Henry golden boy vs. browning bl-22
- Thread starter John Deer
- Start date
- Location
- Kelowna, BC
Some of the Henry's have plastic bits that bother me, and finish that seems to rub off easily, but I'm not sure which of those apply to the Golden Boy. Still, good bang for the buck!
The Browning is a great gun, and if you can justify the cost, I'd go for it.
The Browning is a great gun, and if you can justify the cost, I'd go for it.
Be sure to shoulder both rifles. I could not get a proper cheek weld on my friends GB and it felt nose heavy. The Bl-22 is compact and lighter but required a different cheek weld than I'm used to with a rifle. Either would benefit with peep sights from Skinner.
The GB lever throw is long but smooth while the Bl-22 is short and quick but a little stiffer. Fit and finish is very good on both but I would give the edge to the Bl-22 for better metals used.
$629 seems a little high for the Bl-22. Is that for the grade 2? You can find a grade 1 in VG condition on the EE for ~$500(at least thats what I sold mine for)
I once owned a Frontier model (similar to the GB without the bling and a little less $$) It may also serve your needs.
unless they changed the bl in the lst year there is still some plastic parts on them as well and some people are prone to over opening the lever and breaking or bending some internal stuff. not saying it isnt nice or well made just what ive seen .
John Deer...you need to factor in shipping (if required). That said, Al Flaherty's in Toronto lists grade 1 for $525 but unfortunately sold out.
Why not make an offer to your LGS. Worse they can say is no. Or have them throw in a couple of bricks of ammo....
Why not make an offer to your LGS. Worse they can say is no. Or have them throw in a couple of bricks of ammo....
it could be a crinkle coated aluminum or some type of alloy. I personally know somebody who had one and it was mucled by a regular lever shooter even after being told to watch the short throw. guy was just used to regular lever guns and how they were run so he went full lever throw and bent that thing up good. needed a bunch of internal stuf and on that one the bottom was plastic for sure.
Ok... Slow down... How much of the advice here is informed? Has everyone actually owned and used both the Browning and Henry? I have a soft spot for lever actions and rimfires... I own four Henry's, two BL-22's, two Winchester 94/22's and two older (pre-Rem) Marlin 39A's... Folks don't be to quick to dismiss the Henry levers... There are features to appreciated with all of them... Nothing carries like the 94, the fit and finish on the Browning is tops, the shouldering and "pointability" of the Marlin is supreme... But the smooth action and accuracy of the Henry is "best in show." I find myself reaching for my Henry's more and more all the time. I have an H001T Brass Conversion in LR, an H001T Brass conversion in HMR, and GB's in LR and WMR. They really fine shooting guns. The Browning is more compact and considerably lighter than a GB (not so much when compared to a standard H001)... The thing that I dislike the most with the Browning is the feature that I keep hearing folks praising it for, namely the short bolt throw... I find that it is far too short, and disrupts the "lever action" feel and rhythym... I also hear a lot of negative comments about the Zamac receiver on the Henry... Has anyone had experience with a failure or other problem? Not in my experience and I have more than 100 bricks through mine... They are just as tight and even smoother than when I first bought them. I am not dissing any of the brands, they are all nice... But if I could only have one, I "think" it might be a Henry... That is saying an awful lot cause I LOVE my 94's and 39A's...
I prefer chunky and substantial to "petite and sweet..." The guns feel more like... well, guns... not like toys... that's just my preference. That's why I don't mind the 6 3/4 pounds of the GB... not everyone wants to carry that much weight, but I find the extra weight "steadies" my offhand shooting considerably... for solid feel I would put them in the following order; Henry - Marlin - Winchester - Browning... If you want "petite and sweet" the order would be reversed.
