If Popular Science had been around in 1860, you can bet there would be a picture of a Henry on the cover sub-titled "The Weapon of the Future Soldier".
And then virtually the same article for each Winchester iteration from 1866 through 1895, blithely assuming no one would call them on it. THE NEW XM1876A1: IS IT TOMORROW'S RIFLE TODAY?
My current, and corrected, understand of my rights, obligations and conduct for concealed carry, self defense and as a civilian firearms owner came from 2 NRA instructors. Yes the NRA can do a better job in there public relations but contrary to public belief it would not be in there best interest to sponsor conduct that would lead to proving the opposition point of view. So though I don't support every one of the NRA efforts, I understand they have done more for the gun community than any other organization including teaching responsible gun ownership.
William Phillips I am saying bad things about NRA primarily because I care about them. Their campaigns are painting ordinary gun owners like homophobs these days. Their ads make nonwhite gun owners uncomfortable, and they never seem to care that many leftists actually believe strongly in 2nd amendment (Karl Marx was very pro-gun). They also really are clueless about AK lovers and what they desire (They supported 94 ban as it would boost sales of Ruger), finally they think Mossberg Shockwave is a good gun, and video games are bad -_- NRA needs a change of it's management. Love the concept, but there are faults in their current stance.
Unfortunately, public relations are extremely important. They're the cover people judge because they do not read the book. Anti gun people will never meet your two instructors and get trained.
It works. I bought my first gun a month ago. The idea came directly from watching Forgotten Weapons (mechanics and the variation/advancement of technology fascinated me) and from InRange (two-gun action looks like lot of fun and something I did not know existed before seeing it here). I also took a trauma medical course cause, in one vid long ago, Karl mentioned his kit and why he carries it. Also Ian had weapon explode into his chest.
Tactical sombrero too. Not to mention the high-mobility wool trousers. If he had ditched the Oakley’s and had a piece of straw in his mouth, he could’ve cut his times in half.
The slower speed was one of the reasons the Army approved the Spencer. The Generals of the time were worried that soldiers would just waste ammo so preferred a slower rate of fire. Many of them resisted all repeaters for the same reason.
Hi my name is chad, and ive been addicted to forgotten weapons and InRangeTV for several years now. Love all of your work and content that goes into these videos.
I'm guessing he means single shot, which now that I think about it I can kind of see his point. It's like someone took the Remington rolling block, slapped the Sharps hammer on the side and lever on the bottom, which actually Spencer did, and then jury rigged a magazine behind it all.
This has to be one of the classiest,no-nonsense firearms related channels in production today. Entertaining and yet still instructional, there is a wealth of knowledge being provided in these subtle, well rounded half hour segments. Karl and Ian are truly a benefit to the firearms and shooting community. I find myself not even making it through the first few moments of most "tannerite/ full auto mag dump etc..." videos.
I Can I take a second and use this platform to express how amazing it is to be on the early frontlines as a Patreon supporter for your channel. Your series content from past, present, and I'm sure future, has been some of the best firearms content distributed openly. Your content cover interesting topics. Is well organized. And you both are knowledgeable about the subject matter. You both are very natural on camera. Your channel has been the topic of conversation from inner firearms community to mass media. You must be doing something right. I have been unable to see the HBO appearance but hope to soon. I was excited to see our culture being represented by two of our best. Thank you.
Thank you very much for taking the time to write these kind words, and for your support. Hopefully there’s much more to come and you’ll continue to enjoy it! ~K
Let’s be honest - if I were fighting in the civil war, I’d be happy to take either of these rifles and wouldn’t feel undergunned, especially vs. a vast majority of soldiers with 1861 Springfield and 1853 Enfield Muskets. Clearly the Henry can put down a much higher volume of fire, and quicker, plus it has a much easier to work action so it’s the safest bet. however .44 henry was a fairly anemic round while the .56-56 was praised for it’s prowess in hunting after the war. Don’t want to be hit by a giant hunk of lead either way.
A 200 grain bullet at 1200 FPS is not what I would call anemic. That's on par with a modern 10mm auto which has a reputation as a man-stopper. As a round for a pistol caliber carbine which is what the Henry is I'd say it would easily drop a man even wearing a thick Civil War era wool uniform with a center mass shot pretty consistently. Not to mention the terrible medical technology of the time would ensure that most wounds would result in infection and put men out of action. That being said you are right. Both rifles are far superior to anything else at the time.
@@PokemonHaloFan IMO: 44 Henry only produced 568 ft/lb of ME, while the 56-56 Spencer gave 1125ft/lb ME due to bullet mass. Either would be quite effective within usual engagement ranges, but the military probably liked the idea that the Spencer would retain effective energy at distances beyond 200 yards. That said; we do have archeological evidence that there were Henry's used on either flank of the 1st Wisconsin Infantry during the Battle of Perryville on 8 OCT 1862. My analogy would be to liken the Henry to todays MP5 (subgun) and the Spencer to M4 (assault rifle) while the Springfields and Enfields were main battle rifles.
anything was an improvement over tear your powder patch pour in,retrieve your ball with patch,stamp in ball,get your percussion cap on then shoot,followed by get your cleaning jag and solvent to clean barrel and repeat.
Were they government issue or were soldiers allowed to make private purchases? Heard the Henry costed an entire months pay but was damn near worth it, and both were popular in the western theater.
Without a doubt one of the best InRangeTV videos ever. Thank you soo much for the dedication guys. Im so thankful to have come across the channel when i did years ago. Great work. Can't wait to see what comes out next in the Henery series. Seriously though, it's frigging great content. A+
I know this is an old video, but I have to say that was one of the entertaining, informative & all-around well-done gun videos, on any channel, ever! Bravo, guys!
Revolvers before the Colt series of guns were like the Spencer in that for every shot, you had to rotate the cylinder by hand in the specific correct position then cock the hammer. Colt revolutionized revolvers by making those two actions into one, just like the Henry did for lever actions.
Excellent! I have been sitting here waiting for this for a year. Very, very happy to see this... ... Just before I leave civilisation for a few months. I will be back to enjoy this though!
