Browning BL .22 vs Henry .22

20150801_184507_zpsvk0gew4y.jpg


Love my Henry.
 
johNTO said:
It doesn't look like brass…but more like a brushed silver finish. Dovetail on the receiver would be great for a set of Skinner peep sights!

I'd prefer a plain blued receiver and minus the "Evil Roy" stamp…..
Click to expand...

I just saw shinny and my brain went to brass..... :)
Skinner for sure.
 
They are both nice guns. They are probably equally accurate. They both cycle well and handle very well. But after that they differ a lot. The fit and finish and just the overall feel of the BL is way beyond the Henry. The Henry is a rifle that you can take out and use and maybe even abuse a bit. The BL is something that you want to keep looking nice and someday hand down to your grandkids. The Browning will maintain a much higher value.
 
125bern said:
They are both nice guns. They are probably equally accurate. They both cycle well and handle very well. But after that they differ a lot. The fit and finish and just the overall feel of the BL is way beyond the Henry. The Henry is a rifle that you can take out and use and maybe even abuse a bit. The BL is something that you want to keep looking nice and someday hand down to your grandkids. The Browning will maintain a much higher value.
Click to expand...
Agreed - well said.
 
i had the opportunity to compare browning side by side to a Henry entry level and GB one day at the LGS.
i found that i preferred the short throw over the long.

my dad was there and he preferred the Henry.
he has 2 of them now.
nothing wrong with them, i think it mostly boils down to short throw vs long when comparing these 2 guns.
 
I've got a BL-22 manufactured in Japan in 1975. Rifle is a lot of fun to shoot, but I'm not very big and I can see how this rifle would be "cramped" for larger shooters. I shot a Henry 001 and it felt more comfortable. Still I can't get over how the Henry uses a zinc receiver, that stuff is for budget airguns and is definitely not "heirloom quality". That said, it's also cheese how Browning uses aluminum barrel bands on a $700 rifle that look like crap after some wear!
 
Why not the Winchester 9422:

9422-STD-XTR-SMALL.jpg


or a Marlin model 39:

The-Marlin-M39-2.jpg


I know a couple of guys with the Winchester and one with the Marlin; both are great shooters, and really well built.
 
The H001 with it’s zinc receiver is a deal killer. Spend the extra $$ and get a Golden Boy, the fit and finish are top notch in my experience.
I have not added a Bl 22 to the collection yet but will soon.
 
Have a BL-22 and a H001T (both very slightly used-maybe 50 rds each). Like both and got them for what they are. I have not shot these yet as I have others 22's I have been taking out. I did have a Uberti Silverboy that was a beautifully produced gun, but the silver/chrome finish just finally got to me as not proper for a gun of this type so I replaced it with the H001T. If the Uberti had the "gold" finish it would be a more desirable rifle than the GB based on component structure. The GB finish I could probably live with as a representation of the 1866 brass Yellowboy. Would like a 9422 except for the price even for used. Suspect if there was new production it would be as expensive as new 1894's now. I'll remain happy with the two that I have.
 
i have a henry octagon 22 i use for rimfire cowboy silhouette. it has a williams adjustable peep on the grooved receiver and i put a higher front blade. the design of the gun when you take it apart is kind of cheezy yet it functions great and there is nothing that seems like its inadequite for the purpose. the bore looks pretty gross through my borecam but its accurate. i think i must have got a crappy one because mine looks pretty bad. the trigger was not bad and i easily modified it so its very good now. its got good weight although i would now like to have the 24 inch version for the extra sight radius. i have shot the browning its not really made to shoot in my opinion. the henry is made to shoot although i thought the sights were kind of crappy before i changed them. the browning is kind of a fondleworthy gun but if you want to shoot its no comparison the henry for sure
 
I've got two Henrys and have shot BL's a few times. But I've got a few centerfire levers as well. So I keep trying to rip the BL lever out by the roots.

If you ever want to own ANY other lever rifle then don't go with the Browning. The contrast in lever travel will mess you up big time. Particularly if you want to use them in any plinking or matches that require rapidly cycling and shooting. You'll either be used to the Browning and short stroke the others or you'll get used to the full stroke and constantly find yourself trying to rip the lever out of the BL.

For all the concern that inevitably gets posted about the alloy used by Henry the H001 I have has been fed something like 12K rounds in about 7 years. Much of it by the young guns at our Jr .22 nights where it's a hands down favorite of the young folk. It's as fresh and tight now as it was when it came out of the box. The only "wear" is that the trigger has become smoother. Not lighter, just smoother. Those of you that stress over the use of the Zamaloy for the receiver don't know what you are missing out on. It's MORE than up to the task asked of it.

Either gun is fantastic. And while I'd be more than happy to own a Browning it will be when I find a decently priced Browning pump because I just can't adjust my style to the short lever throw of a BL.
 
Pot metal receiver on the Henry, with some kind of cheesy cover over it? No thanks! Seen way too many Henrys with cracked receivers from a bit of stress on the barrel. The BL-22 is easily double or better the quality of the Henry. Winchester 9422 is way up there as well but current pricing is getting steep.
 
I will add my 2 cents. I have a well rounded collection of 22 leaver guns. Including 3 Marlins of different vintages a couple Winchester 9422s and 3 Browning's in different configurations. I have only one Henry and I will say it's the only gun I own that I kinda consider a cheap toy. It reminds me of the pellet gun I had as a kid. I can't get over the cheap look of the painted receiver. Don't get me wrong the thing actually works well it just feels like a toy not a gun.
 
8 ball said:
Pot metal receiver on the Henry, with some kind of cheesy cover over it? No thanks! Seen way too many Henrys with cracked receivers from a bit of stress on the barrel. The BL-22 is easily double or better the quality of the Henry. Winchester 9422 is way up there as well but current pricing is getting steep.
Click to expand...

I read a lot of postings about Henry rifles and this is the first time I've read about anyone seeing any that were broken. Were you working at a store or something?

I do agree that they won't be as strong as a steel receiver rifle. But unless someone trips and falls on the darn thing or somehow abuses it by trying to use it as a pry bar I can't see it getting broken. And in such cases it's not uncommon for barrels or receiver tangs to bend or break on steel rifles too.

But in normal use with any reasonable degree of care that would be given to any firearm it just isn't an issue.

Wos, I see you're here in Chilliwack as well. You should bring your Henry or one of the others out for the club's Speed Steel events. Let me know you're coming and I'll bring my Henry or the Rossi pump and we can have some fun showing all those semi auto guys in the rimfire carbine category that they can't have it their own way all the time... :D If you don't normally shoot them rapidly I can give you some hints from my cowboy action lever gunning. But either way they are a lot of fun to use that way.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom