to the 360 Rook, but easier to load for and still centerfire( no conversion necessary).
Mike
Posted By: CJF Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/03/21 07:05 PM
SKB,
The barrel hanger is not bent and remains square to the receiver face. This seems to be all a problem with this barrel.


Der Ami,
I had considered 38 special as well as 38-55 for this gun. After reading about the 360 and hearing that was indeed the original chambering, I’m looking to either have a new barrel made or have this one refitted. But either way keeping with the 360 2.25” round. I have a Dakota model 10 I’d like to get rebarreled to 357 Maximum to scratch the desire for a modern rook. I have a Ruger No1 in 357 Mag and that just seems overly heavy for that round.
Posted By: Rick W Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/03/21 10:21 PM
Very nice...
I didn’t read if the original proof marks are present under the forend? I agree, Henry’s name and address would have been engraved on the top of the barrel, this is a BEST quality rifle.
Your Bbl photo does appear to have the Nocks form - although one side looks milled off.
I have a 450 TD with this configuration as well as a 360 with a slightly different TD connection.
IMO - if you’re going to restore, bring it back like Henry made it..
Thanks for sharing.
Posted By: Der Ami Re: Alexander Henry small frame takedown - 01/03/21 10:41 PM
CJF,
My comment about the 38 Special was directed to SKB, his is chambered for the 360 Rook ( like a shortened 38 spec, but with oversized barrel, similar to some 9.3x72R barrels). If I had yours I would also stay with 360- 2 1/4" Flanged. I have been looking for a 9.3x57R ( metric version of the 360 Express, varying groove diameters) for quite a while.
Mike
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