Ooh, i asked carl this question in the comments over a year ago, he said,” stay tuned”, looks like I’m gonna get an answer. Lots of great content guy 👍
Ah, yes. The game where horsetesticles react realisticly to the weather, but rounds just appear in your hand to reload your SAA, and the cases never even leave the revolver.
Duke of Lorraine What in tarnation are you talking about? The Colt SAA was never a cap n ball revolver, it was built as a cartridge gun after the patent ran out on the bored-in cylinder. You may be thinking of the Colt Navy or Colt Army which were originally built as cap n ball revolvers and then converted by many post civil war after cartridges were popularized.
I would assume the Martini-Henry was superior with its falling block design, more powerful round, and the fact it was designed as its own weapon and not just a muzzleloader conversion. Like why the Colt sa 1873 took over from the Colt navy and army even with the conversions.
thank you so much for this episode. Again, I've learned a lot. One small recommendation: When comparing two different styles of guns, you could think of scenarios. War isn't always shooting 7 shots at a short distance as fast as possible. Imagine being part of let's say Sheridan's cavalry, or a random infantry unit, or maybe with Custer at LBH. Reloading speed (and process reliability) under fire, single shots from a bigger distance with subsequent reloading, etc.
I love how when they actually did the mud tests, the Spencer could only fire a single shot and the Henry was virtually flawless as long as it had a spent casing or live round to eject when first cycled and kick the mud off the ejection port. Basically the opposite of what they expected.
Your original video on this topic inspired me to jump the timeline of a story I was writing about 400 years forward to a technology level analogous to the 1860's-80's. Its been fun figuring out how a small mercenary company armed with lever action repeaters, a dozen mages, and semi-modern infantry tactics would fare against much larger forces armed with breech loaders and old infantry line and block tactics. Needless to say I've been waiting for this series ever since.
According to the latest forensic research on the Greasy Grass, up to 250 Winchester rifles were used by the tribes, Henry, 1866 and 1873. As an assault rifle, the Winchester won the battle, especially after range was broken.
I've wanted a Spencer carbine since I was 5 years old when I watched 'The Blue and the Grey' mini series. The actor Stacy Keach played 'Jonas', an Army scout for the Union and was given a Spencer in the film by President Lincoln. I was in awe of the fire power and quick action of the Spencer. Now 36 years later I see this video and I still want one! Quirky handling be damned!
Then the animation is so fast even at minimum familiarity level that it doesn't appear to be getting cocked. I chalked it up to modification liberties by the game since it's not the only weapon modified from it's real life equivilant. (The C93, the Semi Auto Pistol, has it's grip angled like a traditional pistol, something that Luger had to add to the design when he modified it but as far as I know was never actually applied to any C93's )
But speed isn't everything. The Spencer cartridge was similar to rifle cartridges at the time while the Henry was a lot weaker and had a lesser range than the Spencer. The Spencer was also more reliable. Logistics are also another concern. If you're a national army where that has to spend a ton of money producing newly invented metal cartridges, you want the gun that's not going to spit them out rapidly because that means you have to spend more money making them. The Henry was the first modern lever action, but the Spencer was far more practical for the US military at the time.
Honestly imma be real with you guys I have very little interest in owning or firing guns myself but I've been binge watching InRange and Forgotten Weapons for weeks because you guys are so informed about the weapons history and operation that my interest in history takes over and I'm absolutely hooked in the technical history and development/operation of these things. Bravo guys.
As someone from the UK with little knowledge of guns, and only one experience firing one, this channel is so informative and interesting for me. Subbed fellas.
One thing that immediately came to mind, for me, in comparison to the Henry versus the Spencer carbine, is the ease of reloading while mounted, using a saddle scabbard. Reloading the Henry on horseback necessitated two hands and removal from the scabbard: removal to access magazine, one to push the magazine spring back and feed cartridges, the other to hold the rifle itself. The Spencer, however, could be reloaded with one hand by using the saddle scabbard. Just tuck the Spencer into the scabbard, open the buttplate locked follower, load in your rounds, and shut it. That lets you actually reload the thing while keeping control of your horse. Whether it functions in practice as opposed to theory, I don't know because I don't own a horse or a Spencer.
This is GREAT! Henry Repeating Arms is a really cool company. They have provided rifles for us at "The 2nd is For Everyone ". I can't wait to see where this goes.
It's always nice to see old weapons show their mettle (no pun intended) And you two have made many excellent, well thought out, educational and entertaining videos, and for this you have my deep respect! :) The alternate history of the USA rearming with Lever Actions in the post war/late blackpowder era is intriguing and it's a potentially much broader topic than originally intended! There are 5 things that are nagging at the back of my mind in regards to the "Lever Action What If" series: 1, given the strategic picture, historical context, preexisting tactical doctrine, and national priorities would preclude any such rearmament or shift in doctrine before 1886 at the earliest. 2, In the event it was done there would be no guarantee that making a new doctrine from scratch would prove a successful endeavor either in principle or against the enemies we had any likelihood of fighting (Native Americans, Rebels, Rioters, Workers Uprisings, Mexico, Canada, Banana Republics) let alone the ever looming threat of an Invading European power or being called into that amorphous "Next Great European War" that people had been talking about as an Idea to be prevented since 1815. 3, I believe you are honestly trashtalking the capabilities of the Trapdoor Springfield a bit too much, and giving a bit too much credit to the capabilities of independent suppressive fire in an age where the entrenching tool/barbed wire was becoming standard issue, but hand grenades/camouflage weren't standard issue, radios/tanks/mechanized/aircraft warfare wouldn't begin to be a possibility until 1916 and not perfected until ~1938... basically when the only means of maneuver was on foot/horse and the only means of frontal offense against a prepared position was by synchronizing watches to bring a knife to a gunfight within 30 seconds of an artillery bombardment lifting, however obviously costly anything short of that would merely be taking pot shots at opponents in a superior covered position whilst trying to slowly hack through the wire under the mercy of their now belatedly redeployed troops. 4, On a less nihilistic note, in the event the rearmament happened it would require a substantial increase in taxes and government spending at a time when we (the USA) were trying to expand and modernize as fast as possible and not look like a threat to other powers, I can't help but wonder how much the tax hikes/fund reallocation/rearmament would have effected American Politics, society, economic development and international relations, also would the "Poor Old Navy" have been thrown a bone during this alternate time period? Would the rapid reequipping of the small arms get in the way of modernizing the artillery/navy/cavalry/fortifications? 5, In the event that we successfully made modern suppressive fire weapons/doctrine work in the late 19th century, would other major nations have taken notice, and, if so, would that have changed other militaries and world events, possibly including the Russo-Japanese War, or WW1? Would such a revolution have it have helped our enemies more in the mid-long run? All sorts of thing could have spiraled out of this or similar decisions! The mind wonders! :)
Before you rule out other styles of repeating rifles in your "What if" series, please do a comparison of the Winchester against the 1884 Colt Lightning Express rifle. If Colt had come out with their pump action rifle 10 years earlier, would it have changed things? Was Colt just too late? I bought an Uberti replica of the Colt Lightning in .45LC, case hardened frame and 22 inch octagon barrel and it is a sweet shooting rifle! Personally, I love the old Henry, Winchester, and Marlin lever guns. I have a Navy Arms 1866 Winchester in .38 Special, an Uberti 1873 Winchester rifle in .357 Mag, a new Henry in 45/70 and several model '94s. But I was really impressed with the Colt Lightning pump action rifle. Very quick and smooth action. Just as easy to shoot as my Winchester Model 62 .22 LR pump action.
