I'm in the market for a .22 Magnum rifle. I don't want bolt action, single shot or semi-auto. That leaves lever action and pump. I really like the appearance and specs on paper of the below rifles from Henry but I know nothing of their quality and reputation. Anyone here know about it?

Henry Pump


Henry Lever


Henry Lever, Octogon Barrel

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~ S&WCA No.2159 ~

Having been Very disappointed with the quality and workmanship on a $550 new manufactured Marlin 39A earlier this year, I would definitely be looking at the Henry's in hope of better workmanship in a new rifle.

It's ironic that the Marlin box says 'proudly made by American Craftsmen' or some such thing. If that particular rifle was an example of American craftsmanship it's no wonder America has lost its manufacturing base.

I own a Henry H001 basic 22lr lever action and it's the best rifle for the money. Smooth action, feeds, fires and ejects well. Add to that they are American made and the president and CEO of Henry personaly answer emails. I haven't had a single issue with my H001 and it is their basic/cheapest model lever gun.

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NRA Life Member

I don't own one but I know some people who do and they are all very happy with their gun.All the folks I have talked to on the net were well pleased with their gun and customer service.I think the receiver on the rim-fire guns are not made of steel but I have not seen any problem in print.

I know about a dozen owners of Henry's and they all swear by them. They are American made and I understand that have some of the best customer service in the business.

Lever action and pump action rifles are essentially the same as far as the action goes. The actuator is different, that is all.

From the same manufacturer, they should share the same quality of operation.

Get the one that "trips your trigger".

Henry's are Made in the USA. NJ to be precise....no jokes please

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Sure you did

I got my youngest a Henry youth model lever gun in .22 LR. It has been a great gun for him - very smooth action and trouble free so far. I don't think you can go wrong.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

I have a Goldenboy, the action is very smooth out of the box. Wood is nicer than Marlin's. The only bad thing I can say is that the brass colored receiver is a finish, rather than actual brass. So it will never get that buttery color in time. Very accurate, and not finicky about ammo.

I bought a Henry that was the proverbial "monday morning hangover lemon" and had a bit of a go-around with their repair service, but they finally just replaced the gun with one that works OK.

So I finally got what I paid for, even if it took awhile.

I am very happy with my .22LR Golden Boy. Action is like glass and It has beautiful wood. I am planing to get a Henry Big Boy 45 Colt at some point.

I too am happy with my Henry H001, the cheapest one. I paid $249 for mine, it is accurate, 100% reliable, action smooth as butter. At 50 yards, I can hit a golf ball every time (from a rest).

It's favorite ammunition accuracy wise is the cheap ($2.29 a box) Mexican made "Centurian", less than 1" groups at 50 yards, also from a rest.

Picture of it with a cheap Sportsman Guide scabbard I use with the rifle while canoeing, or carrying it in the truck:



I also plan on buying another Henry rifle soon, their pump .22....

I have two Henrys, one in .22LR and the other in .22Mag. Both have given excellent service, and have never misfired. I gave one to my 11 year old grandson for Christmas last year.

I would suggest the Henry with the Octogon Barrel because there are after-market sights available for it. I have a scope on my .22Mag...it has the round barrel.

Thanks guys. Right now I'm leaning towards the pump. Something about a pump rifle, very neat.

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~ S&WCA No.2159 ~

I won a new Henry 22 lever action from a gun show raffle in Mt Sterling, Ky a few years ago during their "Court Days" swap meet. When I got home from picking it up from the gun shop, there was a "ding" in the forearm wood. The gun was brand new and perfect except for the forearm ding, so I called the company to buy a replacement forearm. I called on Saturday and half expected to hear a recording telling me to call back during the week, but instead, the owner of the company answered the phone. He fixed me right up and refused to accept any payment. The following Wednesday I had a brand new forearm and the wood was a perfect match. The Henry is a fine little gun and made by some very fine folks right here in America. I'm impressed and would not hesitate to buy another Henry rifle.

I always liked pumps over levers,they seem a little more natural and that makes them quicker to get back on target.
I'd say get the pump so you can give us all a product review.I haven't heard anything on the pump,but as you can see there's not many that don't like their Henrys.

Merry Christmas D.G.

Dad has one of the lever rifles bought new back in about '98 or so. Compared to usual lever gun standards, it is a cheaply made rifle. Plastic sights, pot metal internals, pinned barrell, and a finish on the receiver cover that shows the tell-tale "orange peel" of sprayed paint.

After a few years, in about '02 or '03, it developed a loose barrell. As in, you could hold the buttstock and forearm, twist, and the slop between the barrell and receiver was noticable. No idea why it happened, I was off in the Army when it did. It wasn't over use, as dad kept it around as a utility gun and isn't a shooter. Only real use it got was when I was home on leave. I called the company up and convinced them what was wrong ( the person I spoke to seemed a bit skeptical) sent it off, they re-pinned the barrell. Worked fine ever since.
They stand behind their product very well by all accounts, but it is what it is, a levergun victim of cost cutting.

I won a Henry Golden Boy .22 rifle at FNRA banquet couple of years ago. Nice wood, slick action & handles all ammo without a hitch.

Bought a Goldenboy several years ago. Smoothest lever action rifle I ever fired in any caliber. When the doc told me no more rifles, we had it engraved (Henry does that and it's excellent work) and gave it to our son last Christmas. And I concur, Henry's service is second to none and you're just as liable to have the phone answered by the owner as not.

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... ed ...

Good idea...I have Marlin 39A and I love the looks, but frankly, I'm not a big fan of levers...for a .22,I like the pump...easier to stay on target for follow up shots...

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

I just traded for a Henry 22LR Lever Gun... made in USA. I have not had a chance to wring it out yet. It has an unusual built in safety device that prevents clicking on an empty chamber. I expect it will be a fine gun.

