So, Jay, what prompted this astute observation, you ask?
Well, reader "merlin" recently e-mailed me with a question about lever-action rifles:Heh. "...wondering if you had an opinion". Merlin, I've got an opinion on everything gun related... *g*Hey JayG.
I've been reading your blog for a while, but I very rarely comment. I think I got introduced to you via Law Dog, but I honestly don't remember now.
Anyways, on to my question. I'm starting to get the itch again. You know the one I'm talking about. It's usually located somewhere near the tip of your index finger, and it seems it can only be scratched by sweetly caressing a slightly curved piece of metal, usually black, chrome, or blued in hue.
I've pretty much decided to start with a Buckmark just to get back in the game. I'm also being "gifted" a Model 28 N-Frame HighwayPatrolman in .357 with a 4" barrel from my dear old dad. He is also holding on to my Ruger 10/22 long gun for me, which I will repatriate at an appropriate time.
I feel like I'm fairly well set on the hand cannon side of things, at least for getting back into things, but I'm looking at rifles now, trying to decide what I want. At some point I'll probably end up with a .243 or a .308, but for now I want something in .22 LR, just because it's cheap and easy, and I'm broke.
So, I guess this is the long way of getting around to an ad I saw in the local rag yesterday for Henry Repeating Arms. I vaguely remember hearing the name, but don't know much about them and was curious if you had an opinion. The ad featured a nice looking rifle with an octagonal barrel, lever-action and chambered in .22LR. Looked very reminiscent of the old saddle guns of yore. I'll admit most of my interest is just for the looks alone, but that's almost reason enough, isn't it?
I'd appreciate any thoughts you might have on it, and feel free to turn this into a blog posting if you'd care to.-- Merlin
Far be it from me to tarry ere a gun-buying decision be made, I replied post-haste:
Hi Merlin,
Believe me, I know that itch extremely well. I'm trying to ignore it for another couple of weeks right now as it is, at least until Buy A Gun Day on April 15th... The Buckmark is an excellent choice, and I am positively green with envy over the Model 28... A 10/22 is on my short list of guns to get, and I might even get one this year.
As for the Henry, let's put it simply: You could do a whole lot worse, and spend a whole lot more, than a Henry lever-action rifle. They're great looking guns that shoot extremely well, have a great balance and heft, and a slick-as-snot lever action that you can, with little practice, work just as fast as a semi-auto. For the money, they're one of the greatest deals around. You get a lever-action rifle, which is about as American as you can get; you get an inexpensive shooter - you can shoot bulk .22LR all day long and not worry about jams or misfeeds like in a semi-auto; and you get this:
There's even a large lever loop available for it. How can you possibly go wrong?
I own a Marlin model 39A Golden .22LR lever action gun, which I positively stole a few years back. My buddy Bruce (No Looking Backwards) has a Henry. We've shot 'em side-by-side at the range, and I've got to say, that little Henry shoots every bit as good as my Marlin. The lever on the Henry's even a little slicker - although to be fair I don't think my Marlin is quite broken in yet. Accuracy's about the same between the two; the Marlin has a 4-round edge in the tubular mag (long barrel, longer magazine); other than that, they're evenly matched.
And with an MSRP of $325 (which means you should be able to take one home for ~ $250 or so), it's not going to break the bank. And it comes with a lifetime warranty. How can you argue with that?
Thanks for okaying the posting - I think this is an excellent question and I'm happy to give the MArooned Seal of Approval to the Henry Lever-action .22LR.
And yes, "because it looks cool" is an absolutely good reason to buy a gun. Of course!!!
Thanks for reading, and thanks for the e-mail!
Best regards,Jay G.
MArooned
Personally, no armory is complete without at least one .22LR rifle in it. It's best to have a semi-automatic rifle (I recommend the Ruger 10/22, even though I don't own one - yet) and one manually operated one - bolt, slide, or lever-action. One could do a heckuva lot worse than a Henry repeating .22 rimfire rifle, and not at heckuva lot better. Oh, sure, I like my Marlin just fine, but if I hadn't come across that deal, I'd have bought a Henry, no question about it.
So, as a parting thought question... What's your favorite .22LR rifle?
That is all.
13 comments:
Well I love my black and chrome Remington Nylon 66. . . .
I also have an old bolt action single shot .22 that was my dads. must be almost 80 years old now but still works great. Good starter gun for a new shooter, one shot and no kick. . .