Great video guys. I own both Italian carbines in 44-40. However my Henry fires .429 as cast, while I must size the Spencer bullet to .427. Imagine my consternation when I realized ammo was not interchangeable without loss of accuracy or probable jamming. My Henry wins hands down over my Spencer. Along with the reasons you mentioned, the Army had tons of surplus after the Civil War, which was cheaper to convert to a larger, single shot cartridge at US Armories than to buy new Winchesters.
Does this mean that the SKS/M 1 series is going to be in the later in the year? I'm not complaining but wondering since you guys talked about that during shot show.
+Devin As I understand it Senpai refers to someone that is older than you and has more experience in something more than you. In this case Karl-Senpai works since he is in fact older then me and has a lot more shooting/firearm experience.
From the little bit of history I read, the Henry would not stand up to the “dirt” test due to the open cartridge tube. That, plus the issues you brought up. It you both are far more versed than I on firearm history. Thanks for this and all the other videos
Gentlemen, an excellent video. I've only scanned the past couple days of comments, so if it has been mentioned before, I apologize: One of the reasons the Spencer may have been adopted is that it is more versatile than the Henry - you can make the Spencer into an infantry rifle by just installing a longer barrel and fore-stock, as was done. Spencer rifles are rare, so there may have been other issues (perhaps the barrels were too long for the cartridge, for example). To convert a Henry, you would need a new barrel, a new magazine, a new mag spring, a new barrel end piece, etc. Considerably more expensive, and remember, you are talking - hopefully - of half a million units. After the Civil War, when money was scarce. I think the argument was settled by the early 1870's with the adoption of the trap door series of rifles and carbines. These latter also fitted in better with the philosophy of long range aimed and/or volley fire prevalent at the time. Thanks again for a great video.
Papa Cap, time a distance. Or cutting strings and timing the difference. Crazy, isn’t it. Power is just as odd, they used a “ballistic pendulum.” That’s why info about speed and ft. Lbs wasn’t really that available or considered of importance up until the turn of the century.
I think the Spencer didn’t give them much more of an edge that the Springfield trap door. I think some 45/70 rounds in a bag close at hand wouldn’t be too much slower. Just my opinion. If you guys want to test that theory, feel free, ill watch.
Think Calvary and scouting, where an engagement is short and disengagement is desired. 7 with no fumbling with anything outside the gun is immense. Think 30 round mags in a m16 vs a m1 garand.
Note that Karl is a much better trained and experienced shooter than a lot of regular soldiers would be, with many thousands more rounds to his name. Cavalry were elite troops, yes, but the military doesn't like to count on people having Karl's skill level when requisitioning weapons.
Thanks for this video. I have watched about 30-35 videos on lever action rifles and this is the first with a Spencer rifle in it. Although the Spencer is slower, it appears to be a good design for it's time period. Nice job guys.
The one problem with lever actions in combat situations is , that it's difficult to shoot from the prone position. Also , the mechanics would be more likely to cause trouble under battle conditions than bolt actions or semi autos.
@@spearfisherman308 That's true if you're talking about the early designs. But John Browning solved that problem with the Winchester model 1895. It could handle some of the most powerful cartridges of that time. It was available in the then current military rounds such as 30-40 Krag and 30-06 as well as European military metric chamberings .
honestly, id love more "manual of arms" videos for all sorts of firearms because of that information is fantastic to have particularly on more obscure weapons (so maybe on Ian's channel is more the place?) great information and shows the type of detail I love in your productions.
I've watched this before, but it just struck me that Ian firing that Spencer at the steel plate has all the urgency of church bells ringing out of a lazy Sunday morning. Karl on the other hand sounds like a fire-bell in a crowded factory.
Fantastic (semi-) opener to your new series. I thoroughly enjoyed the WWSD project, but am glad to see you switching gears back to the Old West. Well done, and looking forward to the remainder of the project.
Great job, I would only ask if the Henry was substantially more expensive than the Spencer? I know at points the Union was struggling to fund the war. Thanks though, I absolutely love this series.
You guys are doing a series about rifles I can actually own! I loved WWSD but my soap bills went through the roof due to turning green with envy, very excited to follow along with this one.
