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Old November 7, 2018, 09:19 PM   #26
Hawg
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Quote:
after loading the 73, after 4 or 5 time, it can get a little hard on my fingers.
Why is it hard on your fingers? Surely you're not pushing them all the way in with your fingers.
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Old November 7, 2018, 11:59 PM   #27
Chainsaw.
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Ya gotta get that last round in past the gate. Which can get pinchy. Ive even had lever guns that’ll spit out the previous round so you have to push each one just past the gate to get it ti stay put. Also and be a little grabby. Do that for several tubes and the thumbs starts getting raw
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Old November 8, 2018, 12:13 AM   #28
DPris
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I come home with Sidegate Thumb every time I work with a non-Henry levergun.
And I KNOW how to load a levergun.
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Old November 8, 2018, 01:42 AM   #29
Hawg
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Quote:
Ya gotta get that last round in past the gate.
Use another round to push it on in.

Quote:
I come home with Sidegate Thumb every time I work with a non-Henry levergun.
And I KNOW how to load a levergun.
Hmm I never had a problem with Winchesters and Marlins but I don't use my fingers to push them home either just to get them started
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Old November 8, 2018, 09:55 AM   #30
DPris
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I've tried the cartridge-pusher & it's slower & more awkward for me.
Also tends to kickback & dump rounds on the ground.

On a lever gun I intend to keep, I have to get the gate's edges rounded off, after which it's no longer as much of a problem.
The only exceptions to this are my '51 Model 94 in .30-30 & my new-this-year Winoku Model 73 in .45 Colt.
Neither of those have the typical sharp edges.

Otherwise, after putting a hundred or more through a standard lever-action in range testing, my thumb always comes home sore & torn up.

Henry centerfires are always a pleasure to work with, the loading is entirely painless.

The cartridge-pusher is just too cumbersome, for me.
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Old November 8, 2018, 10:04 AM   #31
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This discussion just shows once again that there are Ford and Chevy people. Some like Henrys and some don't. It would not be a problem for me if anyone, or for that matter, everyone else bought Henrys. I won't and that's my choice. You have yours. Make it, own it, and move on.
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Old November 8, 2018, 01:59 PM   #32
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Late to the party, but that's not news... Of the rifles I kept when I down-sized a few years back, the only non-semi-autos are two Henrys. One in .22LR, the other in .357, both carbines. Both load the same way, so no need to adapt, and as others have said, both are easy to unload as well.

.22


.357
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Old November 8, 2018, 08:07 PM   #33
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Contact Henry. They are very cooperative with customers. They may put a straight stock on it for you. It's worth a shot. Company is personally owned and run by a great man. Email him and tell him what you want.
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Old November 8, 2018, 09:03 PM   #34
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I handled one of the new steel frame 44 Mags, round barrel. It's an armful compared to my Miroku and Rossi made 92's. Barrel seems excessively thick. If it was a 460 or 500 S&W it would be great.
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Old November 9, 2018, 04:34 AM   #35
Hawg
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It wouldn't bother me to have a tube loader. I have a Henry Golden Boy and it's the slickest lever action I've ever seen. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I just never had a problem with a gate loader.
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Old November 9, 2018, 08:30 AM   #36
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The only Henry’s I have shot are my dads .22 that I bought him and his .357 Golden Boy. Great rifles but that Golden Boy is HEAVY!!! Like Hawg said, the action on that thing is about as slick as it gets, I real treat to cycle.
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Old November 9, 2018, 07:30 PM   #37
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I've got 3 Henrys. I cast and shoot mostly a 240 grain bullet but it shoots a 285 just as good. Wide flat big meplat and it does a good job in the 44 mag.
I'm shooting a 397 grain cast from my NOE mold in 45-70 but have shot some 485s a friend sent me. I like the tube loader. My other one is a 22 but eats everything I've put through it.
The accurate molds from Tom casts both bullets for my 44. I think you will like the Henrys. I've tried reloading jacketed but my gas checked cast are more accurate.
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Old November 9, 2018, 11:11 PM   #38
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I have a BB Steel Carbine in .357 and love it. Hammer down on empty chamber loading the tube doesn't bother me a bit.

