A scarce .450 X 3 ¼” Alexander Henry falling block ‘Sealing Rifle’.
£3995
A scarce .450 X 3 ¼” Alexander Henry falling block ‘Sealing Rifle’. Plain cranked right handed back action lock with spurred hammer is signed to the centre A HENRY. Slab sided undecorated Henry falling block action is signed to the left flat HENRY’S PATENT and PATENT No 2187 to the top of the receiver ring. Straight hand walnut stock with smooth steel butt plate and smooth forend retained by a single round pin with plain screw retained escutcheons. The trigger guard tang engraved with serial number 5767 for manufacture between 1886 and 1889. Tapering round 29 ¾” long barrel struck with Birmingham Victorian commercial proof marks is stamped to the right side of the Knox form HENRYS RIFLING and ALEX HENRY LONDON AND EDINBURGH to the front of the standing rear sight. Fitted with a fine bead blade foresight. Very plain or sometimes referred to as 3rd quality arms Alex Henry supplied 478 of this pattern of rifle to the Victorian sealing and whaling trade for ship board use chambered for the effective and flat shooting .450” X 3 ¼” black powder express cartridge. Designed and built for reliable function in the most desolate parts of the world around the poles these rifles were often bought in from Birmingham manufacturers such as BSA. Given the nature of the work they were put to and the conditions in which they were used very few of Henry’s seal guns have survived and fining one in such good condition makes this a very scarce weapon. In very good condition with very good bore and mechanics, a nice sharp well figured stock and most original blue to the barrel. A very nice example of a Henry sealing gun, a product of a major Victorian industry which has fortunately not continued into the modern age.