I own both, yes the Henry shoots faster, and as a safe queen is reliable. In real world application it was significantly more fragile than the Spencer, and given it's open magazine prone feeding problems, not to mention the barrel also gets too hot to handle with continuous firing. One thing you also failed to address is stopping power and range, the Spencer out performs the Henry in both categories. As far military applications the Spencer rife was the superior. I'm not even going to touch the very inaccurate statements in regards to the American Civil War.
you can, with the henry, stay more closely on target between rounds. you not only had a superior raye of fire but, also improved accuracy to go right along
Magical sky navy setting on floating skilands with ocean replaced by instadeath mist. Tech/style level is late Victorian pre dreadnought era. You are the bridge crew on a newly commissioned Cruiser designed with the endurance to cross the previously uncrossable dead sea. The emperor has sent you on a mission to cross the sea and find what he thinks is the source of recent sudden dissapreances of whole skilands. Rules are not actually D&D, i used that as shorthand.
That actually sounds interesting, but just trying to cut some time out for swordplay is hard for me at the moment. Also i probably live on the other side of the country from you. Damn tempting though.
I have the repro Spencer in 45LC and it's so fun to shoot and easy to reload cartridges. It is a bit awkward in action. I have the same Blakeslee speed loader set up and the tubes must be replaced with something like electrical conduit and the wood block drilled out a bit to accomodate their larger diameter.
Compared to a muzzle loader the Spencer was revolutionary - it perhaps wasn't the best decision, but it was a good decision. Spencer wasn't making any headway until he met Lincoln
I had a Taylors Spencer in 56-50. It was a fun range toy but was ammo sensitive. I agree with your findings. I sold it because I got tired of messing with the ammo.
11th OVC has a video on the Spencer, they mentioned Spencer's factory made a point of being ready to supply it in wartime numbers, they mentioned a unit that actually rejected the Spencer in favor of the henry ordered the weapons but ultimately acquired the Spencer for the entire unit in the time it took for henry to respond and say they couldn't fulfill the order.
If Popular Science had been around in 1860, you can bet there would be a picture of a Henry on the cover sub-titled "The Weapon of the Future Soldier".
Missed by 12 years!
LeCharles07 h
And then virtually the same article for each Winchester iteration from 1866 through 1895, blithely assuming no one would call them on it. THE NEW XM1876A1: IS IT TOMORROW'S RIFLE TODAY?
LeCharles07 shouldn't you be busy protecting the boys?
@@ZGryphon debatable. The marlins were some serious competition from what ive read even though the Winchester name was more well known
NRA should learn a thing or two from you two guys. This is the right way to introduce new people to guns, via teaching them about the mechanics.
NRA be like "You need guns, there's too many wackos out there. And now over to our board member Ted Nugent..."
My current, and corrected, understand of my rights, obligations and conduct for concealed carry, self defense and as a civilian firearms owner came from 2 NRA instructors. Yes the NRA can do a better job in there public relations but contrary to public belief it would not be in there best interest to sponsor conduct that would lead to proving the opposition point of view. So though I don't support every one of the NRA efforts, I understand they have done more for the gun community than any other organization including teaching responsible gun ownership.
William Phillips I am saying bad things about NRA primarily because I care about them. Their campaigns are painting ordinary gun owners like homophobs these days. Their ads make nonwhite gun owners uncomfortable, and they never seem to care that many leftists actually believe strongly in 2nd amendment (Karl Marx was very pro-gun). They also really are clueless about AK lovers and what they desire (They supported 94 ban as it would boost sales of Ruger), finally they think Mossberg Shockwave is a good gun, and video games are bad -_-
NRA needs a change of it's management. Love the concept, but there are faults in their current stance.
Unfortunately, public relations are extremely important. They're the cover people judge because they do not read the book. Anti gun people will never meet your two instructors and get trained.
It works. I bought my first gun a month ago. The idea came directly from watching Forgotten Weapons (mechanics and the variation/advancement of technology fascinated me) and from InRange (two-gun action looks like lot of fun and something I did not know existed before seeing it here).
I also took a trauma medical course cause, in one vid long ago, Karl mentioned his kit and why he carries it. Also Ian had weapon explode into his chest.
30 minutes listening to you two talking about 158 year old rifles. And I loved it.
Karl has an unfair advantage, here. Suspenders are the cowboy's 3-point sling.
Tactical sombrero too. Not to mention the high-mobility wool trousers. If he had ditched the Oakley’s and had a piece of straw in his mouth, he could’ve cut his times in half.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Why is there a gunslinger and an amish man telling me about guns
bluekuth Ah, well. You see, when a man loves a woman.....
This is recorded before dawn, when they had to fight off enemy bandits
Who else would you want to learn about guns with?
there should be an action movie about an Amish gunslinger
@@connorsproles9239 "which one are you the man or the woman" -Lenny
The slower speed was one of the reasons the Army approved the Spencer. The Generals of the time were worried that soldiers would just waste ammo so preferred a slower rate of fire. Many of them resisted all repeaters for the same reason.
As most soldiers were not great shots. Would “spray” rather than aim.
@@JRobbySh In the 1975 Army we were told to put her(M-16)on spray,full automatic.
Mostly that asshole James Ripley kept gumming up the works even when it came to something like the Spencer
Hi my name is chad, and ive been addicted to forgotten weapons and InRangeTV for several years now. Love all of your work and content that goes into these videos.
Chad Manning Chads like forgotten weapons confirmed confirmed 2018!
The Chad InRange Patron vs the virgin garandthumb watcher
Welcome to the group!
The Virgin hate vs the Chad support
THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE.
The Spencer is a breech loader with a magazine.
I'm guessing he means single shot, which now that I think about it I can kind of see his point. It's like someone took the Remington rolling block, slapped the Sharps hammer on the side and lever on the bottom, which actually Spencer did, and then jury rigged a magazine behind it all.
Yeah?... and so is the Henry
Devin Stromgren we@@@@@@
Yeah the Spencer isn't really a repeater in the sense of a henry.
One could say its a metal case firing update to the sharps carbine
This has to be one of the classiest,no-nonsense firearms related channels in production today. Entertaining and yet still instructional, there is a wealth of knowledge being provided in these subtle, well rounded half hour segments. Karl and Ian are truly a benefit to the firearms and shooting community. I find myself not even making it through the first few moments of most "tannerite/ full auto mag dump etc..." videos.
Check out duelist1954 too.
