Brass Or Steel Henry .327?

[Hawg]

the .22 caliber "brass" frames are actually Zamak (zinc alloy) sideplates that are brass plated.

Not plated. The color goes all the way through. Zamak 5 is some pretty tough stuff it just has a low melting point.

[DPris]

No.
The Zamak receiver & receiver cover on the rimfire leverguns come out of the machine/molds a dirty grey color.
Depending on which model, they're cleaned up, polished, either coated with the black finish(basic model) or nickel plated & left that way (shiny nickeled models), or they get a gold-colored finish on top of the nickel plating.
Or an actual 24KT gold plating on top of the polished nickel to highlight certain features on engraved models.

The gold-colored finish on the Golden Boy rimfires is not a brass plating.

The "brass" centerfire Big Boys ARE the same color all the way through.
Denis

[turkeestalker]

I had a 375 big bore. Loved that rifle.... Is there ammo or brass available for these ?

Both ammo and brass are available from Winchester Ammunition in very limited quantities by what they call a 'seasonal run'... though that season seems to only come every couple of three years if that.
In anticipation, I had purchased over 200 pieces of new brass some years before I found the particular rifle that I wanted and was able to then purchase it.

[Hawg]

The Zamak receiver & receiver cover on the rimfire leverguns come out of the machine/molds a dirty grey color.
Depending on which model, they're cleaned up, polished, either coated with the black finish(basic model) or nickel plated & left that way (shiny nickeled models), or they get a gold-colored finish on top of the nickel plating.

You may be right but Henry calls it Brasslite and used to say the color went all the way through.

[DPris]

Brasslite is just the term they came up with to refer to that "brass" color where applicable. More of a marketing description than anything else.

It is only a surface treatment & I don't think they ever specifically stated it went all the way through.

The black models, the "brass" Golden Boys, and the "silver" model rimfire leverguns all use the same Zamak 5 composition. Mottled grey all the way through out of the diecast molds. Each, after cleaning up artifacts leftover from the casting process, gets whichever further processing and coating or plating is appropriate to the model.

Believe me- it's not a matter of "may be right".
I have a pair of raw castings, the receiver & the cover, I've published a photo of 'em in a print mag on the 28,000-round endurance test I did on a Golden Boy, and I've discussed the materials & processes used with one of the Henry plant managers.

They won't give me the exact formulation on the "brass" colored coating (proprietary), but they were quite open in everything else.
And the two raw castings were sent directly from Henry.
Denis

[saleen322]

I have the 327 rifle in brass. I passed on several steel frame models until the brass ones started shipping. I am very happy with it but I was an old target shooter. Heavier rifles are used in target shooting in no small part because they are easier to shoot accurately. The Henry is even better for this as much of the weight is where you want it, out on the barrel. However if lighter weight is what you are looking for, steel is the better way to go. YMMV

[alex0535]

I'm not so big on "shiny" coated things to get scratched, I'd get one of the black ones.

I am pretty happy that .327 lever actions are now a thing. I've wanted one for a while, always thought a carbine to rifle length barrel would really utilize it's potential.

[fourbore]

Yes, I hope the 327 continues to gain. Probably not best for the shoot-em up plinkers, it should be a dandy small game round. I might have to think long and hard were Ruger to do a 77/327. Preferably with a realistic MSRP.

[FrankenMauser]

I've been barking up the 77/327 tree since 2010.
Considering that Ruger killed off the entire model line, I don't think we've got a chance this decade ... if ever.

---
Edit: It looks like some models are back. ...But not all.
---

I've had my eyes peeled for an affordable 77/22H (Hornet) to convert, for over five years. Still no dice.
Even the beaten, broken, battered, and abandoned 77/22Hs go for stupid money.

[TruthTellers]

If Ruger is ever going to put .327 or .357/.44 in a bolt action, it's going to be in the American rifles.

I would still rather get the Henry, quality is just better.

[Dranrab]

I want a tough 327 bullet. One that will stand up to 327 rifle velocities on a pig.

[saleen322]

I want a tough 327 bullet. One that will stand up to 327 rifle velocities on a pig.

That is the biggest challenge. I got a NOE bullet mold that casts a gas check bullet at 120 grains. That puts the profile at the same section density as a 357 mag at 158 grain or a 10mm at 200 grains. Out of the rifle it takes that bullet which makes 615 ft/lbs of energy out of the Ruger GP100 to over 1000 ft/lbs at the rifle velocity.

[FrankenMauser]

Accurate Molds used to have two designs in the catalog that would probably work well for larger game at BHN 16-19.
One was a 136 gr LFN. The other was a 148-ish gr WFN. Both were designed to use every bit of available length in the Blackhawk's cylinder. They would probably work in the Henry(s).


If casting is not your thing, then give Hawk Bullets a call.

[GarandTd]

The brass version looks tacky to me. Moreso than the butt pad on the steel version.

[Low Friction]

If Ruger is ever going to put .327 or .357/.44 in a bolt action, it's going to be in the American rifles.

Take a peek at the Ruger website. The 77 bolt guns come in 357 and 44. Agree about the Henry's. Just picked up my 327 Big Boy the other day, it's pretty nice.

[saleen322]

Accurate Molds used to have two designs in the catalog that would probably work well for larger game at BHN 16-19.
One was a 136 gr LFN. The other was a 148-ish gr WFN. Both were designed to use every bit of available length in the Blackhawk's cylinder. They would probably work in the Henry(s).

In my Henry, the maximum length that goes smoothly thru the action is 1.530" and the minimum appears to be 1.160"

[Cosmodragoon]

Despite being a tad lighter and offering less worry about getting dinged up in the wild, I prefer the looks of the Big Boy Steel.

[turkeestalker]

Finally made my decision and placed an order.
Deviated from what I had originally intended and went with the carbine length 16.5 inch octagon barrel with the brass receiver.
Guess I'll know soon enough if I have any regrets.
The different opinions shared certainly helped me to think in some different directions and I do genuinely appreciate everyone's input.

[WyMark]

My last range trip I took my 3" SP101 .327 and my 16.5" .38/.357 Henry BBS carbine. Pretty sure my next rifle purchase will be a BBS carbine in .327.

[gw44]

I can't get past the feeding tube, until that's gone I will never own one, but the brass sure looks nice !!!

[4V50 Gary]

So are the steel ones really steel and the brassite ones just Zamak 5? I am confused.

[Hawg]

So are the steel ones really steel and the brassite ones just Zamak 5? I am confused.

The only ones that are Brasslite/Zamak are the .22's. Everything else is either steel or brass.

[DPris]

Hawg has it.

The steel frames are 4140 forged, the centerfire brass frames are a solid alloy that's formulated for strength with just enough brass to create that "gold" look out of the box.
A non-typical brass formula, not the same as what Uberti uses.

The Brasslite is just a name for the gold-colored coating on the rimfires, over the Zamak 5 construction of receiver & receiver cover.
Denis

[4V50 Gary]

Thanks guys. Forged 4140 is old fashion awesome and their brass alloy also sounds good.

[Jim Watson]

the centerfire brass frames are a solid alloy that's formulated for strength with just enough brass to create that "gold" look

Those are all English words, but I cannot get much information out of them.
Brass is copper-zinc alloy, right?
So how do you have "just enough brass" in a "solid alloy"? Are there other constituents or is it a layered or plated item?