Just yesterday I helped a friend out by taking apart his new Henry Golden Boy .22 LR after his first Range session. First off I do not own one so I was unfamiliar with the design. Anyway, I took it apart all the way for a thorough cleaning and was a bit taken back that the entire Receiver was made out of a cast alloy of some sort and the few steel parts like the bolt, lever, trigger & hammer seemed like cast steel.

The gun did work well (very smooth actually) and was finished to a good quality, however I was very surprised that the $500 gun was not made of forged steel. I guess I am living in the past and thought it was comparable to a Marlin 39A or a Winny.

Anyway, while it did work well and did feel good while shooting, I just wish that it had been made of forged steel instead. As far as the design goes, I was not thrilled about what you need to do for disassembly to clean. My Marlin 39A comes apart in a few seconds with no tools where as the Henry is a bit of a P.I.T.A.

All in all it was an OK gun but IMHO not even close to an older Marlin 39A. I also found out that other than machining the barrels and bolts, Henry farms out all their parts and basically does nothing more than assemble them. Yes, all parts are supposed to be made in USA, but not by them - again I was a bit surprised.

Price Point Firearms, outsourcing parts, cost cutting redesigns, manufacturing short cuts, this all seems to be a sign of the times nowadays.

I don't own a Henry but my two sons do.
One Octagon bbl. Frontier model and one Golden Boy.
They are both well pleased with their rifles no matter the metal used to make the receiver.
I have owned a couple of Marlin 39A's over the years, great guns however, if you find one, be prepared to pay a lot more for it than you would a new Henry with their outstanding warranty.

__________________
JimC

My Pop finally got his brand new Henry 30-30 (brass) about a year ago and has been nothing but pleased with it. It's a beautiful rifle to look at and he seems to be satisfied with it's function and accuracy. We have not disassembled it so I cannot speak to what it looks like on the inside, but I suspect it's probably got fewer cast parts inside being a more powerful centerfire chambering.

I would like to add a Big Boy 44 to my stable in the relatively near future myself, or a m94 Trapper in 44 mag... still on the fence with that one.

I don't think they will ever have any collector interest.

It's a .22lr. Not much need for expensive forged parts when cast will more than suffice.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

FWIW a friend brought a new hunter to my range to sight in for the upcoming deer season.Rife was a Remington 770.Shot and functioned very well,groups were consistent,with a little instruction and guidance he was capable of placing shots in the vital areas out to 200 yards off the rest.That being said it has to be one of the most clubby butt ugly rifles l have ever shot or handled.Was it a good buy for this new hunter l think so,but will it be a collectible/heirloom of the future l think not.Sign of the times in our throw away society.

__________________
SWCA#2288
SWHF#407

I'm at that age now where I get sticker shock over most things. The words thousand dollars and lever action 22 just don't go together in my mind. That's pretty much where you have to go for a 9422 these days. A Golden Boy is half that and is still a good shooter with an unusually smooth action. I'm sure the receiver alloy is plenty strong enough for a 22.

Die casting has come a long ways. While it can be derided as pot metal, in fact zinc alloys can have the strength of mild steel.

I bought a Russian gas welding torch and nearly every part of it is die cast (even the tips which get hot as ****). Works great so I did some internet research on die cast. Definitely an amazing technology and I have no qualms about having it in a tool (gun).

It's a 22lr. I don't like paying $500 for one let alone more because it's forged. Also most Rugers are cast. Service six, security six, P90, 95, 89, 945....all cast and they hold up quite well in 38spl, 357, 9, 40 and 45acp

Would anyone buy one at $1200?

That'd be about right for one "made like the old days."

Then there would be all the "why are Henry Golden Boys priced so insane" threads.

Ya just can't win these days.

High end rimfires are a very small market. Manufacturers like to sell products and such.

Rugers may be cast, but it's heat treated cast steel or stainless steel.

Yeah, I'm with the Big Chief on this one. Most guns I would like approach $1000, some are over that. I scrape to buy anything new, usually have to trade something I don't want to, so, generally I've just given up buying/trading. I really can't afford that luxury anymore, and I'm not alone, as witnessed by used prices of high quality guns .

I have a Henry 22 with the big loop lever and love it! It has a smoother action than that of my Marlin 39a. If you want forged parts be prepare to pay other than that, Henry's are priced to sell. From what I have read, the company is great to deal with if you have any issues. Henry's are 100% American made.

James

Nope, they don't make anything like they used to. They never will again because nobody could afford to buy it.
New methods, materials and technology has been both a blessing and a curse. While many of us old farts long for the days of finely finished forged steel and walnut, the new guns work just fine and are afordable.

Was considering a Henry since reading the safety warning on Winchester 94 models in the current issue of American Rifleman. I have a 9422 in excellent condition and I love the accuracy. However because of the safety issue I'm going to sell it. Now trying to decide what to replace it with. I really thought it would be the last .22 rifle I'd buy. Oh well.

I have 2 Henry's a .22 LR and a .22 mag, great rifles, very good action/trigger. There is a HUGE difference between "old" Marlins and "new" Marlins since Remington acquired Marlin, no way would I buy one of the new ones, take a look at one of the newer Marlins. looks like a poorly made BB gun, nothing like the old ones.

