Benjamin Tyler Henry: The Forgotten History of the Inventor of the Legendary Henry Rifle

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In this week’s episode of the Resistance Library podcast, Molly interviews Ammo.com’s Sam Jacobs about Benjamin Tyler Henry, the Henry rifle, and how this innovative design transformed the arms industry. Learn more about Benjamin Tyler Henry at Ammo.com: https://ammo.com/articles/benjamin-tyler-henry-inventor-henry-rifle-legendary-history

Follow Sam Jacobs on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamJacobs45

While he doesn’t have the same household recognition as Sam Colt or Smith & Wesson, Benjamin Tyler Henry is a towering figure in the world of ammunition and firearms – and those in the know, know. Henry invented the eponymous Henry rifle, which was the world’s first repeating revolver that actually worked.

Henry was born in Claremont, New Hampshire in 1821, to one of the most prominent families in the area. His grandfather, Colonel Benjamin Tyler, had been the town’s first millwright, who founded several successful mills in the town and invented the wry-fly water wheel. One of his cousins, James Tyler, likewise continued in the innovative spirit of their shared grandfather by perfecting this water-wheel design, creating much of the prosperity that visited the town during the early years of the Industrial Revolution, but allowing paper and textile mills to spring up throughout the town using the power of this perfected design.

At a young age, he became an apprentice gunsmith, working his way up to the foreman at Robins & Lawrence Arms Company of Windsor, Vermont. It was here that he worked with Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson on the volitional repeater, which would eventually become the Henry rifle.

Have a listen to hear Sam and Molly discuss what made Henry’s repeating mechanism so disruptive and the role it played in the Civil War. Sam talks about Henry’s complicated partnerships with other firearm greats, including Smith, Wesson, and Winchester. To learn more about Henry, read Sam’s article at Ammo.com’s Resistance Library.

Check out our full Resistance Library by visiting us at Ammo.com. Follow us on social media. And most importantly, be sure to subscribe to our channel right here on YouTube for more high-quality videos to help you stay armed, both physically and philosophically.

Helpful links:
- Benjamin Tyler Henry: The Forgotten History of the Inventor of the Legendary Henry Rifle: https://ammo.com/articles/benjamin-tyler-henry-inventor-henry-rifle-legendary-history
- The Resistance Library: https://ammo.com/articles
- Molly Carter: https://ammo.com/our-team#molly-carter
- Sam Jacobs: https://ammo.com/our-team#sam-jacobs