I
Can I take a second and use this platform to express how amazing it is to be on the early frontlines as a Patreon supporter for your channel. Your series content from past, present, and I'm sure future, has been some of the best firearms content distributed openly. Your content cover interesting topics. Is well organized. And you both are knowledgeable about the subject matter. You both are very natural on camera. Your channel has been the topic of conversation from inner firearms community to mass media. You must be doing something right. I have been unable to see the HBO appearance but hope to soon. I was excited to see our culture being represented by two of our best. Thank you.
Thank you very much for taking the time to write these kind words, and for your support. Hopefully there’s much more to come and you’ll continue to enjoy it! ~K
Fully agreed!
Let’s be honest - if I were fighting in the civil war, I’d be happy to take either of these rifles and wouldn’t feel undergunned, especially vs. a vast majority of soldiers with 1861 Springfield and 1853 Enfield Muskets. Clearly the Henry can put down a much higher volume of fire, and quicker, plus it has a much easier to work action so it’s the safest bet. however .44 henry was a fairly anemic round while the .56-56 was praised for it’s prowess in hunting after the war. Don’t want to be hit by a giant hunk of lead either way.
No doubt, both would give the troops a significant advantage in both fire power and for reloading.
A 200 grain bullet at 1200 FPS is not what I would call anemic. That's on par with a modern 10mm auto which has a reputation as a man-stopper. As a round for a pistol caliber carbine which is what the Henry is I'd say it would easily drop a man even wearing a thick Civil War era wool uniform with a center mass shot pretty consistently. Not to mention the terrible medical technology of the time would ensure that most wounds would result in infection and put men out of action.
That being said you are right. Both rifles are far superior to anything else at the time.
@@PokemonHaloFan IMO: 44 Henry only produced 568 ft/lb of ME, while the 56-56 Spencer gave 1125ft/lb ME due to bullet mass. Either would be quite effective within usual engagement ranges, but the military probably liked the idea that the Spencer would retain effective energy at distances beyond 200 yards. That said; we do have archeological evidence that there were Henry's used on either flank of the 1st Wisconsin Infantry during the Battle of Perryville on 8 OCT 1862. My analogy would be to liken the Henry to todays MP5 (subgun) and the Spencer to M4 (assault rifle) while the Springfields and Enfields were main battle rifles.
anything was an improvement over tear your powder patch pour in,retrieve your ball with patch,stamp in ball,get your percussion cap on then shoot,followed by get your cleaning jag and solvent to clean barrel and repeat.
Were they government issue or were soldiers allowed to make private purchases? Heard the Henry costed an entire months pay but was damn near worth it, and both were popular in the western theater.
Without a doubt one of the best InRangeTV videos ever. Thank you soo much for the dedication guys. Im so thankful to have come across the channel when i did years ago. Great work. Can't wait to see what comes out next in the Henery series. Seriously though, it's frigging great content. A+
I know this is an old video, but I have to say that was one of the entertaining, informative & all-around well-done gun videos, on any channel, ever! Bravo, guys!
When I saw that cocking the hammer was separate from cycling a round it became pretty obvious. Wow....
Revolvers before the Colt series of guns were like the Spencer in that for every shot, you had to rotate the cylinder by hand in the specific correct position then cock the hammer. Colt revolutionized revolvers by making those two actions into one, just like the Henry did for lever actions.
Gregory Wernke Colt 1836 pattent Adams 1851 pattent. Adams noted for early double action pattent.
Yeah it is still kind of falling block.
Probably still faster than the trapdoor springfield. :)
Quality content, and for the most part the comment sections of both InRangeTV and Forgotten Weapons are terrific.
Excellent!
I have been sitting here waiting for this for a year. Very, very happy to see this...
... Just before I leave civilisation for a few months. I will be back to enjoy this though!
Great episode guys! You never cease to amaze me with your knowledge. Thanks for sharing!
Ooh, i asked carl this question in the comments over a year ago, he said,” stay tuned”, looks like I’m gonna get an answer. Lots of great content guy 👍
this must be a staged video. in red dead redemption 2 arthur reloads this rifle in about 2 seconds........
Ah, yes. The game where horsetesticles react realisticly to the weather, but rounds just appear in your hand to reload your SAA, and the cases never even leave the revolver.
@@rgbgamingfridge But the Colt SAA wasn't percussion right? It did need cartridges.
@@mennograafmans1595 RDR2 is in 1899. I assume older models have all been converted to cartridges. (although some weapons still look like percussions)
Lots of things happen in the movies that are impossible in real life situations.
Duke of Lorraine What in tarnation are you talking about? The Colt SAA was never a cap n ball revolver, it was built as a cartridge gun after the patent ran out on the bored-in cylinder. You may be thinking of the Colt Navy or Colt Army which were originally built as cap n ball revolvers and then converted by many post civil war after cartridges were popularized.
"A Spencer .56. Did you ever see one? Buddy, the only thing missing is the wheels."
Nester and the Piute.
Louis L'amour
Would like to see a face off of the Martini-Henry vs the Springfield trap-door
So far as speed is concerned, I think the Martini would be the winner since it is self cocking with an internal striker.
@@ifitsfreeitsforme1852 yeah the Martini was a much better and refined design and a true colonial powerhouse
Love my mkiv
I would assume the Martini-Henry was superior with its falling block design, more powerful round, and the fact it was designed as its own weapon and not just a muzzleloader conversion. Like why the Colt sa 1873 took over from the Colt navy and army even with the conversions.
A better comparison would be Springfield trap door vs Snider Enfield. It’s still USA vs Empire, but the two rifles are a lot more comparable.
thank you so much for this episode. Again, I've learned a lot. One small recommendation: When comparing two different styles of guns, you could think of scenarios. War isn't always shooting 7 shots at a short distance as fast as possible. Imagine being part of let's say Sheridan's cavalry, or a random infantry unit, or maybe with Custer at LBH. Reloading speed (and process reliability) under fire, single shots from a bigger distance with subsequent reloading, etc.