Like srv1 stated 100% American made. Now as I would like a Henry or more a 39 Marlin I'm too cheap to spend the money so I'll have to stick to my early model Marlin 56 with steel receiver and micro groved barrel.

Like MIM parts, cast alloy has come a long way since pot metal.

__________________
Psalm 23:4

I recently bought a Henry Big Boy in .45 Colt for Cowboy Action Shooting. I really wasn't expecting MOA accuracy with the combination of rifle and caliber, just a hobby gun to mess around with. I was pleasantly surprised at the accuracy and shocked at the smoothness and rapidity of the action. CAS requires shooting as rapidly as possible and this action operates flawlessly just as fast as I can possibly work the lever and shoot. Many other CAS shooters use other, more expensive makes and have them slicked up. I thank I'll leave this Henry as is.

I was in the Brooklyn plant many years ago.

They make lots of parts in house, machined the receivers, bolts etc. The made the barrels from blanks, drilled and rifled.

I found out later that they did sub some work out to a shop in Michigan (?). Recently the shop owner wanted to retire, Henry bought the whole factory and kept it going.

I think pretty highly of the family that owns the company, they are nice people. They have been in the gun business for many years and were involved with things you know. They own John Jovino Gun Shop, they made the Colt Blackpowder series, I think they were Plainfield Arms (M1 Carbines), also I think Navy Arms and more I am sure.

They started Henry from scratch a new design and a new factory.

Yes its made from some zink type material and its powder coated, but its priced accordingly and it just plain works, nicely too.

The factory had decent modern cnc machines (horizontal Matsuuras) The gun drills were Prat and Whitney and I think the rifling machine were too.

Been looking hard at the Henry rifles. I've owned and enjoyed various Marlin and Winchester rifles. A few were remarkably accurate. All were hunting accurate w/ a scope. Wish I'd kept the Marlin 1894 .44 Carbine. Nowadays... been looking for a .38/.357 carbine. Never see a Marlin. Handled a Henry... liked it. Last Marlin I saw... it was in good condition and they wanted... $800 for it. Nope. Just simply not worth it. Maybe buy a M-92 Puma/Rossi... but all I ever see in this area are .44 Magnum. Not bad, but just kind of want a .38/.357. The Henry does not cost a arm and a leg. Don't laugh! The arm and leg I save can be used when I see something that I can't live without... like a S&W revolver that I think I've got to have!

__________________
<><

Bruce, I have a Marlin 1894 in 357 and a Rossi 92 copy also 357. Both are older models. Got them around 20 years ago and they were used then, so I can't say about new ones. The 92 Rossi is very fussy about what ammo it will feed without jamming. The feed ramp is a bit too steep. It really hates jacketed bullets with soft lead exposed at the tip. It will feed bullets with no exposed lead like the Horandy XTP flawlessly. Cast SWC bullets can be a little sticky but mostly reliable. The Marlin has no trouble with any bullet shape I've tried. As cool as the 92 clone is, the Marlin is a better rifle.

It's not just the metal that it is made from that I am disappointed with, it's the design and disassembly procedure required to properly clean it. I believe that a .22 rifle should be an easy gun to clean with minimal tools. The Henry .22 is a real pain in the butt to disassemble - not hard, just a pain! I suppose one could just run a few patches from the bore end, but they would be pushing crud into the receiver.

Just a thought,I have two Henry's (22 and 357) and I simply clean mine with a bore snake.No other disassembly involved or required according to the owners manual.

__________________
JR

I should certainly hope the receiver was an alloy! Brass is an alloy consisting of copper and zinc!

P.S. Steel is an alloy too.

The only thing about this alloy is that it's a bit of a mystery. They call it "brass-lite" No idea what it consists of, but I feel confident the folks at Henry made sure it's strong enough to suit it's purpose. I always use a bore snake too, so tear down isn't a big issue for me. In fact, if a PITA tear down is the price to pay for that silky smooth action, I'd gladly pay it. It is the smoothest cycling lever gun I've ever shot. I like the weight and balance of it and it seemed very accurate too. I'd love to try one of the bigger Henrys someday.

I have 2 Henry's that are great rifles, an Octagon pump and youth lever, both .22lr. I also have 2 Marlin 39a's, to compare the two is unfair. I suspect you would have been happy with the Henry, if you weren't comparing it to your Marlin.

The Marlin 39's were never inexpensive rifles. As stated the high end .22 rifle marked is limited. Just not that many people want to pay centerfire prices for a rimfire. I have always thought the opposite, the 22 is the only one I could afford to shoot a lot, I wanted to have the best! My policy has always been, "if I find a .22 that looks fun to shoot I buy it".

Even my 11 yo will ask for the Marlin over the Henry's. Ed

Meh. I'd have been more impressed with a thread about Henry rifles saying that they wore one out, it broke, the trigger was terrible or the action gritty and stiff. Maybe a thread on how inaccurate the one they bought is. Heck, you haven't even owned a Henry.

Be sure you let us know when you find such a customer.... but he might be tough to track down riding his unicorn..