I have a Marlin 39a that my grandfather gave me when I was 10.
My first rifle, and still my favorite.
I have a GSG5 that is so much fun that I can't resist sharing it!
I totally disagree with you on the Henry mate. I was just up at Cabella's a couple months ago and tested, side by side, a winchester, a Uberti 66 and a Henry. The Henry was a POS compared to either of the other two. The action was not at all smooth, the whole thing rattled, the lever wasn't even properly fitted so it wouldn't lock closed tightly.
I'd advise trying to get a marlin, but at all costs to avoid anything made by Henry. All you get is some eye candy and a name. It's a poorly made firearm.
For a semi auto, I love my Browning Buckmark Rifle; shares mags with my Buckmark pistol.
For a bolt action, I really like my CZ 452 lux
and for a lever gun, It's the Marlin 39a.
I also have a single shot NE Firearms Sportster .22 and it shoots as accurately as any other .22 I own.
No matter how expensive other larger caliber ammo gets, you will likely always be able to spend a day shooting .22 without needing a bank loan.
JD,
I love my Nylon 66, too - right up until I tried to take it apart... ;)
alan,
I am a huge fan of my 39A as well, but I'd have to say my favorite is the Winchester 1906 I inherited from my grandfather.
Anon,
I can see that. The GSG-5 looks like a lot of fun! Too bad they're essentially useless in MA (no folding stock, no mags over 10 rounds)...
Bill,
Comparing the Henry to a Uberti isn't exactly a fair comparison - the Henry is an entry-level gun; the Uberti is top of the line. And Winchester's out of business, so you're hoping that nothing goes wrong with it.
Sure, a used Marlin 39A would be a better choice, but a used 39A is going for $150-$200 more than a new Henry...
And my experience with the Henry was radically different. Bruce's rifle is solid and shoots well.
Maybe you picked up a gun made on a Friday afternoon? :)
angus,
I'd like to pick up a CZ 452 at some point down the road. I've got an old Remington 511 right now, that's my only .22LR boltie; I'd like to get something I could put a decent scope on for some 100 yard plinkin'...
I picked up a mid-1950's Savage/Springfield 187N for short money ($50) Just for something to plink with, I quickly fell in love this little gem: It is a 16 shot semi-auto, mounted factory Springfield 4X scope. You can empty the magazine as quickly as you can pull the trigger. Tight groupings are easy as pie. Nice write up on it here: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/541765/the_savage_arms_springfield_model_187n.html?cat=14
If you find one under a hundred, It's well worth it.
If anyone knows the providence of the old Savage / Springfield factory in Springfield Massachusetts, I'd like to hear about it. I would also like to find a manual for the old model 187N. I know It's a complicated as an anvil, but it would be nice to have the real breakdown/cleaning procedure.
Remington Nylon 66 hands down. Picked it up at a great price last year.
Savage Mark II bolt-action comes in second because of the lovely trigger.
Glenfield (Marlin) Model 60. I bought mine because it was dirt cheap and I needed some sort of .22 Long gun (there's a law somewhere about that, I know it). Turns out to be a REALLY swell gun. Semi-auto, pretty darn reliable once you feed it ammo it likes, and a tube that hold a hojillion rounds (18+1 IIRC, I rarely bother to fill it all the way up, and usally loose count when I do), and the micro rifled barrel puts 'em right where I want them.
I know you dislike tube-loaders, Jay, but I prefer them as most .22 LR mags cut the crap out of your fingers while loading, while a tube you just drop them in, and compress the spring!
Still a HUGE +1 to Angus. CZ makes some AMAZINGLY slick .22s!
Remington Nylon 66 followed by the Browning .22 semi-auto ... yeah, I know ... I be getting old.
Remington Nylon 66, My first "real" gun.
10/22 for now though as that is what I shoot to practice and teach with.
Friend just bought a Henry and absolutely loves it. He actually let me shoot it once, once. Runs great and shoots very well. Snapping twigs floating in the stock tank with it the first time he ever shot it.
My favorite .22 rimfire is a little Australian marked single shot Martini Cadet (it has a little Kangaroo stamped on the top of the receiver) with the original wood. It was re-barrelled from .310 musket and shoots like a dream. It is on the not for sale at any price list. (well, the not for sale at anything less then an outrageous price list). And since it was a Cadet rifle, it's great for children.
Post a Comment