Talk me out of a Henry Big Boy Rifle

I like my Marlin 45/70 the thing I don't like about the big boy is that tube to me it's no different then a 22 when loading it.

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My old lady loves her yellow boy. It's a fine rifle. I wish the loading tube was held in a bit more securely.

The Henry is a very American rifle.

Only reason I want a Henry is they chamber it in .41 Mag.

I have a .30-30 Marlin 336 and a .357 Rossi Puma 1892 that have the traditional side gate, and a Marlin 39 Mountie with the front load tube. Even so, I don't get the hate on the Henry centerfire front loaders.

A lot of folks seem to like a centerfire leveraction rifle that front loads just like their .22 rimfire leveraction and do not consider it "less adult" or something. (I remember in the 1950s and 1960s some folks dissed surplus Mosins and Carcanos because the boltstop worked off the trigger just like a .22 bolt action rifle, when Mauser, Springfield and Enfield had a seperate bolt stop what a real grownup rifle oughta have.)

Shoot ten full tilt boogie .357s from a Rossi, then same from a Henry Big Boy brass frame. Henry might be heavier to carry, but that weight does soften that kick. My .357 Rossi kicks more than my .30-30 Marlin.

The only thing holding me back from a Henry Big Boy .357 is the tubular front loaded magazine. I am just not a fan of that design, and if it's going to use that sort of magazine, let it load from the butt like a Spencer or Nylon 66. Just have never been a fan of all that fiddling close to or in front of the muzzle.

If it had a loading gate, I'd already own one. I'll have to check out the current Rossis as I've heard bad things about them but do like their design better.

devils4ever said:

I'm not sure why but I've been looking and looking at the Henry Big Boy Rifles (Steel and Brass) in .357 Magnum. ... <snip> ... So, tell me why I shouldn't get one and save me some cash!

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You shouldn't get a Henry because what you should get is a Marlin 1894C.

How'zat?

Why would anyone want to talk anyone else out of buying a firearm? If you want one and can afford it, buy it. If you don't... well, there you go.

Henry makes nothing I'd be interested in. Most sort of resemble an old school lever action from 30-40', but upon closer inspection they are neither traditional nor modern. WAAAAY to heavy, expensive and clumsy.

I simply can't picture myself buying a gun called the "big boy".

jim in anchorage said:

i simply can't picture myself buying a gun called the "big boy".

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rotflmao!

I'm afraid I'm not the one to talk to about not buying a Henry.
(yes, I know, one of them isn't a Henry.)

Nope can't do it. I'm up to 4 of em right now. Latest one is a 44mag Carbine model. Have a 45-70 Brass, Golden Boy in 22LR, and a Silver Boy in 17HMR. Next one will probably be a Big Boy in 357

I can't talk you out of it. I have a .357 Big Boy. Perfect companion to my Ruger GP100.

I also have a Golden Boy. My favorite rifle in .22.

The loading tube is no real detractor. You don't "speed reload" a lever action rifle anyway. If you feel the need to "speed reload", you need a removable magazine.

American made from American materials. American family owned company where the owner responds to your emails.

Get it. Shoot it. Pass it down to your kids as one of the last truly American guns made today.

I owned one for less than 24 hours (the .357 Big Boy Steel). It wouldn't cycle worth a darn and was a project to take apart / reassemble.

In fairness, I didn't give Henry much of a chance to fix it - I'm sure they would have taken care of me but after taking it down 5 or 6 times and failing to get one full magazine to run without catastrophic failure, I'd lost confidence in it. Returned it and came out with a Ruger 77/357 (which cost more, btw). That one works flawlessly.

The only rifle I would buy from that company is the 22 now that was a slick rifle but a real lever action to me in one that has a loading gate that works.

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Edster12 said:

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I gotta say ... while almost all firearms draw me, these do not ... I also shy away from Thompson Contender offerings, btw.

They may be truly great rifles, but I do not like the way they look. <shrug>

The Henry "Brass" rifles just look fake to me (like an overdone kid's toy) and TCs I find to be just ugly.

Obviously, not everyone agrees with my assessment and I hope that by saying so I did not offend any Henry or TC Buffs.

