Henry Big Boy in .44 mag

[radtuck]

Im thinking about buying a Henry .44 to go with my 629 classic. Since I'm reloading .44 rounds, it would be practical, but I'm not sure which .44 rifle to get. I don't want to pay Winchester price, and I like the looks of the Henry. Anyone have one that can give me a review?
John

 

[radtuck]

Nobody, eh?

 

[gunblade]

Never owned or even fired a Henry. Some do use them in Cowboy shooting, although they are not as popular as Marlins or Winchesters. You might get more responses from actual users on the Single Action Shooters Society website.

 

[tbury]

I have a Henry Big Boy in 44 mag. They are great guns with smooth actions and are accurate. It shoots the same bullets I use in my 29/629s. Some of the 1894 Marlins are known to shoot better with larger diameter bullets than 29s prefer. The Henry is heavier than a marlin or rossi but I like mine

 

[LouisianaJoe]

I have one in .45 Colt. Action is smooth as glass and it is accurate.

 

[David LaPell]

I want one of their levers in .357 someday to go with my Outdoorsman providing I can use one with my one arm being so weak. If not I'll just take some money and buy a Highway Patrolman or something.

 

[radtuck]

Sweet...thanks for the replies, guys. I like the way that the rifle looks...the wood is awesome.
John

 

[inspcalahan]

I've got four different Henry lever guns in .22 and love them all. My bud has the .44 big boy and it's a hoot to shoot! cycles smoothly, deadly accurate and just feels right. I think I'm looking for a .45lc version next.

 

[sar4937]

I have a .22 Goldenboy, the action and stock are way better than my Marlin 39A and it is very accurate. I sent an email to the company regarding the receiver material and got an answer back from the owner, Anthony Imperato on a Sunday morning. It was the kind of email you would get from a friend, and I was shocked. That said, I wanted and needed a Winchester 92 in .44 Magnum and bought one. I would recommend a Henry Rifle, the wood is usually very nice and the ARE American made.

 

[Frizzman]

I have a Big Boy in .45 Colt that my wife gave me for a Christmas gift years ago. I used it for CAS several years and it fire lots of my 250gr at 900fps handloads without any problems. The weight give it a nice balance and dampens recoil so that heavy hunting ammo isn't uncomfortable. Its accurate, nice looking and American made.

My good friend has a Marlin 1894 Cowboy Carbine in .45 Colt also and it is also a handsome and reliable rifle. His has had a like number of the same handloads through it without any problems. It is another nice American made rifle.

 

[indiandave]

I have one in .357 magnum. As others have said it has a very smooth action. It's blast to shoot.

 

[radtuck]

I read a review of the rifle on the web...I can't remember the web address, but it said something about the rear sight working loose on a regular basis. I have a Henry .22 that I enjoy shooting, but it has a scope on it, so I haven't noticed the rear sight issue. I would probably shoot the .44 with iron sights, so I wondered if anyone has noticed this as a common issue. Either way, I will probably buy one...I like the looks of them, and shooting a .44 mag out of a rifle is just plain cool.

 

[sar4937]

Henry has a forum:

Henry Repeating Arms Discussion Sponsored by Henry Repeating Arms

I have a Marlin CB in 45 Colt, and a Winchester now in 44 magnum. I prefer the 45 Colt cartridge. If you have the ability to load down the 44 magnum might work well for you. My Winchester Carbine is a shoulder wrecker with Hornady ftx's.

 

[Frizzman]

There has been a lots of rounds through mine and there has been no problems with the sights.

 

[Engineer1911]

Marlin 1894 with "microgroove" rifling will not hold minute of elephant accuracy at 50 yards with cast bullets. Jacketed bullets are better.

I traded my Marlin 44 mag for a Remington XP-100 in 223. I made a great deal.

 

[radtuck]

I'm hand loading .44 mag with 8.5 gr of Unique using a 240 gr swc for my 629 classic, so I'm thinking that would be a comfortable load for the rifle. I have seen some 45 lc caliber rifles for sale, but don't know much about them. I would assume they would be just as easily loaded with my press if I bought some dies. What would be the better choice?

 

[Stainz]

I bought mine over eight years ago - sold it that fall, as I thinned my long gun collection (To fund my S&W Revolver madness!). It was a tack driver. My .44 Special loads, a 240gr LSWC over 4.2gr Titegroup, tickled 900 fps, while the GA Arms 200gr Gold Dots in .44 Special cases, making 800 fps from my 2.5" 296, made 947 fps. Both were close at 50yd, with the Speer Gold Dots a bit higher. The rifle was very accurate and repeatable at 25-50 yd, but my bullets wandered by 100 yd. The trigger was the best cf levergun trigger I had experienced - the lever action was equally the smoothest. It wasn't proud, case length-wise, I loaded .44 Russians, then .44 Specials, and, lastly, my wimpy .44 Magnums. First up were the Magnums, then Specials, followed by Russians. You couldn't tell what you had loaded - or shot, except for a bit less report with the Russians. That solid brass receiver gave rise to it's one fault... it's heavy! The sights were okay - stayed put. I prefer the Marbles Tang Sight I fitted to my 24" SS Puma M1892 - but the Pumas come pre-drilled/tapped.

I regretted selling mine - especially after I heard the last owner used a solvent/polish (Brasso) and went through the lacquer protective coat before hanging it from a wall in a room with dampness problems - it's a bit green now, I hear. Still, a neat rifle - and entirely made in the USA - in Brooklyn, NY no less. Couldn't ask for a nicer fellow than Anthony, either.

Stainz

 

[radtuck]

Thanks all...guess I know what my next purchase will be, and...i know not to use "Brasso."