History edit
Henry Behrens, Gunmaker and prominent Civil Servant was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, November 16th, 1883, the son of German immigrants[1]. The majority of his life was spent in Florida, where he was appointed as the first Fire Chief of Sarasota, Fl. in 1911Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).. Throughout Buckets and Brawn there are many references regarding the advancements the Sarasota Fire Department made under Behrens' leadership. Gulf Coast Chronicles, a book by Jeff LaHurd, includes a reference to Henry Behrens on page 125 with a photograph of him sitting atop Sarasota’s first fire truck, an Armstrong LaFrance fire truck that was purchased in 1915[2]. Concurrent to his position as Fire Chief, Behrens also served as Deputy Marshall of Manatee County.
Henry Behrens served as Fire Chief until 1921. Following a letter Behrens wrote, printed in the Sarasota Times, February 22nd edition regarding a new policy he disagreed with, his discharge as Fire Chief was reported in the February 24th, 1921 edition of The Sarasota Times. Behrens then began working as a Sarasota City Police foot patrolman and later was Night Chief of Police from 1928 until 1932 and later still, Assistant Chief of Police of Bradenton. During his twenties and thirties he was also employed by John Ringling to build cabinetry and work as a bodyguard/chauffeur.
Henry Behrens, Gunsmith edit
In an article printed January 24, 1955 in the '''Sarasota Herald Tribune''' (following an extensive interview with Henry Behrens by Roy Folden), great detail was reported about his life, as well as his interest in making guns. Numerous sources report that by the time Behrens was 14, he had completed at least two guns of his own design.[3]. One was a single shot cap and ball pistol, and the other, a cap and ball rifle. Post World War II, Behrens became more prolific in both the making, as well as the designing of guns. He left behind 102 finished guns, one unfinished, and over 80 designs for other distinctive guns, with no two alike.
Behrens’ designs are as diverse as his life. The Henry Behrens guns are all one of a kind, and make up the most unique, rare gun collections known. The majority of the collection consists of handguns. Every gun Behrens made was fired at least once to insure their functionality. All the pistols have walnut panels, and it was said his wife accused him of doing away with a piece of walnut furniture to get the wood. Only after a friend gave Behrens a two line stamp in the late 1950’s did he begin marking his guns: Henry Behrens – Gunsmith.
It is important to note that Behrens made every screw, spring, and bolt, in addition to rifling the barrels and bluing the steel. Most of the Behrens’ guns are heavier than commercially manufactured guns, because they were fabricated with steel that was as close to the proper thickness Behrens could get, using minimal equipment. In many instances, he used the weight of the gun to define its purpose. Many of the derringers Behrens designed double as “knuckle dusters”. In addition to a foot operated lathe, and a hand operated drill press, Behrens preferred a variety of metal files (as finishing tools) to the use of any sophisticated machinery that would have surely increased productivity.
As unsophisticated as the actual gun making was, many of the designs that Behrens created were quite sophisticated and visionary. Before the Garand Rifle became GI equipment, Henry Behrens had designed and made a gas powered (semi-automatic) pistol. He also designed and made a "upside down" .22 auto-loading pistol before the Russians manufactured and used them in target-shooting competitions. Many of the guns Behrens designed were made only to suit his interests and were not practical, just interesting to make, look at and hold. Some of the double barreled handguns (with over and under or side by side barrels) even had barrels with different calibers.
After his death in 1964,[4] the guns, the designs, his business sign, and much of his memorabilia as Fire Chief was bequeathed to a family friend.