Henry lever actions?

[Chainsaw.]

Been feining after an new lever action..............or two....

Marlins dont have the best reputation lately. So I’ve been wondering about Henrys. Well today I finally go into the gun shop with time to kill, they had a couple hanging on the wall, a 44mag straight stock and a 45-70 with a pistol grip stock. Quality was pretty good, a few very small casting blemishes on the underside of the 44 but nothing I cant overlook for the price and what Im wanting to do with them. Actions felt smooth and crisp, same for the triggers. Over all I’m definitely thinking I’ll have to put one in my safe of of these days.

So a few questions.

If you own one or have shot one please speak to your experience.

Will the 44 readily accept most bullet profiles? I like wide flat noses on my bullets.

Are the 45-70s strong enough for modern loading, short of the really bonkers loadings?

Can the 45-70 be had in the straight stock with a full length mag tube?

[bamaranger]

Well, I don't own a Henry centerfire, but do have one of their .22 levers. I've handled a bunch of their centerfire rifles though.....and I feel the Big Boy label is an accurate one!

My big objection the Henry centerfires is that they are.......heavy. Compared to a Win 94, a B-92, any 1892 clone, the '94 Marlins, the Henry's in the pistol and 30-30 calibers seem to weigh a ton.

[DPris]

The .44 should handle a fairly wide meplat.

Both .45-70s, brass & steel, should be plenty strong enough for heavy .45-70 loads.
Straight stock with brass frame is only available with short magazine.
Steel model has full-length magazine tube.
Denis

[Chainsaw.]

Bamaranger, I did notice that with the 45-70, she was a sturdy girl for sure. The 44s weight seemed right in line with what it should be.

[TJB101]

Have a BB in 357 and it is a blast to shoot. Henry service is outstanding and stands behind their product. Highly recommended.

[mikejonestkd]

I have two Henry rifles, and a good friend also has two of them.
Between us we have a 22 model, a heavy barrel 22 model, a brass big boy 357 and a big boy steel in 44 mag. All function well, have smooth actions and feed just about any normal RNFP lead bullet.

They are nice rifles, buy with confidence.

[2wheelwander]

Appreciate this thread. I've looked at Henrys for a LONG time but never jumped. Comments from owners just answered what the tangible is - weight. Personal perception is Henry is a great company turning out great rifles. Love the looks of the octagon barrel, lines of the rifle, but man, those things have some heft. Not a bad thing for the cartridges they are chambered for but . . . . .

OP, have you considered a JM Marlin or other lever in like new condition off an online auction site? For the same money you'd spend on a new Henry you could get a very gently used 45-70 Marlin. Winchesters bring more money.

[USNRet93]

Originally Posted by TJB101

Have a BB in 357 and it is a blast to shoot. Henry service is outstanding and stands behind their product. Highly recommended.

My son has one of those as well, shot it yesterday..it is heavy but a joy to shoot, very accurate.

[Dufus]

The last one I bought is a H010CC.

I wanted the 22" barrel. It shoots cast bullets well and is accurate.

It is listed at 8lbs, and it is a welcome 8lbs.

I keep my hand loads under the 1800 fps levels. Realistically prolly closer to 1500 fps.

[Jack O'Conner]

This photo shows my former Henry and a young bull taken after a long stalk in steep country. Accuracy and function was good but too heavy for my needs so it went away. I didn't really care for the way it's tube magazine was loaded and unloaded, either.

Before buying, I suggest handling a Henry rifle to determine if the weight is okay for you.

Jack

[Chainsaw.]

Thanks Jack, the loading is a consideration, I grew up on tube fed 22s so while not being the best type loading system I don’t really mind.

Your appears to be 45-70 given the length of the loading hole on the tube, but its a staight stock. Can I ask if you recall the model number?

[223 shooter]

Picked up a Big Boy Silver last year in 357 and it does shoot quite well but had to send it back to Henry for copper fouling issues and a loading tube that was extremely difficult to remove. From the time I dropped it off it was less than two weeks and it was delivered back to me!

Henry replaced the barrel , fixed the mag tube issue , polished out a scratch in the receiver that I did not even mention and honored my request to swap out the standard lever for a large loop! The new barrel still copper fouls but no where near the level of the first barrel.

I also have a Marlin 357 , a 2008 model and the Henry is the more accurate rifle.

[mrpike1973]

I have the Henry 22 0ne of the best I have ever owned. However do not buy the 30-30 lever action. Why? from the time I bought mine it never and I mean never cycled one bullet without jamming only got 2 bullets ever to shoot through it. My co worker bought one also sent it back 3 times before it worked good. I got lucky I bought it through a local gun shop he let me trade mine back in for full price I was very thankfull for that.I will say that Henry's customer service is awesome it was for me and for my coworker. I have also heard others have issues with the 30-30. For me at the time it was the one spendy gun I wanted well not to be but I have a Winchester 94 that I like. I would not hesitate at all to buy any Henry just not the 30-30 just want to save someone some pain.

[Chainsaw.]