Busting clays offhand at 100 yards is just a hoot. Have to hold 6-8" low with .38 but .357 is dead on. .38 is more fun cause it's slow enough to hear the thwack on the dirt berm.
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Old November 10, 2018, 08:55 AM   #39
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I got real skinny fingers so I can single port load my Henry 30-30 but it's very tight.
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Old November 10, 2018, 11:42 AM   #40
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My friend owns a 45 caliber Henry. His only complaint is that it won’t feed well on various hardcast loads unlike the marlin levers do
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Old November 10, 2018, 12:53 PM   #41
Bill Daniel
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Henry lever actions

Dano 4734, of your friends problem is only a feeding problem have him/her call Henry and send a dummy round of the ones that won’t feed from the magazine. They fixed mine and now it feeds all in spec. rounds as well as Hornady Lever Revolution.
All the best,
Bill
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Old November 13, 2018, 06:12 AM   #42
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I have a Henry .22 lever carbine, it's a fun little small game & pinker. Well made.
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Old November 15, 2018, 05:35 PM   #43
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I've got the .41Mag carbine & love it. SMOOTH action, good trigger, accurate & nice wood. Same with a buddy's .45-70 & it compared very favorably with my Guide Gun.

I will have one of the color case hardened .357 carbines within the next week or 2.

I love my Marlins, but Henry is definitely bringing their A-game.
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Old November 22, 2018, 12:52 AM   #44
Bill Daniel
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Henry Lever actions

I took my first deer this year with my H010. Hornady 325 grain FTX over 44 grains IMR 4198. When I fired the young buck did not move so I chaimbered a second round but as I took aim he collapsed where he stood. The round hit the heart and both lungs before exiting. I paced the distance at about 140 yards.
Love my Henry!!
All the best,
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Old November 24, 2018, 09:21 AM   #45
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I use to have a Henry Steel in 45 Colt, worked well and was an accurate shooter. Got hard up for money and had to sell it.
Now a days I have a Winchester 1892 (expensive) and a Marlin 1895 GBL. The Winchester is just sweet all the way around. Shoots accurate and easy to load and pure quality. The Marlin was about $600.00 and also very well made and accurate. Marlins from what I understand have just a little bigger bore so if reloading you have to buy something just a hair bigger than what you're revolver will take. I never had that problem with mine though. The Henry is heavier but it is quality made also. But it is more expensive than the Marlins. That's why I do not own a Henry Big Boy in anything, I would rather have the Marlin at the $600 dollar range. I have two Henry 22's though and they are well made. But Love my Winchester 1892 Short the Best.
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Old November 25, 2018, 11:49 AM   #46
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I have a pre-64 Model 94 Win in 30-30 and it's so unused that it's still pretty stiff but shoots very well. I was recently looking for a 45-70 and made the rounds to all the gun stores trying to get a feeling for quality. Winchester only makes it in a 1886 and I'm not fond of that model for a brush gun.

The tube magazine on the Henry's felt clumsy and awkward to me. I'm accustomed to a side loader and very comfortable with those so although they seemed smooth and well made, I had to say no.

I then looked at the Marlin's and the Trapper (new) really tripped my trigger (so to speak). My hold back was that Marlin is Remington and they really went down hill and were in chapt 11. I liked it enough to do more research and found that Remington's bad actor investors bailed but the company submitted a restructuring plan that won unanimous approval and brought them out of Chapt 11 in near record time. That in turn, attracted new investors and they have now begun re-tooling with the Trapper being one of the rifles that was built off the new equipment.

I'm still holding back on the Marlin's to see if they do come back top in their class and in the meantime, I bought a 45-70 barrel for my Thompson/Center Encore Pro Hunter. Single shot but you can reload pretty fast if you can remember which pocket your bullets are in, (Yes, I have a butt cartridge holder), I was just throwing in a little humor.
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Old November 25, 2018, 05:29 PM   #47
cocojo
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I own a Henry H009 30-30 and I have had no jamming issues as read above. These are quality firearms in fit, finish, smoothness and functioning. I own many levers and these 30-30 guns are very nice levers. I hate when someone states don’t buy the 30-30 because they all jam. This is nonsense! Send your gun into Henry and fix it, they are not jammers, I own one. All levers will jam up if you not operating then properly. I own old pre 64 winchester 94’s, new thousand dollar plus 94’s, old Marlins jm guns and this Henry. The Henry 30-30 is what I took in the woods deer hunting this year. Their weight is on par with my Marlin. Be your own judge on these guns but I give my Henry 30-30 a big thumbs up.

Last edited by cocojo; November 25, 2018 at 08:45 PM.
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