WHEW! Didn't know that when I pust this post up I'd scatter so much dust on the trail! But a big "thank you" to you all for your replies. Now to clarify a couple of things . . . I've collected longams for over 40 years and have had opportunities to hadle original Henrys, 1866 Winchesters, 73s (even one of the 1 of 1,000) and yes, the Henry of today does not even resemble the original Henry's - first of all, the originals didn't have forearms. The Henry of today doesn't even resemble a original Winchester 66. If I could find a Winchester 94 in .357 that was pre-Japan, I'd snap it up and be a happy camper - but, that's never going to happen. I shot several pre-war Winchesters in 30/30 and 32 spl. and they were great. I sold my collection but had a Canadian Centennial 30/30 that I could have kept but to be honest - I found it to be a pile of crap (personal opinion) - it couldn't hold a candle to a early '94 as far as quality. You've all been very helpful with your comments on the various brands and I greatly appreciate that. At this point, since I don't shoot competiion nor do I hunt anymore, I'd just like to have a decent lever action carbine that shoots 347/38spl. - not because i want to dress up like Roy Rogers - but, because I associate the lever action with the west as far as scabbard carry on a horse as a "working tool" and I'd like to use it for plinking/target shooting in conjunction with my New Vaquero. I doubt if any of them are going to be "exact replicas" but "close enough" is fine with me. I'm more interested in reliability, good balance and good construction. A 38 spl. is not going to give a whole lot of recoil and I'm looking for something that is well balanced and not as heavy as a railroad iron to carry around on a hike or at the range. In my humble opinion, folks who try to shoot hotter loads than they should along with liability worries has caused some of the manufacturers to "overbuild" their weapons and some of them end up weighing as mucha as a boat anchor. I've had several opportunities to look at and handle the Henry Golden Boy in 22LR and I was impressed with it - one of them will follow me home to stay at some point. For the 357/38 spl. I am more concerned about getting something with a smooth action that performs well and is a pleasure to shoot and kill empty pop cans with. You've all given me some excellent information and the next step is for me to get out and examine and handle the brands and see what "feels right". Thanks again very much for you input - as soon as I decide and purchase, I'll report back! Thanks again amigos!