BE Mike:

With all due respect there is NO NEED to own something to see how it is made. I've worked on one - that's enough to know.

If I were to spend $500 on a Rimfire Rifle I'd personally want a forged steel one as is the Marlin 39 A that I do own. The Henry's have recently gone way up in price and while they were inexpensive I could see buying a cast alloy gun that is not very user friendly for take down purposes. For the same money they are today, you can but a vintage Marlin 39A which in my personal opinion blows the Henry away, functionally, mechanically, and aesthetically - not no mention it is more accurate than the Henry's I have shot - even though I do not personally own one.

My sole purpose for this post originally was to enlighten some here who are in the market for a .22 lever gun and have little experience with them. From the outside the Henry's look great and there are many here who obviously own them and could care less about the cast receiver and parts or the P.I.T.A takedown procedure. That does not say or imply anything bad about them and I was merely pointing out to some who might still want forged steel no matter the caliber of the firearm. Of course YMMV.

This kid doesn't seem to have any trouble breaking down the Henry enough for cleaning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cchZUA_CTro Actually the Henry rifles don't seem that overpriced considering today's market. BTW, I don't own any Henry rifles, nor do I intend to buy any .22 caliber lever action rifles in the near future. I really don't have anything against the Marlins either, but this guy sure does: http://www.shootersforum.com/marlin-...ever-guns.html

Last Christmas the wife was wanting a Henry Yellowboy .22 as one of her presents. We'd both seen the commercials and liked the made in the U.S.A. part.

My LGS had two in stock and I was surprised and disappointed to see that on both of them the rear sights were very skewed and canted. On one, the rear didn't see to be mounted on the top of the barrel, but rather off to one side. The quality of the wood in the stocks was disappointing too.

Granted, this was only a sample of two, but I ended up walking out with a beautiful Silverboy .22 instead.

Quite possibly could have been rough handling during shipping. Ever see that vid going around on FB of the Fedex guy delivering an HD TV and beating the stuffing out of the box all the way to the porch? LOL!

But either way, I would want it to be correct as well.

I've found the Henrys to be relatively easy to take apart. I have a Golden Boy and a H001. Here's why I like the Henrys, and my H001 in particular. Peep sight only, bag rest, 25 yards with late 40's eyes:



It's not a 39A, but it's plenty accurate, and I have found them to be very reliable (better than my 39A).

IMO the parts that matter are made of steel, I don't see .22lr stressing the Zamak receiver or cover, really. It actually looks pretty neatly done too.


It takes five screws to pull the cover and buttstock for a proper cleaning....but I don't need to do that but for maybe once every 4 or five cleanings when a bore snake keeps it humming along pretty well for frequent shooting.
I agree steel is nice, but I'm not hearing of these things wearing out especially fast.
They polish up nice, too.

I have a bunch of 22 rifles, too many probably. I have two Marlin 39Ms
and a 9422. The Henrys might function well but I would not buy one
personally. Alloy is fine in some lower cost guns like the Ruger 1022s
and Marlin 60s but not in a more expensive lever gun, at least in my
opinion. There are many all steel older 22s that can be bought for
very reasonable prices but they are not lever guns. Various bolt
actions, autos and even a few pumps. I would much rather pay $500
for a decent Winchester 62A than any brand new zinc alloy die cast
wanta be. Just my opinion. There are many vintage bolt action single
shots and repeaters around that can be bought cheaply and most
will easily outgroup levers and pumps. I recently bought three in nice
condition, a Winchester mod 72 for 170 OTD, and a 67 for $125. Also
a vintage Stevens 15 for a whopping $80. The 72 even has the original
peep sight. That's almost stealing. I guess that's why I have too many.

Ive had my Henry for several years cleaned it a few times, and never saw any wear issues with any internal parts so what difference does it make if alloy is used ? All I know is it is accurate. this is at 25 yds stock sights. I have shot it on the 100 yd range with very good results using a 3x9 40 scope

I have the Henry 001(?). Octagonal barrel and probably black anodized aluminum receiver cover.
I think for the money, four hundred and change, it's an excellent value. Smooth action, good trigger, feeds bulk ammo like Thunderbolts reliably. Very satisfied with it.

I love my Henry Big Boy in .357 Magnum. The action is smooth and crisp, the trigger is good, and it's dead on accurate at short ranges (less than 100 yards). I can break it down for cleaning with no issues.
The only thing I would change is the octagonal barrel. It's a little barrel heavy and with a pistol caliber round you don't really need a heavy barrel. With a 45/70 a heavy barrel is a plus.

__________________
Have Gun Will Carry

At present I only own one 22 caliber rifle, a Henry .22 Magnum with a big loop lever. Over the years there is no telling how many thousands of rounds I've put through it and I have to say, I have never shot, handled or even seen another rifle I would trade my Henry for. Say whatever you want to about how it's made or what sort of parts are used but you cannot criticize the durability, smoothness, accuracy or beauty.

JMHO

Bob

They didn't start from "scratch" with a "new" design............That rifle design is very old...........Originated with Erma-Werke in Germany.........That later by the Ithaca Gun Co.

__________________
S&W Accumulator