Jav,
Nowhere did I say "it's the best", nowhere did the engineer say "it's the best". I doubt you'll believe it, but the engineer was very frank & open in discussing the material & how Henry builds their guns that use it.
It's quite obvious the material used does keep costs down, and nobody at Henry has ever claimed otherwise.
If the GB were an all-steel gun it'd be priced hundreds higher.
Your inability to give me concrete sources of information demonstrating that Zamak shrinks IN THE HENRY RIMFIRES, along with your statement that the company hasn't been around long enough to tell, illustrates to me at least that the shrinkage "issue" is no issue at all.
The engineer says such shrinkage is in the order of a hundredth of a human hair's thickness, which is why he said it's unmeasurable by all but those who have very sophisticated measuring devices.
The loading method?
Couldn't care less. Bothers some, others actually like it. It's a helluva lot easier on my thumb in loading, I can say that.
You're looking for reasons to dislike the guns, and that's fine as long as you confine them to your own preferences & don't try to project broad claims about "inferiority" to others who may be perfectly happy with what Henry offers.
All in all, I think Henry probably does have the most sophisticated system of producing the guns that they do. Sourced through four states & with ultra-modern (although not traditional enough for you) equipment & processes, they just go about making their guns differently.
And finally, I'm not saying & never have said that the Henrys are "high-end" guns.
I'm simply tired of all the "pot metal" crap being spouted incessantly by those who don't like the design simply because it's not ALL steel.
Neither is the Browning.
Of course the Zamak & production methods are designed to keep costs down.
There IS a difference between keeping costs down while still producing a very shootable product, and making junk, as you appear to be constantly trying to promote.
The product works, it's typically very accurate, it's the smoothest lever on the market, there's a gun for everything from entry level on up to fancy grade, with a number of options to choose from, I'm not seeing any higher percentage of Henry lemons than I am of any other brand of .22 levergun (far fewer than the Marlin debacle) although Henry's putting them out in a hundreds-to-one ratio, and until I do start seeing widespread complaints of them falling apart, breaking down prematurely, or "shrinking" internally, I will continue to call them a good buy.
Regardless of your opinion of the construction, in the aggregate they work & they work well.
100 years from now?
Who knows, they could still be running. I won't be around to see & don't particularly care.
And with that, I AM done on this one.
Denis