Good to know. But thankfully a 30-30 isnt on my list. I’ve got Dads 1974 Winchester in 30-30 in the safe.

[CLYA]

I have a brass hexagon barreled Henry 45-70, as well as a hexagon barreled 1895 Marlin 45-70. Both are a couple of years old. Despite Marlins earlier problems, these rifles have constantly functioned perfectly. And they're accurate too. Lots of factory and reloads.

[Bill Daniel]

Love my H010. As mentioned the extra weight (9.6 lbs. with base, rings, scope, and a full magazine plus one) is a welcome recoil reducer. Mine is for hunting and I don’t need a fast reload. I also like the ability to unload the magazine with out having to cycle the action for each round. Service is second to none. I messed up the magazine spring and Henry replaced it at no charge. I began having trouble feeding bullets from the magazine and sent it in for repair. I got it back two weeks later with a new barrel and up graded parts at no charge. Still cycles like butter even with longer than standard rounds like Hornady LeverRevolution.
All the best,
Bill Daniel

[Joedirt64]

Yep Yeah I bought a Henry H012 in .44 mag back in Feb 2018 it’s been sent back to Henry 3 times Right out of the box trigger pull was at 8lbs removed but stock found part of the stock broke off jamming the hammer assy, repaired Trigger pull dropped to 7 lbs? Loosened rear stock tang screw trigger pull dropped to 4 lbs was sent back to Henry they replaced butt stock and lower tang trigger assy, I put about 200 rounds thru it before second problem bolt jammed locked in receiver sent back again it took about month to get it returned shot about 5 rounds thru it cases were getting stuck in camber cracking etc... Again returned to Henry 1 month later get rifle back shoots ok but now lift arm is not working correctly jamming up? Not happy with the Henry Big Boy rifles I own 1873 Winchester’s 1886 Browning 1894 JM Marlin no problems if ur looking for a .375 or .44 mag go with Marlin 1894 or Uberti or Winchester remember the original Henry tube Fed was made 1 year only 1860 for a reason they sucked 1866 ammo was gate loaded!.

[Bamashooter]

Bought my Big Boy 20" 44mag early 2017. Havent had any issues with it. Its more accurate than I thought it would be. Ive shot various types of ammo with my favorite being 200gr HSM ammo that has literally no recoil and is very accurate and fun range ammo. Love my Big Boy. Its a beautiful gun and smooth as butter.

[Road_Clam]

Bought the Henry 30-30 brass back a few years ago. Been testing some lighter cast loads and found a great load with the cast 170 rnfp at about 1650 fps. Absolutely love my Henry, very nicely built and assembled for relatively short money. I upgraded the cheap rear leaf sight to the Skinner peep, now I can easily shoot 100-200 yds by raising or lowering the rear aperture post.

[gw44]

I had one in 45/70, it was a great gun !!

[COSteve]

While the Henry Big Boys have smooth actions, their lack of a side loading gate which makes loading awkward and with the muzzle pointed up, can be dangerous unless significant care is exercised, plus the excessive weight (almost 2 lbs more than a Winchester) together make them non-starters for me.

[DPris]

Any perceived danger in loading is offset by greater safety in unloading.
Just keep the hammer down while loading, don't point muzzle at your face.
Simple & not really significant care.

And not having to cycle each round through the action to unload offers much lesser chance of an AD.

And while I would not, admittedly, haul a brass .357 around the woods, they're not all heavy, the steel models are lighter.
Denis

[Road_Clam]

My Henry 30-30 brass is just for target , the added weight of the octagon barrel is of no real significance. The added weight makes for a soft shooting rifle , especially with my cast cowboy loads. I have lots of other rifles that shoot 2200+ fps, my Henry 30-30 is specifically designated for light cast silhouette loads, and it's a TON of fun within this usage. The beefy octagon barrel almost never gets hot, most of the time barely warm so it should last several lifetimes without getting burned out.

[Red-5]

Any perceived danger in loading is offset by greater safety in unloading.
Just keep the hammer down while loading, don't point muzzle at your face.
Simple & not really significant care.

And not having to cycle each round through the action to unload offers much lesser chance of an AD.

And while I would not, admittedly, haul a brass .357 around the woods, they're not all heavy, the steel models are lighter.
Denis

I have to agree. Have both a Henry Big Boy and Winchester 73 Short in Steel, both are 357. Maybe it is me, but after loading the 73, after 4 or 5 time, it can get a little hard on my fingers.

Obviously, do not have that issue with the tube load of the Henry.

As Denis noted, emptying the Henry is simpler, and probably safer than cycling the action multiple times.

The weight, yes, my Winchester is lighter, but 2# lighter.

Bottom line, traditionalists will have a hard time with the lack of loading gate on the Henry's. Just like the hard core traditionalist 1911 people think a 1911 chambered in anything other than 45 is sacrilegious.

[Rifletom]

I also have the Big Boy Brass .357/.38spl. No issues with mine. Heavy, hmm, a bit. But, I don't hunt with it, strictly for range/desert use. Smooth, accurate, what's not to like?
Currently looking to get one in .45 Colt. Big Boy Steel.