Henry Rifles

[Marlin32]

I like the looks of the Henry. Ejection of shells is correct too, out the side!!!
I see they have it in 30/30, great, can actually use one for hunting. BUT I would like to see them make it in 32 Special.

I emailed them and told them I would support some more "classic" calibers.
40-60 Marlin for one, obviously the 32 Special and would love to see them make some more hunting calibers like 307Win and/or 356Win.

Anyone shoot these rifles?? I know of only one person who has one and it was a .22 for his boy. I have not heard much about quality, accuracy etc.

What say you Levergunners?

Can we bug these guys into making some different calibers, not the same old same old.

[COSteve]

Deleted

[Pete44ru]

The centerfire Henry rifles, aka FatBoys, remind me of a childhood song: The Too-Fat Polka !

For deer hunting, I've found the MUCH lighter Marlin & Winchester leverguns a better choice for fast handling/etc.

I've had a .22RF Henry for several years, w/o issue - using it for both plinking and small game hunting.

.

[Beaker]

I have several Henry rifles including a .22lr golden boy and the brass and octogon .30/30, both are outstanding rifles. I would like to purchase a Big Boy in .45 colt when I have some more cash. It depends on what you want to do with them but I see no problem with the weight of the 30/30 or of the Big Boys. The .30 caliber holds very steady and has very little felt recoil. The actions are very smooth the quality and workmanship are outstanding. And they dont have that stupid crossbolt safety either.

[DPris]

I seriously doubt you'll see much in the way of expansion into the some of the more exotic and/or more obscure calibers.
The .30-30 would be the most popular caliber in the centefire rifle version, and that one's sales are handicapped by its weight.
Henry could not expect to sell enough rifles in any of the calibers you mention to bother adapting guns to them.
Denis

[airedaleman]

I have a base model 22lr which I've customized a bunch. It shoots very well, the action is smooth as glass and Henry's customer service is hands down the best in the firearms industry. You have a question or issue and send an email to them and who responds? None other than the president of the company! If you want a fun 22lr levergun, you can't beat Henry's value.

I haven't looked seriously at their center fire offerings because of two issues; first, they are on the heavy side usually weighing 1-2lbs more than the competition and second, due to legal patent issues with Marlin, they all load through the magazine like a 22lr does instead of through the loading gate.

Obligatory picture:

I doubt very seriously if this is a patent issue; Any patents Marlin may have held have long since expired. This is clearly a matter of simplifying the manufacturing process.

[O.S.O.K.]

Like their .22's Don't like their centerfire models.

[COSteve]

I have a base model 22lr which I've customized a bunch. It shoots very well, the action is smooth as glass and Henry's customer service is hands down the best in the firearms industry. You have a question or issue and send an email to them and who responds? None other than the president of the company! If you want a fun 22lr levergun, you can't beat Henry's value.

I haven't looked seriously at their center fire offerings because of two issues; first, they are on the heavy side usually weighing 1-2lbs more than the competition and second, due to legal patent issues with Marlin, they all load through the magazine like a 22lr does instead of through the loading gate.

Obligatory picture:

I doubt very seriously if this is a patent issue; Any patents Marlin may have held have long since expired. This is clearly a matter of simplifying the manufacturing process.

Actually . . . . . no, it was an IP issue. Henry originally intended upon releasing their Big Boys with a loading gate but when faced with issues of patent rights were advised by counsel not to.

[airedaleman]

I guess Mossberg retained a different law firm. Somehow, I'm not convinced that patent infringement concerns dictated the design of the Henry center fire rifles.

[Marlin32]

Thanks for the replies. I would welcome the heavier gun. Don't mind that at all.
I figured as much that new calibers, especially ones I mentioned, would never be made simply due to low sales volume.

How hard would it be to make the 32 special though?? Come on.

If these guns are heavier, than I would love to see them make it in some other calibers, even if it were to be in Marlin's proprietary cartridges. (don't see that happening) I love Marlins, but after the push button safety...no thanks.

[J Miller]

I have handled only one of the Henry Big Boys. A brass framed .45 Colt with the 24"? octagon barrel. That rifle weighed about 9 pounds I think. That was just way too much for me to be carrying around in the boonies.

But, what I am wondering is how the long range accuracy of the 30-30 version with a receiver sight would be. For instance the steel silhouette matches that W30WCF and others talk about. They are shooting them with lead bullet loaded 30-30s and iron sights.
How would one of these heavy, octagon barreled Henrys work for that?
For that kind of shooting they just might work.

Joe

[COSteve]

I guess Mossberg retained a different law firm. Somehow, I'm not convinced that patent infringement concerns dictated the design of the Henry center fire rifles.

Or more likely they just decided to pay the royalty that Henry wouldn't.

[airedaleman]

i'm really fascinated by this patent business. Exactly what patent or patents did Marlin still hold at the end of the twentieth century which would have precluded Henry's use of a loading gate?