Henry Vs Winchester, who do you prefer for a modern lever rifle?

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Northern Shooter

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For those that have owned or atleast held both, which brand of lever guns do you prefer?

Some factors to consider:
1. Fit and finish
2. Reliability
3. Cost/value for money
4. Variety of chamberings
5. Variety of different models
6. Features ie magazine capacity, side loading gate, iron sights etc.
 
Marlin? Hard to beat a 336.

I also like the miroku/win rifles much more than Henry. 1973s are nice and no tang safety.

In many ways Henry rifles are clones of Marlins. Btw.
 
Winchesters made in Japan are of higher quality.
Henrys have less mag capacity in relation to barrel length.
Sling mounts tend to be standard on Henrys.
Too often just a matter of personal preference and budget constraints.
 
Im looking to add a 30-30 to the collection and am considering waiting out the next Marlin 336. I like what Ruger/Marlin has done with the 1895 line.
 
vp6111 said:
Winchesters made in Japan are of higher quality.
Henrys have less mag capacity in relation to barrel length.
Sling mounts tend to be standard on Henrys.
Too often just a matter of personal preference and budget constraints.
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Which models are you referring to? I just looked up the Model 1892 vs Big Boys in .357 and it looks like both offer 7 round mags in the carbine mods and 10 rounds in the 20 inch models.
 
Claven2 said:
In many ways Henry rifles are clones of Marlins. Btw.
Click to expand...

Yes, they are in many ways. Including the lever pivot "stem", for lack of a better word, right in the middle of the receiver underside, that pushes the hand towards the forend when carrying the rifle one-handed. On top of it, the Marlins always have their fat forend. Not much space between the lever pivot "stem" and the fat forend. The Henry rifles are better with their slimmer forend.

My choice is the Winchester rifles with their clean receiver underside and their very slim forends.
 
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I always liked the Winchester look and ease of carrying! I would definitely go with a Winchester!
 
Looks like everyone is preferring Winchester so far.

How do some of the others like Rossi and Chiappa stack up? I was always under the impression they were cruder budget brands.
 
I cant say much about chiappa's long term reliability, but the 1892 mares leg I used to have was easily the most beautiful gun I've ever had. The case hardening was unreal. Even had a case hardened buttplate on both the short and full sized stocks. Not like the cheap fake case hardening on their .22lr lever.

I will say that I recently acquired a 336ss model and it is stunning as well but feels much more solid. The Chiappa was like nice piece of jewellery while the marlin feels like a quality tool.
 
Snowy Owl said:
Yes, they are in many ways. Including the lever pivot "stem", for lack of a better word, right in the middle of the receiver underside, that pushes the hand towards the forend when carrying the rifle one-handed. On top of it, the Marlins always have their fat forend. Not much space between the lever pivot "stem" and the fat forend. The Henry rifles are better with their slimmer forend.

My choice is the Winchester rifles with their clean receiver underside and their very slim forends.
Click to expand...

Not all the marlins have fat forestocks, though many 336's did.

I put slim stocks on my 336.
 
Northern Shooter said:
Looks like everyone is preferring Winchester so far.

How do some of the others like Rossi and Chiappa stack up? I was always under the impression they were cruder budget brands.
Click to expand...

Chiapas have the worst fit of all the Italian clones. Most Cass tuners won't work on them for good reason.

The Rossi's often have poor external finish, but they are solid and reliable guns that can be slicked up well.
 
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