Henry .357 case hardened 16" with side gate

lihpster

lihpster

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I have been searching for a Henry rifle for 6 months and still haven't found any in stock anywhere. It's the Henry Big Boy in .357 with a 16" barrel and colorcase hardened receiver with the side gate and the big loop lever. Does anyone own one? Has anyone seen one in the wild? Do they actually exist or are they the Loch Ness Monster of firearms? Henry says they're producing more guns than ever, but I ain't seeing them. So, how 'bout it? Any better trackers out there who have come across some sign?
 
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I'm not sure, but I thought they had a search/tracking thing on their website. I haven't looked on it for a while. Do they maybe have a customer "Contact us" type thing? That sounds like an interesting gun, especially with the big loop lever action. I've handled them, different calibers and sizes & flavors...they're all smooth as silk. Good luck! (Now you have me thinking, but other than range or home protection, I don't need another rifle, as I don't hunt.) I can't believe "I don't need one" came outta my mouth. Forgive me..
 
Too bad I didn't see this post earlier this weekend as I went to the G&S Gunshow in Conway, Arkansas, yesterday and there was a dealer with a table stacked high with all manner of Henry rifles. I'm not particularly a fan of Henry's so I didn't stop to check out what he had, I just noticed he had a lot of them.

I can appreciate your frustration, though. I certainly recall when I had a hankering for a Model 1892 saddle carbine in .357 and I wanted one with color case hardened finish. I knew EMF had some but they always seemed to be out of stock and it took about 4 years before I was able to lay hands on one.


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Faulkner, that's a nice carbine. I hope I don't have to wait as long to find mine. Right now they might as well be Vaporware. Every time I get a hankering for a particular firearm it seems they all run and hide. Of course, I tend to look for specific and unusual. Still trying to get my hands on a LeMat replica for a decent price. Oh well, the search goes on.
 
The local WMT had several Henry models Golden boy and others in the same style I had a good look at the 357 I wish I had bought it but they were all gone pretty quick. I was concerned about it feeding and firing .38 cal as well as the 357. the clerk wasn't sure. Next time back it was gone. I can't remember the price but it surely was not outrageous . They do have some inexpensive HD type pump shotguns in the store now $159. I think Stevens brand. Shotgun ammo available there but none other.
Steve W
 
The side gates are in high demand, people had been asking for and waiting for Henry to add one for many years, and Henry's big boss, Anthony Imperato, always gave the impression that you would not see a loading gate on a Henry.

Coupled with the popularity of the .357/.38 Spl in a lever gun for Cowboy Action Shooting and woods gun... I think it's going to be a long while before Henry catches up with the demand, and they start showing up in numbers at retailer shops.
 
I was told that Henry & Rossi lever action rifles are 'allocated' items (with alcohol, that basically means... gotta know someone).

I just happened to stumble onto one of each a couple weeks ago at one of the LGS, both in .357. The henry was blue with a side eject (to facilitate scopes/optics) and the Rossi was stainless with a top eject. Both had actions that were smooth as silk and cycled .38 dummy rounds just fine, but both only had the standard finger loop.
I went with the Rossi and it does handle both .357 and .38 very smoothly. Should I decide I want to, It's easy enough to swap out the finger loop.
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Carter's Country in Houston carries a lot of Henry products and they had a good website. Their prices were good before the craziness hit.
 
Although not a side loader I have a Henry Big Boy in 357 and it cycles 38’s with no problem. I run jacketed hollow points, soft points, round nose flat point cast and semi wad cutter cast through it in 38 and never have a problem.
 
lihpster, Still? I would have thought by now availability would be much improved, at less than ridiculous prices. Anyway, I'd seen pictures of those for ages it seems, and decided if I ever saw one actually for sale, I'd buy it. Well early this year, I walked into a LGS, and Lo and Behold, they had a one. I bought it on the spot. Liked it so much I soon bought a Big Boy X in .357 also.

Neglected to mention I wanted the octagon barrel version. Were you looking for the round barrel version?
 

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Rock185 said:
lihpster, Still? I would have thought by now availability would be much improved, at less than ridiculous prices. Anyway, I'd seen pictures of those for ages it seems, and decided if I ever saw one actually for sale, I'd buy it. Well early this year, I walked into a LGS, and Lo and Behold, they had a one. I bought it on the spot. Liked it so much I soon bought a Big Boy X in .357 also.

Neglected to mention I wanted the octagon barrel version. Were you looking for the round barrel version?
Click to expand...

Either barrel would do. I'm sure they're out there occasionally, but my disposable funds availability always seems to match up with a lack of supply. Nice guns, by the way.:)
 
There’s one on Gunbroker. Took me less than a minute to find one.

I fired a Henry 357 a few months ago. It wasn’t the exact model as the one you’re after, but close. It functioned perfectly. It was very accurate even with the old notch and post. I have noticed that most of the guys on this forum don’t shoot much. They just buy stuff and complain how expensive it is. But if you are actually going to shoot and carry the thing, a 16 in 357 carbine is a fantastic choice.
 
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FWIW, If one intends to actually carry one of the 16" Henry .357s, I'd recommend the lighter round barrel, or a Marlin. Even in the 16" length, the octagon barrel Henry is heavy. I've handled the 18.5" Marlin .357. Much lighter..
 
Henry Side gate's

Bought 2 in the last 10 months. Both brass frame octagonal barrels.
My grandson took a liking to the 16 1/2 barrel 45 colt one. Smooth as silk and low recoil. Great fun at 50 yards for him, being 14 years old. Took me 4 months to find the 45-70 version. Love it! Loaded hot with 3031 and 405 grain cast bullets. Very accurate and definitely lets me know when the shot goes off.
A little pricey, but well worth it.
 
Well, the case-hardened model I want only comes with the octagonal barrel. The plain blue steel has the round barrel. The octagon barrel only jumps the weight up to 7.5 pounds vs. 6.5 for the round barrel. I can carry a 7.5 pound rifle all day. Especially on an open sight lever gun. My .300 Win Mag bolt gun is about 10 pounds with optics.
 
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