 JThompson
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Joined: Feb 2001  FL, USA
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Posted: 7/20/2012 7:57:39 AM
THE IMAGE ABOVE IS A PAID ADVERTISEMENT The brass and octagon barrel looks really neat. What is the maintenance on the brass? Does it tarnish easily? If I take it to the range and stuff it in the back of the safe when I go get it 6 months later will it still be bright and shiny? How is the recoil when using hot .44 mag loads? Although S&W makes a great .44 mag revolver they say if you want to use hot loads go with a Ruger .44 mag as the S&W can not handle a large round count of max loads. How is the Henry Big Boy built? Can it handle max .44 mag loads all the time? How is the recoil in .44 with mag loads? Minimal due to the weight of the rifle? Any other feedback would be great. This is purely a plinking rifle and still debating on .357 or .44mag but really leaning toward the .44 mag. |
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Posted: 7/20/2012 8:06:02 AM
Maintenance is pretty straightforward and it's very easy to keep the brass to a mirror like shine. As long as you keep the action lubed you're good to go.
The 44 mag is a very soft shooter and I barely notice the recoil. I'm not sure about how it handles the hot loads all the time, but it's built well and should do just fine. Have you considered that the Henry is tube fed from the top, some people prefer the Marlin 1894's loading gate. Either way it's a hell of a fun gun. |
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Gacksnabbit
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Posted: 7/20/2012 8:16:00 AM
Very cool rifle.
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JThompson
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Posted: 7/20/2012 8:40:25 AM
Originally Posted By pdimaio:
Have you considered that the Henry is tube fed from the top, some people prefer the Marlin 1894's loading gate. Either way it's a hell of a fun gun. I find the tube fed to be a quicker loader plus I feel I am just scratching the finish when using a loading gate.  |
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JThompson
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Posted: 7/20/2012 9:23:36 AM
Scanning the Forum here and notice another thread that mentioned the Frontier may actually be better due to the stock configuration.
Will have to see if a store has both so I can feel which is more natural. |
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COSteve
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Posted: 7/20/2012 1:37:06 PM
The 2 major differences (I call them drawbacks) between the Henrys and Rossi, Marlin, Browning, and Winchester leverguns are 1) the Henrys average almost 2 lbs heavier than the others and 2) the Henrys don't have a loading gate in the frame but rather load like a 22lr; from the front of the mag tube. I have a Henry 22lr that's a great little shooter but never considered the larger Henrys because of both their drawbacks which I consider both as showstoppers. That said, on the plus side, the extra weight will aide in reducing the felt recoil with the 44mag as the higher mass softens the perceived recoil. Further, they are famous for buttery smooth actions and their customer service is quite literally second to none. An email with a question is usually replied to by the President of Henry himself.
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Posted: 7/20/2012 4:31:39 PM
Originally Posted By JThompson:
Scanning the Forum here and notice another thread that mentioned the Frontier may actually be better due to the stock configuration. Will have to see if a store has both so I can feel which is more natural. Unfortunately, they don't make the the Frontier in .357 or .44. The .357 and .44 are only available in Brass frame. The Big boys are 2 pounds overweight for my taste, though iti will mean the recoil on the .44 should be very tame. I personally don't care for the top end mag load; I don't even care for it on rimfires, but there's no other option on a lever action rimfire. Top end load tubes aren't very convenient to load or top off in the field compared to the side gate setup (plus there's the whole muzzle safety issue of keeping what you don't want bullet holes in or muzzle flash on out of the general line of the muzzle), but that's just my opinion/preference. Also, be aware that dropping heavy centerfire rounds primer end down down a vertical tube mag like that is potentially a risky proposition. It is best practice to load such a rifle at a 45 deg angle and let the rounds slide down the mag. I love my .22 Frontier, but I'd recommend a pre Rem Marlin 1894 or a Rossi/Puma 1892 for .357, .44, or .45. |
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Posted: 7/20/2012 4:50:55 PM
"I love my .22 Frontier, but I'd recommend a pre Rem Marlin 1894 or a Rossi/Puma 1892 for .357, .44, or .45. "
Personally, I love the 1892. I have a pair of Miroku made Winchesters in .357. |
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Posted: 7/20/2012 6:44:37 PM
I would say that you should look around at the competition.
The Henrys are heavy and clunky compared to almost everything else. The Rossi '92 is the lightest, the Marlins are heavier and I don't know about the Browning etc. If you are concerned about recoil, get and wear a PAST recoil pad. Good luck, and don't jump, you'll have a long time to regret it if you decide you really don't like it after you have tried something else. |
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Dave_Markowitz
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Posted: 7/20/2012 9:06:12 PM
Originally Posted By Karl_Withakay: I bought a post-Remington buyout Marlin 1894 in .44 Magnum about a month ago. It's fine. If my rifle is typical, Remington got their act together. I also have a Rossi 92 in .357 Magnum that I got a week and a half ago. I'm pleased with it but I did have to take a half-round needle file to the edge of the chamber next to the extractor cut out to remove burrs which interfered with feeding.
The Rossi is lighter than the Marlin, and has a traditional carbine style buttplate. I don't think I'd enjoy it in .44 Mag. .357 is fine, however. My father had a Browning B92 in .357 back in the 80s and it felt the same as the Rossi, except for much better fit and finish, and much nicer wood.
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Posted: 7/22/2012 12:24:12 PM
i'm a fan of them.
the 45colt is a soft shooter with just about any load. the 44mag is pleasant with most loads, but i have some 180 grain loads that kick more than a 30-30. i'm a recoil junky so it all work for me. i have not had the 357 mag out yet, but it's noticeably more weighty than the other two so it will probably be a soft shooter as well. |
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