That Henry 1860 is the carbine rifle in red dead 2, makes Arthur’s ability to reload that thing absurdly impressive
These "what if" episodes are always very informative and interesting. Keep 'em coming, guys.
I love how when they actually did the mud tests, the Spencer could only fire a single shot and the Henry was virtually flawless as long as it had a spent casing or live round to eject when first cycled and kick the mud off the ejection port. Basically the opposite of what they expected.
Your original video on this topic inspired me to jump the timeline of a story I was writing about 400 years forward to a technology level analogous to the 1860's-80's. Its been fun figuring out how a small mercenary company armed with lever action repeaters, a dozen mages, and semi-modern infantry tactics would fare against much larger forces armed with breech loaders and old infantry line and block tactics. Needless to say I've been waiting for this series ever since.
OMG I've been waiting for this series since u guys first mentioned it. ALL HAIL GUN LUCIFER
Hail!
According to the latest forensic research on the Greasy Grass, up to 250 Winchester rifles were used by the tribes, Henry, 1866 and 1873. As an assault rifle, the Winchester won the battle, especially after range was broken.
I've wanted a Spencer carbine since I was 5 years old when I watched 'The Blue and the Grey' mini series.
The actor Stacy Keach played 'Jonas', an Army scout for the Union and was given a Spencer in the film by President Lincoln. I was in awe of the fire power and quick action of the Spencer. Now 36 years later I see this video and I still want one! Quirky handling be damned!
YES, I've been so hyped waiting for this series to start ever since the question was first posed to you guys!
I bet Arthur Morgan hated the Spencer
the honest Orange almost every RDR2 player does
Actually I really like it in RDR 2, but I was ignorant to the fact the real version requires manual hammer cocking.
@@reonthornton685 you can see him cock it with his thumb
Reon Thornton
He does manually cock the hammer though
Then the animation is so fast even at minimum familiarity level that it doesn't appear to be getting cocked. I chalked it up to modification liberties by the game since it's not the only weapon modified from it's real life equivilant. (The C93, the Semi Auto Pistol, has it's grip angled like a traditional pistol, something that Luger had to add to the design when he modified it but as far as I know was never actually applied to any C93's
)
This series is going to be awesome. Really looking forward to it, guys!
The Henry has a big advantage on speed and capacity. I’d still rather have a Spencer than a trap door Springfield
But speed isn't everything.
The Spencer cartridge was similar to rifle cartridges at the time while the Henry was a lot weaker and had a lesser range than the Spencer. The Spencer was also more reliable. Logistics are also another concern.
If you're a national army where that has to spend a ton of money producing newly invented metal cartridges, you want the gun that's not going to spit them out rapidly because that means you have to spend more money making them. The Henry was the first modern lever action, but the Spencer was far more practical for the US military at the time.
Honestly imma be real with you guys I have very little interest in owning or firing guns myself but I've been binge watching InRange and Forgotten Weapons for weeks because you guys are so informed about the weapons history and operation that my interest in history takes over and I'm absolutely hooked in the technical history and development/operation of these things. Bravo guys.
That weak extraction seems amazingly irritating but I suppose for its time it was amazing
I'm legitimately hyped for 2018 on Inrange if there's more stuff like this coming. Thanks for a great video, guys!
Personally, while I loved WWSD, this is the project I've been waiting for. Keep it up guys!
As someone from the UK with little knowledge of guns, and only one experience firing one, this channel is so informative and interesting for me. Subbed fellas.
Love this channel!!!!!please keep more coming. Signed every history nerd on you tube lol
One thing that immediately came to mind, for me, in comparison to the Henry versus the Spencer carbine, is the ease of reloading while mounted, using a saddle scabbard. Reloading the Henry on horseback necessitated two hands and removal from the scabbard: removal to access magazine, one to push the magazine spring back and feed cartridges, the other to hold the rifle itself. The Spencer, however, could be reloaded with one hand by using the saddle scabbard. Just tuck the Spencer into the scabbard, open the buttplate locked follower, load in your rounds, and shut it. That lets you actually reload the thing while keeping control of your horse. Whether it functions in practice as opposed to theory, I don't know because I don't own a horse or a Spencer.
Oh booyyyyy! LEVER GUNS
THaT is the most magnificently deliberate fiddling I’ve ever seen as Karl shakes the Spencer
This is GREAT! Henry Repeating Arms is a really cool company. They have provided rifles for us at "The 2nd is For Everyone ". I can't wait to see where this goes.
It's always nice to see old weapons show their mettle (no pun intended) And you two have made many excellent, well thought out, educational and entertaining videos, and for this you have my deep respect! :) The alternate history of the USA rearming with Lever Actions in the post war/late blackpowder era is intriguing and it's a potentially much broader topic than originally intended! There are 5 things that are nagging at the back of my mind in regards to the "Lever Action What If" series: 1, given the strategic picture, historical context, preexisting tactical doctrine, and national priorities would preclude any such rearmament or shift in doctrine before 1886 at the earliest. 2, In the event it was done there would be no guarantee that making a new doctrine from scratch would prove a successful endeavor either in principle or against the enemies we had any likelihood of fighting (Native Americans, Rebels, Rioters, Workers Uprisings, Mexico, Canada, Banana Republics) let alone the ever looming threat of an Invading European power or being called into that amorphous "Next Great European War" that people had been talking about as an Idea to be prevented since 1815. 3, I believe you are honestly trashtalking the capabilities of the Trapdoor Springfield a bit too much, and giving a bit too much credit to the capabilities of independent suppressive fire in an age where the entrenching tool/barbed wire was becoming standard issue, but hand grenades/camouflage weren't standard issue, radios/tanks/mechanized/aircraft warfare wouldn't begin to be a possibility until 1916 and not perfected until ~1938... basically when the only means of maneuver was on foot/horse and the only means of frontal offense against a prepared position was by synchronizing watches to bring a knife to a gunfight within 30 seconds of an artillery bombardment lifting, however obviously costly anything short of that would merely be taking pot shots at opponents in a superior covered position whilst trying to slowly hack through the wire under the mercy of their now belatedly redeployed troops. 4, On a less nihilistic note, in the event the rearmament happened it would require a substantial increase in taxes and government spending at a time when we (the USA) were trying to expand and modernize as fast as possible and not look like a threat to other powers, I can't help but wonder how much the tax hikes/fund reallocation/rearmament would have effected American Politics, society, economic development and international relations, also would the "Poor Old Navy" have been thrown a bone during this alternate time period? Would the rapid reequipping of the small arms get in the way of modernizing the artillery/navy/cavalry/fortifications? 5, In the event that we successfully made modern suppressive fire weapons/doctrine work in the late 19th century, would other major nations have taken notice, and, if so, would that have changed other militaries and world events, possibly including the Russo-Japanese War, or WW1? Would such a revolution have it have helped our enemies more in the mid-long run? All sorts of thing could have spiraled out of this or similar decisions! The mind wonders! :)
Before you rule out other styles of repeating rifles in your "What if" series, please do a comparison of the Winchester against the 1884 Colt Lightning Express rifle. If Colt had come out with their pump action rifle 10 years earlier, would it have changed things? Was Colt just too late?
