I have my fair share of lever guns - Marlin 336s - and I am interested in getting a couple (2-3) Henry rifles.  A 45-70, a 357 Mag, and maybe a 44 Mag.  I've always loved the the look of  the Big Boy and Golden Boy rifles, but I don't know anything about them or Henry.  I usually buy new, so I'm interested in the quality of Henry's new guns.  Do they have the stupid safeties like the new Winchester and Marlin lever guns?  Are the older one better than the new or is there not much difference?  What should I look for when I purchase one?

Here are my experiences from buying two brand new in the past couple of years.

One a golden boy (22.lr), the other a big boy (.357mag)





1.
Safeties - None - you are the safety - that and its single action.

2.

Action - both mine were buttery smooth out of box. The .22lr required no break in period and it runs and runs. The .357 mag took about 50-100 rds to break in well. Early on if you short stroke it you will have FTF, so don't be ginger working the lever, you do this you won't have a problem. The more i shoot it.. the better it runs. I probably only have 200 rds through it.

3.

Accuracy - wonderful. I shoot steel and i always get a nice sound after hitting.. unless i am not doing my part.


4. Quality - The warranty is lifetime, fit and finish on both mine were excellent. The mating to the wood was perfect. No complaints.

Those are beautiful.  Thanks for sharing.

Thanks.. here is a couple more pics to help get your motor running :)

Golden Boy





Big Boy

Wow those are beautiful.  Thanks again for sharing!

Mechanically mine have been fine. I've got five rimfires which include a .22 Mares leg. My only complaint is all but one have handguards that have bit of play in them. I had a Goldenboy .17 for one day but took it back because the stock drop was too uncomfortable for me. Nothing wrong with it, it just wasnt a good fit for me. I have a used Bigboy .45lc on hold so we'll see how that goes.

I bought a Henry Big Boy .45 Colt a few years ago, my first experience with Henry rifles, and I'll tell you what I've learned...

First impressions out of the box were that the rifle was absolutely beautiful, the brass receiver combined with the blued octagonal barrel with the gold color rollmarks and American walnut stocks really makes these rifles standout.

The action was so smooth and perfect I was shocked.  Previously my only lever gun was my Winchester 94, which is a great gun, but doesn't hold a candle to the action of the Henry.  It really is perfect.

The performance is absolutely amazing.  The Henry Big Boy rifles aren't just a pretty face, they are extremely accurate.  I was really amazed how accurate the rifle was just using iron sights.  With optics, if someone chose to go that route, it would be phenomenal.  It's simply an excellent rifle.  My sister shot mine the first time and that was it, we had to go buy one for her, also in .45 Colt.

I've not had to deal with Henry's customer service just because our rifles have never had any problems but you can look anywhere to find folks who have dealt with their CS and give them excellent ratings.  Their customer service, like their rifles, are top notch.  Absolutely no worries there.


Now, I've heard folks complain about no side loading feature but from someone who owns and shoots a Winchester 94 with a side load I have used both many times.  The side load feature is a huge advantage when in a battle where topping off the magazine on the fly is desperately needed.  I've never had that issue so far and should some war break out on our home soil, there are far better gun choices anyway and my lever gun will be in the safe.  The downfall of a side load in this day and time is that it's both hard on the thumb but primarily it's having to crank the lever every time to extract each round when you are done shooting.  I hated having to work my Winchester over and over every time I was through shooting or done with the days hunt.  It was rough of the cartridges and then since they go everywhere, you have to gather them up and clean them off to be used later.  Some people say that it's not a valid complaint since you should just blast away to use up the remaining cartridges in the magazine but that just isn't a reasonable answer.

The Henry's tube load is fast and easy once you get used to it, which takes maybe one or two loadings, but more importantly it's way faster and easier to unload.  No working the lever over and over then picking up the cartridges, just turn the tube magazines top, pull it out and pour the cartridges into wherever you want them to go.  It's really a great solution for modern lever actions.  Now if the only rifle I owned was a lever action and lived in a world where I was having to battle other people, I would absolutely choose a side loader but that's about it.  I love both my lever guns, side load and tube load but the Henry's tube feed is definitely the easier to load and unload.

Thanks for the detailed report.

When i was looking into henry a few years ago these were the main compliants given by people who didn't like them (should be stated its from ones who actually did NOT purchase them).

1. To Flashy - I don't like all the bling. - This is a valid reason.. the look is not for everyone. That is why henry is starting to roll out blued recievers.

2. The Tube! Looks awkward.. i want a loading gate.  - I can see how this can be an issue with one who has not handled a tube feed lever before.. but if you are using pistol cartridges you can load it up very quickly and effortlessly once you get the hang of it. Though i wouldn't want a tube fed 30-30.. with only 6 rds.

3.Henry Company! Thats not the real henry! - I don't like how they are calling them selves Henry when they have nothing to do with the original company. - This is a piss poor argument IMO - just look at Springfield armory, Colt (been bought out as many times as one can count.. hell thier .22lr 1911s are made by walther), winchester, etc.

4. Its not REAL brass! - True with the golden boy.. they use a zinc alloy.. but hell they are making it for a price point to stay competitive.. and its only .22lr. Also the Brasslite cover is replaceable which is a nice touch. The big boy on the other hand is forged Brass.


Notice no real complaints about quality, service, etc. Most of the complaints are down to personal preference which is fine. The few issues i have heard about the Henry company takes care of it immediately - hell the CEO responds to your emails personally.

I just got the Henry 45-70 with the ghost ring site. Took it out on a raining cold day and the first shot hit the steel at 100 yards.
Shot it all afternoon in the rain hitting the steel at various distances.
Was a bit awkward to load but all in all I am happy with it.
When I got home I wiped it down, took the loading tube out and left it in m ammo room.
Was traveling for work all the next week, when I got home I checked on it. No rust at all.
Can't wait to take it back out.

Ugh!  I picked up my Henry .45lc big boy today. The rifle is used but appeared in good shape. The shop I bought it from test fires any used gun they buy. I got home and tried to cycle a couple of different types of ammo through it and it basically jammed on every round. I had a feeling something was wrong when the mag tube was very hard to pull out. The shop agreed to ship it to Henry for a fix. I am not too confidant with Henrys gunsmiths though, but I will see how it goes.

One thing I noticed is the tube on the muzzle end the knob is flush with the muzzle, it almost seems like the outer tube is not set far enough back. The loading port is offset too if that matters?


Update: Screw it, they gave me my money back and I bought a stainless Vaquero.

This right here lines it out accurately.  I liked their rimfire, but it had a plastic front sight and barrel band.  Henry sold me metal replacements, which makes me wonder why they didn't use them in the first fucking place. I gave this rifle to my Dad.

The tube loading thing is an abomination.  Some people love them. I hate them.

As for Item 3, I despise that they are trying to sell themselves as going with tradition.  This implies to the unwashed that they ARE related to the original Henry.  People like OP think they are getting something that is a part of handed down history.  It stinks to high heaven.  A good friend of mine thought buying one would be an investment and a collectors item.  Stinks.