Cannibul said:

Only reason I want a Henry is they chamber it in .41 Mag.

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Me too. Marlins are too much $$$ and hard to find in 41mag

Dave900ss said:

Me too. Marlins are too much $$$ and hard to find in 41mag

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The .41 Mag version is out. Saw one at my LGS. Though I do not know if I will pay $750 for one. I paid $260 for my .41 Mag Marlin 30 years ago.

Would not want to talk you out of buying a lever action - maybe direct you to something different than a Henry. You are right that they are fun. I own a Henry - Frontier in 22. Nice rifle. I do not mind the tube loading as it will hold more than enough rounds. Of course with the "Henry" name, you should expect the rifle to load from a tube - just like the original Henry. Also, I do like that the Henry is made in the US.

I own 7 lever actions besides the Henry. I own two 1973s (Uberti replicas in 357 and 45 Colt), a 1976 in 45-60, a 1894 in 38-55, a Marlin 1894 in 41 Mag, and a Savage 99 in 300 Savage. I am looking to add a Uberti replica of the 1866 "Yellow Boy".

The 1873s and 1866s are some of the fastest operating lever actions that you can find. The toggle actions is quick and smooth - watch some videos of cowboy actions shooting. You will see that the fastest shooters are probably using 1873s. 1866s, or an occasional Marlin 1894.

The 357 is a good choice as some will feed and shoot 38 Special. I run 38s in my 1873 for Cowboy Shooting.

"When/if semi-autos get banned, this will be the fastest shooting rifle around." - Not the Henry. Well, maybe for one magazine load. Then you have to basically disassemble the rifle to reload, which is not fast. If you want speedy reloads then look for a lever action with a side loading gate.

Rossi makes a good lever action which you may find used for a good price. I saw one recently for less that $400. Thought about buying it, but thought too long - it was sold.

Marlin also makes a good lever action, though If I was looking for a Marlin, I would be looking for an older used model 1894 in 357. You will have to be prepared to pay $$$.

Henry does make a good lever action. The action is not as smooth as a Winchester 1866/1873. Reloading is also a pain. You see a lot of new cowboy action shooters start out with Henry Big Boys because they are available and cost less than Winchester replicas from Italy. Eventually they move on to something else. If you want a Henry Big Boy, you should check out your local cowboy action shooting clubs, you may find a used one for sale.

Whichever you choose, you will have fun.

80Goat

Rossi makes a good lever action which you may find used for a good price. I saw one recently for less that $400. Thought about buying it, but thought too long - it was sold.

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That's just what I did a few years ago. I was shopping around at the local gun show for a "fun" lever action. Wasn't going to use it for hunting, just basically a range toy. Came across a lightly used Winchester Model 94 Canadian Centennial priced at around $350. No box or paperwork but it was in great shape. Didn't really want or need a .30-30 but it was a decent buy for the money.

Then I came across a used but like new in the box Rossi Model 92 with a 16" barrel, large loop lever, and it was in .45 Colt! This was perfect because I had just bought a Beretta Stampede earlier and it was also chambered for .45 Colt. I didn't even go back to look at the Winchester again because I didn't want to take the chance of someone buying the Rossi once I walked away. Now I have two great guns that go extremely well together.

They are way too heavy IMHO. Presumably, one buys a rifle like that to be handy. I don't know what the weight is but I too looked at several...they're for sale everywhere around here. One's first impression is how heavy it feels.

That loading tube business puts a lot of people off. I would live with that if it weren't so heavy.

Talk me out of a Henry Big Boy Rifle

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That's like an alcoholic walking into a bar full of drunks and asking to be talked out of ordering a drink. It ain't gonna happen

OK..."they're ugly". other than that...they are "awesome shooters'!

Henrys are pretty but I'm not impressed with the quality.

I bought a new Big Boy in 44 Mag a few years ago. It wouldn't feed. I shipped it to Henry & after the repair, it was worse than before. To Henry's credit, they sent me a replacement rifle but I let the FFL keep it & bought a Marlin, which has been flawless.

I've seen two reviews of their 357 Mag. One wouldn't always feed or eject & the other one was hitting way low at 25 yds. & the sights were at the end of their adjustment.