Folks, I want to relate my experience with everyone. You may want to check your Henry Lever firearms.
I bought my first Henry 30-30 on June 02, 2012. The action and the finish were much better than the Marlin products. All the edges on the firearm were smooth and rounded. It had a heavy barrel and was an all round nice looking lever.
Took it to the range once (see other threads) and notice that the primers were protruding noticeably on factory ammo. I took it home and using a new unfired brass, I used some Plastigage to reveal that the rim space on that rifle was 0.074". The max allowable spacing = 0.070" Hmmmm.
Took it back to the Store (Cabelas) showed them the ammo and they replaced my rifle with the same model - without question. I had also contacted Henry, whom were quite concerned as well and even received a reply from the President of the Company.
I took it out to the range again and again noticed that the primers protruded a bit with factory ammo, although not near as much as the first rifle. I decided to buy some heaspace gauges and waited for them to arrive in the mail. When they arrived, I checked the new rifle. The bolt closed nicely (no effort or additional resistance) with room to spare on the field gauge (0.070"). According to the gauges. According to the gauge instructions, when a bolt closes on a field gauge, the firearm is to immediately bee deemed as unsafe, should not be fired and immediately check by a qualified gunsmith. Hmmmm.
Yesterday, I took the new rifle back to the store for yet another replacement, but this time I took my gauges with me. Again, without question, the clerk handed me a beautiful Henry rifle replacement. The Clerk took my gauges and proceeded to test the rifle. Right in the store. out of the box, that rifle failed. It too closed very nicely on the field gauge - no effort at all to close. By now I am completely frustrated and appalled - so was the Clerk, whom stated that they had never had a return of a Henry rifle, let alone two and witnessed and in-store failure from testing. I guess for liability reasons, there is a whole batch of rifles destined to be sent back to Henry from Edmonton.
For giggles, he went to the back room and picked out a Marlin 336C. The box was still taped with that white banded tape fro the factory.
We opened the box and inserted the NoGo gauge into the rifle. When the gauge was inserted and the bolt face firmly resting on the face of the gauge, the lever was noticeably open. No way would the bolt close all the way or the hammer release. Very tight rim headspace. The way it is supposed to be.
The rifle itself? It has some rough finishing on the hammer. There are numerous square edges on the trigger and the hammer (which need to be rounded for my taste) and the trigger is a little stiff, although it breaks cleanly with a little travel. Wood fits nice, not great, but nice and is not glossy. The action is a little tight. The front sight is slightly out of index. I need to shoot open sights so I will be paying a local gunsmith to adjust for me.
All in all...I am a happy camper. I have to pay a little extra to have the front sight adjusted for me - no big deal. The rifle was only $489. A Winny, whose action I am not too fond of, would cost me an additional $700 or so. The main thing. The action is solid and well within SAAMI specification.
The rifle has a few flaws, but I can overlook those because I will be shooting it, not hanging it on the wall to admire. Is the finish quality top notch...nope.
I will live with it.
GASP! I now own a 2012 Marlin 336C, and I am actually happy! For those of you whom own a Henry H009...you may want to get it checked...just to be sure.
I bought my first Henry 30-30 on June 02, 2012. The action and the finish were much better than the Marlin products. All the edges on the firearm were smooth and rounded. It had a heavy barrel and was an all round nice looking lever.
Took it to the range once (see other threads) and notice that the primers were protruding noticeably on factory ammo. I took it home and using a new unfired brass, I used some Plastigage to reveal that the rim space on that rifle was 0.074". The max allowable spacing = 0.070" Hmmmm.
Took it back to the Store (Cabelas) showed them the ammo and they replaced my rifle with the same model - without question. I had also contacted Henry, whom were quite concerned as well and even received a reply from the President of the Company.
I took it out to the range again and again noticed that the primers protruded a bit with factory ammo, although not near as much as the first rifle. I decided to buy some heaspace gauges and waited for them to arrive in the mail. When they arrived, I checked the new rifle. The bolt closed nicely (no effort or additional resistance) with room to spare on the field gauge (0.070"). According to the gauges. According to the gauge instructions, when a bolt closes on a field gauge, the firearm is to immediately bee deemed as unsafe, should not be fired and immediately check by a qualified gunsmith. Hmmmm.
Yesterday, I took the new rifle back to the store for yet another replacement, but this time I took my gauges with me. Again, without question, the clerk handed me a beautiful Henry rifle replacement. The Clerk took my gauges and proceeded to test the rifle. Right in the store. out of the box, that rifle failed. It too closed very nicely on the field gauge - no effort at all to close. By now I am completely frustrated and appalled - so was the Clerk, whom stated that they had never had a return of a Henry rifle, let alone two and witnessed and in-store failure from testing. I guess for liability reasons, there is a whole batch of rifles destined to be sent back to Henry from Edmonton.
For giggles, he went to the back room and picked out a Marlin 336C. The box was still taped with that white banded tape fro the factory.
We opened the box and inserted the NoGo gauge into the rifle. When the gauge was inserted and the bolt face firmly resting on the face of the gauge, the lever was noticeably open. No way would the bolt close all the way or the hammer release. Very tight rim headspace. The way it is supposed to be.
The rifle itself? It has some rough finishing on the hammer. There are numerous square edges on the trigger and the hammer (which need to be rounded for my taste) and the trigger is a little stiff, although it breaks cleanly with a little travel. Wood fits nice, not great, but nice and is not glossy. The action is a little tight. The front sight is slightly out of index. I need to shoot open sights so I will be paying a local gunsmith to adjust for me.
All in all...I am a happy camper. I have to pay a little extra to have the front sight adjusted for me - no big deal. The rifle was only $489. A Winny, whose action I am not too fond of, would cost me an additional $700 or so. The main thing. The action is solid and well within SAAMI specification.
The rifle has a few flaws, but I can overlook those because I will be shooting it, not hanging it on the wall to admire. Is the finish quality top notch...nope.
I will live with it.
GASP! I now own a 2012 Marlin 336C, and I am actually happy! For those of you whom own a Henry H009...you may want to get it checked...just to be sure.