I bought an Uberti replica of the Colt Lightning in .45LC, case hardened frame and 22 inch octagon barrel and it is a sweet shooting rifle!
Personally, I love the old Henry, Winchester, and Marlin lever guns. I have a Navy Arms 1866 Winchester in .38 Special, an Uberti 1873 Winchester rifle in .357 Mag, a new Henry in 45/70 and several model '94s. But I was really impressed with the Colt Lightning pump action rifle. Very quick and smooth action. Just as easy to shoot as my Winchester Model 62 .22 LR pump action.
I'm so glad to see this 'series' get started :) Thanks guys!!!!!
at least the spencer still has zoidberg.
This is going to be a great series. I think I’m really going to enjoy it. Thanks again guys.
Great video guys. I own both Italian carbines in 44-40. However my Henry fires .429 as cast, while I must size the Spencer bullet to .427. Imagine my consternation when I realized ammo was not interchangeable without loss of accuracy or probable jamming. My Henry wins hands down over my Spencer.
Along with the reasons you mentioned, the Army had tons of surplus after the Civil War, which was cheaper to convert to a larger, single shot cartridge at US Armories than to buy new Winchesters.
Been very much looking forward to this series since it's mention last year. Interesting and original and always superbly presented. Thanks guys.
Are we using a shot timer or the hour glass.
I made my own Blakesly box and used 5/8” curtain rod for the tubes which works great with no failures.
Does this mean that the SKS/M 1 series is going to be in the later in the year? I'm not complaining but wondering since you guys talked about that during shot show.
Yes.
*noticing intensifies* Thanks
InRangeTV sad to hear it. I was looking forward to a project involving a sub-1000$ build instead.
What the hell would "Karl-Senpai" mean?
+Devin As I understand it Senpai refers to someone that is older than you and has more experience in something more than you. In this case Karl-Senpai works since he is in fact older then me and has a lot more shooting/firearm experience.
I was really looking forward to the start of this series, ever since you put out that hypothetical video. Can't wait to see where this goes.
23:23 mystery beep?
Ian timed out.
From the little bit of history I read, the Henry would not stand up to the “dirt” test due to the open cartridge tube. That, plus the issues you brought up. It you both are far more versed than I on firearm history. Thanks for this and all the other videos
7 rounds of more power vs 13 (15) rounds of less power. Where have I heard that before? 1911 vs Beretta!
Gentlemen, an excellent video. I've only scanned the past couple days of comments, so if it has been mentioned before, I apologize: One of the reasons the Spencer may have been adopted is that it is more versatile than the Henry - you can make the Spencer into an infantry rifle by just installing a longer barrel and fore-stock, as was done. Spencer rifles are rare, so there may have been other issues (perhaps the barrels were too long for the cartridge, for example). To convert a Henry, you would need a new barrel, a new magazine, a new mag spring, a new barrel end piece, etc. Considerably more expensive, and remember, you are talking - hopefully - of half a million units. After the Civil War, when money was scarce. I think the argument was settled by the early 1870's with the adoption of the trap door series of rifles and carbines. These latter also fitted in better with the philosophy of long range aimed and/or volley fire prevalent at the time. Thanks again for a great video.
I was pretty bummed about WWSD coming to an end but this will keep my motivated. Keep up these wonderful and clever projects.
Well, you’re gonna love 2020 then!!!😉
I still love the Spencer it lookers and works in such a cool way
What is your opinion of the full length spencers?
The same as the carbine, but worse.
Yay! I've enjoyed your modern stuff, but it was the historical content that brought me to the channel in the first place.
How did they measure bullet velocity before the turn of the century?
Papa Cap Maybe a little math and knowing the speed of sound might have been a factor. Just a guess.
Papa Cap But thats a really good question. Maybe Ian and Karl could chime in or do a video on the subject. They are very knowledgeable guys.
They fired at a pendulum.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_pendulum
Papa Cap look up ballistic pendulum
Papa Cap, time a distance. Or cutting strings and timing the difference. Crazy, isn’t it. Power is just as odd, they used a “ballistic pendulum.” That’s why info about speed and ft. Lbs wasn’t really that available or considered of importance up until the turn of the century.
What a interesting video!
Thank You !
Glad you enjoyed it!
I think the Spencer didn’t give them much more of an edge that the Springfield trap door. I think some 45/70 rounds in a bag close at hand wouldn’t be too much slower. Just my opinion. If you guys want to test that theory, feel free, ill watch.
Sanford Hoffman i was thinking the same thing
Karl ran a Trapdoor in an early Inrange video over on Full30 against Ian with a Mosin and Karl did a pretty good job holding his own.
Think Calvary and scouting, where an engagement is short and disengagement is desired. 7 with no fumbling with anything outside the gun is immense. Think 30 round mags in a m16 vs a m1 garand.
Note that Karl is a much better trained and experienced shooter than a lot of regular soldiers would be, with many thousands more rounds to his name. Cavalry were elite troops, yes, but the military doesn't like to count on people having Karl's skill level when requisitioning weapons.