The Henry is a virtual clone of a much beloved Ithica Model 72 Lever Gun... made in W. Germany... circa 1979. The Ithica is an absolute tack driver.
Russ

That's a great idea for a safety...keeps the chamber from getting dinged up when you dry fire your last round....I count my rounds in my 39a so I don't dry fire...

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

How's the countin goin' with the finger shortage and all?Serious,how's the finger doing?It's been a while.Hope all's good.

Merry Christmas,D.G.

The one I bought for my son, some years back, was made in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Did they move across the river?

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'Merica!

Can't do better than a Henry!

I have had an H001 for several years; it is my squirrel rifle and, like most .22's, is very accurate with ammo it likes.

They are designed differently from other lever guns in that what appears to be the receiver is really a carrier for an internal receiver. The serial number, which must be on the receiver, will be found on the lower portion of the actual receiver in the wrist of the stock (where the lever rests with the action closed). When I first got it, now and then the extractor would slip off of a cartridge rim. I inspected it and found that the design of the receiver/carrier resulted in just a little excess play that would allow the bolt to move enough to the right so that the extractor would slip off. I placed a very thin shim inside the carrier on the right side of the bolt to keep the bolt to the left. That stopped the problem, at least with .22 LR ammo. Aguila Super Kolibri will still do it now and then, but they will also do it in other guns.

I wanted to modify the front sight by installing a tiny white bead on the face of the sight. I wrote Henry and asked about buying an extra one for this purpose and they sent one along for free. (I have used the modified sight to good effect many times, since the white bead stands out so much better than the black blade.) I know I could send the rifle back to them and have the issue with the extractor fixed properly, but it is working fine and I don't want to be bothered with the shipping, etc.

From all accounts, their customer service is second to none. I don't see how they can build such a high quality product for the price. I am thinking about getting one of their .22 pump action rifles.

I had the pleasure of going to the factory when it was in Brooklyn. I repair industrial machinery, so it was a service call. They were in a bind and I was busy, but made time to get there. Anyhow I met the owner and at the time his dad, what nice people. The employees seem treated well the working conditions were good. They were happy to show me around, the gun drills, the milling department etc. I came away with a very very positive attitude of the people and the company. I would buy their products with out a second thought!!

I have several Marlins, including a 39M. I bought a Henry Goldenboy .17 HMR because I liked the company and wanted to try out the new .17 cartridge.

The fit and finish is top notch. The action is super smooth and the trigger is great. It's a fun rifle. I scoped mine just to see how accurate I could shoot the .17 HMR. I'm not a great rifleman, but I could put 10 shots in a Ritz cracker at 100 yards off a sandbag rest. I bet true riflemen could shoot sub moa with the Henry Goldenboy.

I think their one of the finest guns made and also one of the finest companies.

Here's mine:



Watch their very funny new advertisement on their site: Henry Repeating Arms

Also, read customer reviews posted on their site here:

Henry Repeating Arms Company - Customer Letters

I too am happy with my Henry H001. Put a Burris Scope on it. It's a key holer at 25 yds with CCI SV.

I have the basis Henry 22 lever action ("Froniersman"?) and a 357 Golden Boy. Both have been great rifles for 20 years and many range trips.

I( have always wanted a Winchester .22 pump with exposed hammer. But people that have them are REAL proud of "em". I bought a Henry .22 pump/octagon barrel and exposed hammer. They took their lever action and put a pump handle on so it will never be smooth Like a real .22 pump. Mine is 2 years old and has never given a problem I like it.

Wayne02
Where did you find a newly manufactured 39A.......When Remington bought Marlin years ago 39A production ceased. Remington did offer a $1200.00 custom one but I don't believe they sold even one. So Again where did you find a newly made 39A........Some of us would like to get in on that deal.
Chiappa makes a copy of the 39A but it is out and out junk.

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S&W Accumulator

Looks like this thread lives and breaths again.

My wife gave me a 22 carbine for my birthday about 5 years ago. She wasn’t a shooter but went with me to the random for my first outing with it. I coaxed he to try it and she never gave it back so I would d up gaining a shooting partner and a second carbine.

I since have purchased a Big Boy Brass 45LC and 357, both carbines. I and my wife are extremely pleased with them. The function perfect every time, are accurate and well made rifles. I’m guessing we’ve both put 5,000 rounds through each of our rifles. Really I can’t find any fault with them.

I’ve shot both LR and shorts and never a failure. It likes cheap Federal bulk ammo just as much as CCI mini mags. The always feed perfect and eject perfect and if a round doesn’t go off you can bet it a bad round.

One of my best friends has the 22wmr version and he’s delighted with it. He’s had it longer than I’ve had a Henry and don’t think he’s had a problem.

I’ll say they are outstanding guns.

I love my Henry .22 mag. Very accurate and well made. Have taken three coyotes with it so far.

After skimming over the past 15 years of comments, I feel comfortable in telling Blacksky that he is good to go with a Henry.
By now I hope he is on his 2nd or3rd Henry in other calibers.

I bought a Henry 22 around same time, now have the 357 and 45/70.
There is a lot to be said for a family owned company. Especially this one.

14 year old thread, as others noted.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I’ve heard good things about Henry rifles, but owning steel 9422s and a 39a, the feel of the Henry’s sheet metal clad, cast aluminum/magnesium (Zamak) action just feels cheap; however, there centerfire actions seem robust.

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213th FBINA

I have both a pump and a lever Henry in regular 22 LR that I bought years ago when they first came out. They both still function fine and have never let me down. My only disappointment has been a tendency toward minor chipping of the enamel-like finish on the alloy receivers. It's most frequent on the corners and edges.

Will never own a henry lever..........These 3 (shown before) fill the bill.

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S&W Accumulator