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    The Black Powder Cartridge News Winter 2025

    The Black Powder Cartridge News Winter 2025

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    The Express Rifle

    feature By: Rick Weber | December, 25

    Three of Alexander Henry’s finest cased rifles.
    Three of Alexander Henry’s finest cased rifles.
    The “Express Rifles” name was created by James Purdy in the late 1840s, that was synonymous with the new “Express Trains” being built to cross Africa. It was Alexander Henry of Edinburgh, Scotland, who seem to take things to a new level after he patented his Henry-style rifling in 1860. These weren’t Express rifles with only two-groove rifling, shooting “sugarloaf” or pointed winged bullets; these were long, sleek, paper-patched conicals and Henry’s rifling was designed to shoot those paper patched bullets. Henry apprenticed under Thomas Mortimer for 22 years before going it alone in 1853. He saw what the British Government did with Whitworth by paying for his experiments in 1853 through 1857, so when the British didn’t adopt the Whitworth rifling for military use, Henry offered this new rifling pattern, which was eventually adopted for use with the Martini action.

    Cased .451 Alexander Henry Express rifle.
    Cased .451 Alexander Henry Express rifle.
    Prior to the advancement of the cartridge, the percussion-era Express rifles saw use in both single and double rifles. This double rifle (SN No. 1366) was made in 1866, for C. L. Wood, Howlish Hall, Auckland, UK. Mr. Wood was a coal mine owner, who had a 25,000-acre estate at his disposal. Howlish Hall was his residence, which is still in existence today as an assisted living home on six acres. Henry’s original ledger does not show much as to what was included in the build, but it’s listed as a B/D/R (Best Double Rifle), 52-bore (0.451) and it utilizes a fast 1:24-inch twist. 

    Henry’s prolific career as a gun designer, shooter, and builder allowed him to utilize fine departmentalized cases with all the accoutrements that accompanied his best works. Everything a sporting man (or British officer) would need was included when traveling abroad to the lands of the British empire; if only this particular case could talk. It is made of oak and is covered in leather with two belted straps to assure it does not open during transport. Oak – solid, heavy and certainly chosen for those qualities. The interior lining of this case is thin pig/goat skin with a “paste” grain, so I’m told. I do know Marvin Huey cannot duplicate this material, as I need some for another Alexander Henry case. The stock was made of walnut and has a few small knots (that fact did not seem to bother the makers of the time) but the wood grain goes through the wrist as it should; no straight-grain slab sawing here. The wood to metal fit is as to be expected with a “Best” piece. The Damascus is still showing the triple-twist pattern of the tapered and slightly swamped barrels. Rosewood “Extra Use” rods are tucked under the barrels in the case. The barrels on this Express Rifle are 32 inches and are the longest I’ve seen on a double rifle of this era; most are 28-30 inches. I’m not sure about any extra bullet velocity because of the length, as I really do not care – I want accuracy. But, those long barrels do look sexy!

    The 350-grain, paper-patched conical for the .451 Alexander Henry Express rifle.
    The 350-grain, paper-patched conical for the .451 Alexander Henry Express rifle.
    I’ve found 85 to 90 grains of Swiss 2Fg or a like charge of Olde Eynsford behind the 350-grain conical will still hold regulation on this old rifle. The sights are fine, as to be expected and, unfortunately, I don’t see them like I did 30 years ago. This was my first real original double rifle. For nearly 40 years I have shot it in matches, hunted with it and have enjoyed the rifle tremendously.

    Alex Henry and his shop did all the legwork in regulating the barrels and he was kind enough to include such information inscribed on labels within the cased set. The charge is listed as “110 grains of Curtis & Harvey No. 6, with wooden plug, papered and wad attached.” The cavity base for a wooden plug is to assist with engaging the rifling (although I find soft lead to do the same). “Paper-patched and with a wad attached.” Who attaches their wad this way today? I do it – because Mr. Henry did it! 

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