Product Details
BSA, BIRMINGHAM FOR ALEXR. HENRY
A RARE .500/450 2 1/2in. (HENRY MILITARY) FALLING-BLOCK MILITARY RIFLE, MODEL '1868 PAT', serial no. 2045 (1976),
dated for 1869, with blued 32 1/2in. barrel marked near breech with 1860 patent use number '1305' together with 1865 patent use number '251' together with 'ALEX. HENRY. EDINBURGH.', shallow block and blade fore-sight, elevating ladder rear-sight devoid of range markings, slab-sided falling block receiver (traces of colour) marked on the left face 'BSA Co. HENRY'S PATENT 2045', plain left hand back-action lock with exposed side-hammer, walnut butt-stock with iron heel-plate, the left side of butt stamped with a Birmingham Small Arms roundel with the date '1869', underside of butt near action marked '1976' and '93/915', push button release for under-lever, military style three-quarter length fore-end with two iron barrel-bands and iron nose-cap, provision for clearing rod (missing) and single swivel.
Provenance: In 1868-69, Alexander Henry contracted to the then fledgling Small Arms Company of Birmingham (soon to be renamed Birmingham Small Arms Company or 'BSA' for 100 rifles of their 1868 & 69 patterns in both sporting and military guise. These guns are all found with BSA numbers between '2000' and '2099', meaning the rifle presented here was the 45th rifle produced. Very few however were produced in the then experimental Henry cartridge correctly known as 500/450 2 1/2in. Henry Special Military. Until extensive research by Peter McGowan, collectors had long though this cartridge to be an experimental Gatling round or even an early version of the Westley Richards .450 No1 Express but it was actually designed by Henry to mimic or better the ballistics offered by the .577-450 military cartridge and also make the case easier to load (ref. The British Single-Shot Rifle - Alexander Henry by Wal Winfer, pgs. 91-99).
On receipt of the rifles Henry stamped his own serial number and makers marks, and the company register shows this was the last of a batch of 13 rifles received in early to middle 1869 (ref Alexander Henry, Rifle Maker by Donald Dallas, pgs. 266-267.
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Estimate £1,000-1,500
Sold as an exempt item under Section 58 (2) of the 1968 Firearms Act, to be held as a curiosity or ornament