I have a Henry .22 with the octagon barrel. The action is butter-smooth, the wood is very nice...but the receiver is made out of zinc or something. It's not steel. Still, I really like it. It's not a bad .22.

As for the Henry Big Boy, I came close to buying one and then talked to a buddy who had one. He couldn't get rid of it fast enough. It was forever jamming up on him. Of course, he was doing Cowboy Action Shooting with it, so he was working it pretty fast, but still...

Anyway, he sent it back to Henry to see if they could correct the problem. When he got it back, it would still jam occasionally.

I found out later that he wasn't the only person that had that problem with the Henry Big Boys. Of course, your mileage may vary. They sure look nice, though.

On the other hand, I had a beautiful black gelding that looked nice too. Real stylish. But when "push came to shove," he was worthless as a horse. Pretty to look at, but worthless. Of course, there were plenty of people who wanted to buy him, just because he was a looker. I say, if you want a good-looking rifle, buy a Henry Big Boy.

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