Spencer/Henry vs. trapdoor would be a pretty interesting comparison video, yeah.
Thanks for this video. I have watched about 30-35 videos on lever action rifles and this is the first with a Spencer rifle in it. Although the Spencer is slower, it appears to be a good design for it's time period. Nice job guys.
I always thought they should have gone with lever actions between the civil war and WW2.
I wonder why they didnt...
Lever actions were widely used by cavalries of ww1 and even2. Even though by WW2 If you wanted firepower you went automatic (If you coud).
The one problem with lever actions in combat situations is , that it's difficult to shoot from the prone position. Also , the mechanics would be more likely to cause trouble under battle conditions than bolt actions or semi autos.
the bullets that they used had a shorter effective range and did less damage.
@@spearfisherman308 That's true if you're talking about the early designs. But John Browning solved that problem with the Winchester model 1895. It could handle some of the most powerful cartridges of that time. It was available in the then current military rounds such as 30-40 Krag and 30-06 as well as European military metric chamberings .
honestly, id love more "manual of arms" videos for all sorts of firearms because of that information is fantastic to have particularly on more obscure weapons (so maybe on Ian's channel is more the place?) great information and shows the type of detail I love in your productions.
I've watched this before, but it just struck me that Ian firing that Spencer at the steel plate has all the urgency of church bells ringing out of a lazy Sunday morning. Karl on the other hand sounds like a fire-bell in a crowded factory.
Really enjoy watching and learning thanks guy's I appreciate it
Lever or not here we go!!!
ian roth boo, bad pun
Fantastic (semi-) opener to your new series. I thoroughly enjoyed the WWSD project, but am glad to see you switching gears back to the Old West. Well done, and looking forward to the remainder of the project.
Great job, I would only ask if the Henry was substantially more expensive than the Spencer? I know at points the Union was struggling to fund the war. Thanks though, I absolutely love this series.
So glad yall are doing this.
Spencer: easier to reload
Henry: better at everything else plus holds more
I love how you narrate your goofs like you meant to do them. Makes me chuckle every single time.
You guys are doing a series about rifles I can actually own!
I loved WWSD but my soap bills went through the roof due to turning green with envy, very excited to follow along with this one.
Am I the only person that could practically make love to the sound of lever actions cycling?
I own both, yes the Henry shoots faster, and as a safe queen is reliable. In real world application it was significantly more fragile than the Spencer, and given it's open magazine prone feeding problems, not to mention the barrel also gets too hot to handle with continuous firing.
One thing you also failed to address is stopping power and range, the Spencer out performs the Henry in both categories.
As far military applications the Spencer rife was the superior.
I'm not even going to touch the very inaccurate statements in regards to the American Civil War.
Thank you to you both for an immensely informative and entertaining video. 👍🏻
Mud test! Hell yeah!
Just watched '40 Guns for Apache Pass' about repeaters for the army. Audie Murphy, decent movie.
Is the Spencer an original or reproduction?
Ian Furqueron it’s a repro cus the red/orange plastic bit on the follower.
you can, with the henry, stay more closely on target between rounds. you not only had a superior raye of fire but, also improved accuracy to go right along
After Ian’s first shot I could clearly see what you guys meant by the Spencer being terrible at handling
I always wondered, and now I know why the Spencer is only seen in movies today. Thanks.
Hey, you guys wanna come play DND with me?
No, but thanksZ
Damn, so close.
What is the setting, quest,etc.?
Magical sky navy setting on floating skilands with ocean replaced by instadeath mist. Tech/style level is late Victorian pre dreadnought era. You are the bridge crew on a newly commissioned Cruiser designed with the endurance to cross the previously uncrossable dead sea. The emperor has sent you on a mission to cross the sea and find what he thinks is the source of recent sudden dissapreances of whole skilands.
Rules are not actually D&D, i used that as shorthand.
That actually sounds interesting, but just trying to cut some time out for swordplay is hard for me at the moment. Also i probably live on the other side of the country from you. Damn tempting though.
Awesome video my 4 year old loves watching your 2 gun matches with me. I am actually looking to move to the Tucson area from Pennsylvania.
And yet your character in RDR2 can fire a Spencer like a Henry. And the Henry even faster. Bah!
I think all games need to slow down on their reload times and check the weight/capacity you can carry on your person.
I read that quick and thought... I don’t remember R2D2 using a lever action 🤨
@@williamflowers9435 maybe C3PO was made of brass Henry's
I have the repro Spencer in 45LC and it's so fun to shoot and easy to reload cartridges. It is a bit awkward in action. I have the same Blakeslee speed loader set up and the tubes must be replaced with something like electrical conduit and the wood block drilled out a bit to accomodate their larger diameter.
But Abraham Lincoln liked it
He liked the theater too, look how that turned out
i know so inconsiderate for him to get murdered there it ruined everyone's night... im from the south... not as much of a tragedy
A lawyer who grew up on the frontier.
Compared to a muzzle loader the Spencer was revolutionary - it perhaps wasn't the best decision, but it was a good decision. Spencer wasn't making any headway until he met Lincoln
Funny that such a big guy liked such a finicky small rifle
I had a Taylors Spencer in 56-50. It was a fun range toy but was ammo sensitive. I agree with your findings. I sold it because I got tired of messing with the ammo.
Carl’s suspenders represent a real unfair advantage to the Henry. And also racist. Just saying.
11th OVC has a video on the Spencer, they mentioned Spencer's factory made a point of being ready to supply it in wartime numbers, they mentioned a unit that actually rejected the Spencer in favor of the henry ordered the weapons but ultimately acquired the Spencer for the entire unit in the time it took for henry to respond and say they couldn't fulfill the order.
Noob gun, varmit rifle is better
I handled one of those new Henry repro rifles in my local shop and I have to agree, they are absolutely gorgeous firearms.
A very interresting vidéo, vivement la suite !!
my issue with the henry is the silly non kings gate loading and the exposed spring,
Great video guys... love learning about these old guns
You guys should do a video on a modern scout rifle...not necessarily, just something that meets Jeff Cooper's original specifications/requirements