Does anybody know anything about the new Henry Big Boy with a steel receiver? ( instead of brass )

I have always been intrigued by the Big Boy levers in magnum calibers 45, 44 , and .357

i assume they work just as well as the brass big boy but in steel. Can't really go wrong with a henry.

Heavy and ugly.

Get a nice, graceful, Winchester 1892 clone, or a (clunkier) Marlin. (pre Remington)

Just my opinion.

heavy.. perhaps.. not seeing the ugly though.

It's an individual beholder thing, like beauty.

And a photo just doesn't convey it.

Perhaps "awkward-looking", might be a better choice of word than "ugly".

There is a .44 at my local gun shop, it looks pretty nice. I didn't handle it for fear I might buy it.

How well I know that feeling.  

Tracking images edited and the offender is gone.  AeroE

According to website New steel Henry is lighter than the brass version- 7lbs even
According to winchester the new 1892 short action is 6lbs even
1 lb difference

My 20" Rossi Carbine weighs 6.2 lbs empty. (actual weight, not manufacturer's spec)

Sure your Rossi isn't a Short Rifle instead of a Carbine?  I've got a 357mag Rossi Carbine which is their heaviest carbine because of the smaller caliber so a thicker barrel and mine weighs 5lb 14oz as shown below with my added saddle ring, leather wrap, and a metal follower instead of a plastic one.




20" Short Rifle:  Curved buttstock and longer, caped forestock, magazine band dovetailed into barrel at middle











My 20" Carbine: Flat buttstock and shorter, banded forestock, magazine band around barrel and magazine at front near muzzle










 
 

As I said in my earlier post about the Steel 44 Mag release, they claim it's 1 1/3lbs lighter (round barrel) than the brass one but it still doesn't have a side loading gate.  I still don't understand why they won't use one but that's a show stopper for me even though I have one of their H001 22lr and it's a fun little gun.



 

Here's mine. (The last rifle I'd ever get rid of)

Purchased three years ago, at a LGS.

Maybe they will do one in 460SW Magnum.  A guy can hope.

Henry makes a beautiful rifle that, out of the box, performs like a full blown custom.  I have two brass receiver Big Boy's in .45 Colt and they are fantastic rifles.  Yes they are heavier than other rifles but it also makes shooting hot ammo a breeze.  The action is so smooth you'll look at all your other lever guns like they have a second head.  The Henry rifles are also extremely accurate, it's really pretty amazing.  Whenever the Henry (brass receiver) goes to the range we are always approached by people who love how they look and then after shooting them, they want one.

Sure some of the foreign made copies are nice but there's nothing that comes close to a Henry.  A beautiful heirloom quality, butter smooth action, incredibly accurate all American made rifle trumps a foreign made copy every single time.  The steel model may not have the class of the brass but it's still a beautiful rifle with all the great attributes of the brass rifle but in a lighter package.

'Foreign made copy'?

To each his own.  Enjoy your Henry, I will enjoy my Rossi rifle and carbine.

I still can't get over Anthony Imperato claiming his company was founded by B. Tyler Henry and that his company made the original 1860 rifle during the civil war.

I'd rather shoot a smooth, graceful copy of a John Browning Winchester design then a copy of nothing.  But I respect each person's personal choices.  I think the Henry .22 is a great little levergun.

Question regarding the brass Henrys, what is their longevity.  Being in the Navy 24 years I am somewhat familiar with brass.  It is softer than steel, valves for saltwater are brass and need to rebuilt quite often due to wear.  Are the Henry rifles this "soft" or are they plated steel?  I figure the moving parts are steel, but how does the frame hold up where it meets steel parts?
Thanks

I would love to have a Henry in 460SW,  even if it is steel.   I understand pressures and lever actions make this prohibitive at the moment except for high end boutique guns....but one can dream.

The brass is tough stuff, no worries there other than having to shine it occasionally.  Their proprietary brass alloy has the same tensile strength and yield strength as steel according to Henry and I've never heard of an issue or had any with mine so I believe it.  The brass receiver rifles are designed to handle the hottest factory ammo out there so it's definitely built strong.  I contacted Henry myself to ask if there was a limit for my .45 Colt Big Boys.  I specifically asked about the hot Double Tap and Buffalo Bore ammo.  They told me the gun was designed to handle all factory ammo including those offered by Double Tap, Grizzly and Buffalo Bore.  It's built like a tank.

Thanks Brandi.  I really hope they come up with one for the 460...  I have been looking at the Big Horn Armory guns for a while....maybe for second retirement....one of those and expedition somewhere.

+1

I weighed my Rossi .357.  6.2 pounds

I am buying the Henry Steel in 45 colt.  cant wait

Has anyone been able to find any of these new steel receiver Big Boys?

I have literally called 20+ gun shops in Wisconsin and no one has one. Most don't think it even exists until I tell them to check the website.

The only hope I have of finding one was one shop by me said they have (4) .44 magnum Big Boy Steels on order and they are "in transit". Hopefully they get it soon and they call me, I am anxious to get my hands on one.

online.  Buds gun shop has them.  You have to pay a transfer fee and a credit card fee but it will still be cheaper than a local gun store.  By a lot!  $632 but you can make an offer and get it for $622  

I find it hard to believe that a brass alloy can be as strong as steel. I don't believe that it is possible to make an alloy of brass that has the same properties of steel and vice versa. I am sure that the Henry is plenty strong of a rifle though, in both steel and brass flavors.

Thinking about pulling the trigger and snagging one of these rifles.  Looking for input from current owners

I've been thinking about a .45 Colt lever gun for some time.

Can I shoot high pressure (30 kpsi) 45 Colt handloads through the steel big boy?

I saw one the other day and it was beautiful.  I am holding my breath for a 16in Trapper

I bought one yesterday chambered in 44 mag.
I had a Rossi in 357 mag for a while but just couldn't get excited about doing all the things it would have taken to make it nice, so it went away.

The Henry uses real walnut, not mystery wood and shoe polish. Mine has some nice figuring, not as nice as some of the brass receiver big boys but nice. The checkering is really sharp and well done. The wood to receiver fit could not IMHO been better, very tight fit like it grew there. The finish on the barrel and receiver is nice, not sure if it is blued... Salesman said it is it looks more black to me. I didn't care too much it looked nice to me.
I had the Henry and the Marlin side by side and found the Henry to be a bit thinner and perhaps a tiny bit lighter. They both were priced the same, had the same barrel length and were both blued as opposed to ss.
The action on the Henry seemed to be smoother and the trigger much nicer than the marlin.
I ran five whole rounds thru it last night after work, shooting it at a mild steel plate at 35 yards out I shoot my hand guns at, I put all rounds at the same point. The first made a nice dent the second round made a hole and the next three went right thru the hole. Not a great test, but for doing zero except putting in the rounds it was spot on.
I think the action ran more smoothly with ammo than it did w/o.
There are sling studs already there for use, and it looks fairly straight forward to add an optic.
This looks like it will stick around a lot longer than the Rossi did. :)