45-70: Marlin or Henry?

hoytcanon said:
You ever try them? Much quicker than gate-fed, and doesn't chew up the bullets. I prefer tube feed... even though I am a big M94 fan.
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I agree with hoyt.

I have a rossi 92 in 454 which has the receiver load and the tune load on the same gun.
I almost always use the tube feed, otherwise I pinch my fingers in that loading gate.
 
The Henry is probably a better made gun. I own a Henry 22, but not a 45-70. However, I own a Remlin 1895 and it is great. Finish is excellent, superbly accurate, and I have never had a single issue with it. The only thing I don't like about it is the fact that it has checkering. Nothing wrong with the quality of the checkering, it's just that it seems unmanly, IMHO. Might as well inlet a nice pink rose into the stock.
 
just a question about brass receivers. Are they as strong as steel? I just don't know. Does the strength of the receiver matter as much with lever guns? Is the brass soft enough to scratch up? I am going to pick up a lever 45-70 this year, and if the brass doesn't factor much in the strength of the gun, I may go with the Henry. I like the more traditional look of the marlins and Winchesters, but that Henry sure looks sharp and fancy. (I'm kind of like a bird, and shiny things attract me..............)
 
sgt.rock said:
just a question about brass receivers. Are they as strong as steel? I just don't know. Does the strength of the receiver matter as much with lever guns? Is the brass soft enough to scratch up? I am going to pick up a lever 45-70 this year, and if the brass doesn't factor much in the strength of the gun, I may go with the Henry. I like the more traditional look of the marlins and Winchesters, but that Henry sure looks sharp and fancy. (I'm kind of like a bird, and shiny things attract me..............)
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You will never have an issue with the brass receiver... and it is brass, not "brass-lite" as the rimfire rifles are, so it can be buffed... but if you gotta have steel, Henry make a steel .45/70 also.
 
sgt.rock said:
just a question about brass receivers. Are they as strong as steel? I just don't know. Does the strength of the receiver matter as much with lever guns? Is the brass soft enough to scratch up? I am going to pick up a lever 45-70 this year, and if the brass doesn't factor much in the strength of the gun, I may go with the Henry. I like the more traditional look of the marlins and Winchesters, but that Henry sure looks sharp and fancy. (I'm kind of like a bird, and shiny things attract me..............)
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Henry claims the brass receivers are equal to or stronger than steel receivers.
Remember, it's not actually brass but an alloy.
 
Model Number
H010B
Action Type
Lever Action Repeater
Caliber
.45-70
Capacity
4 rounds, Brass drilled and tapped for a Weaver 63B mount
Length
40.4"
Barrel Length
22" Octagonal, 1:20" Rate of Twist
Weight
8.10 lbs.
Stock
Straight-grip American Walnut with brass buttplate
Sights
Fully adjustable semi-buckhorn rear, and brass beaded front sight
Receiver
Brass drilled and tapped for a Weaver 63B mount
M.S.R. Price
$950.00
 
hoytcanon said:
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Looks good to me... WAY smoother than Marlin... and more accurate than any of my Marlin's.
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Honestly to me that rifle looks like a bastard child of a Win 1866 and a Marlin 1895.
 
The only beefs I might have with the gun are the weight and cost.
I hear the brass Henry models are over 8 pounds unloaded.
The wife would have my suitcases on the veranda within 5 minutes if I forked over that kind of dough for a gun.
I even get a dirty look if I grab a box of cheap ammo off the shelf at cdn tire. ;)
 
i like them both. i had the blued version of the henry, nice gun. But mine must have been an earlier model because it was only equipped with ghost ring sights. Ended up selling it for an older guide gun. If i was to pick over an older marlin and a new henry with regular sights. Id flip a coin. Hard to argue with Henry's lifetime warranty though.
 
Was looking at a 1895GS Guide Gun at Epps.
It's pretty slick, faster on the point with the 18.5" bbl and much lighter and cheaper.
A better brush gun for my purposes.
You have to check the Remington made Marlins 'Remlins' out good before buying but most of the ones made in the last 2 years are pretty good.
Watch the ones made just after the take over. A lot of the first junkers made at the Ilion, NY factory are still circulating in the pipeline.
 
If a person could hand-pick the Marlin, then I would feel quite comfortable with it. I had a JM stamped guide gun with the porting that I used to collect a fine moose and a wolf a number of years ago and it was really nice to pack in the bush - but the porting made it louder than the inside of a can of tannerite upon touch-off. I sold it in a moment of temporary insanity and kind of wish I had it back. I have since held a number of Henrys and they appeared to be top notch in every way. I think the tube mag is slick and it also means that you don't have to cycle rounds to empty the gun. It really possessed an "heirloom" quality about it. If I was dishing out the bucks today for a new .45-70, it would be a Hank-hands-down.
 
Lowestform said:
I want a 45-70 lever. But, which to buy?

I like the Marlin 1895 GBL, but have heard of several quality issues in the latter years once remington bought them.

I like the Henry, but I'm sure I wil dislike the price. I can't seem to locate one locally (or even not so locally) either.

Opinions?

Thanks!
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When I purchased my Henry 45-70 Steel I did look at and physically handled both the Henry and Marlin at Cabela's. Either rifle would have served my purpose... a cabin rifle for black bear hunting up at my cabin. I did my research on both prior to visiting Cabela's. Let just say that when I picked up and held the Marlin the first thing I noticed was the bent front sight post and hood and it's not made from thin metal. I mentioned it to the sales person and he deflected my observation. That turned me off the Marlin QC. The Henry was was the newest version, non XS sights and purchased it on sale for $839.99.

I don't shoot Cowboy Action so tube load or side load don't matter to me. I can load 5 +1 and if I can't kill a bear after the 1st or 2nd shot under 50 yards I don't deserve to hunt.

I've fed it every brand from Remington, Federal, Hornady and the shoulder bruising HSM and all have loaded and ejected flawlessly.

I'm reloading now with 350gr hard cast, 35gr IMR 4198 and CCI LR #200 and can group on average 1.5" at 100 yards. That's good enough for bear or deer at 50 yards and under from my treestand and ground blind.

As for the Henry price.... I bookedmarked the Cabela's Henry 45-70 webpage and checked everyday till it popped up as on sale... $839.99.
 
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Had both, kept the Marlin SBL. I love that gun. The Henry is a beauty too (I had the 44 mag). I found the tube mag at the range was to much of a pain to load while keeping the muzzle pointed down range. For hunting that wouldn't be an issue, although it wouldn't be the first time someone got back to the car and there isn't a tube in the gun anymore. That would be my chief worry. It happened to a friend with a .22 years ago, and I find the stop pin on the tube to be almost non existant
 
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