Opinion on Henry lever and pumps

No experience with their .22s but I bought my first Henry (Big Boy) recently and the workmanship and quality is top notch. The action cycles so smooth, the gun feels like it should be displayed on a wall.

I would 100% reccomend someone buy a Henry rifle.
 
I've owned a pump and shot a couple of the lever actions. I've never had to clean one of the lever actions so no comment on that, but having owned a Winchester 9422 in the past, it was hard to not be distracted by the different finish on the receiver vs. the barrel. The receivers are an alloy I believe, then undergo what appears to be a paint finish. Other metal on the gun appears to be blued, so the receiver looks glossier. That's not necessarily a negative btw, I have an aluminum-receiver shotgun and appreciate the lower weight. Nice guns to cycle/shoot. In fact, Henry offers a garden gun now....22cal shotgun really, with a smooth bore barrel and the nicest looking wood I've seen on a Henry. I should say, the wood appeals to me more than the wood I've seen on other Henry's but it's also ash instead of walnut. Probably to help differentiate it from the other models. Have almost no practical need for a smooth bore 22, but full disclosure-I've had that garden gun in my hands 3X now....I think I'm on a collision course. :)

The pump-not a fan at all, the clunkiest pump 22 I've ever shot. Nice looking gun, I'll never go down that road again myself.
 
I have the basic .22 lever and also the basic .22 magnum.
They are both ok guns, but the wood on both feels and looks cheap.
The .22 magnum has a better receiver, feels more solid, not just steel covered cheap alloy.
Fit and finish is not spectacular, only so.so. There is movement in the front grips on both.
Barrel bands are cheap, the end plug on the tube is cheap.

I have owned/still own a few browning BL22s and they are far superior in every way.

Maybe the higher end octagon barrel ones are better.

They both shoot fine and I am ok with the $300 and $500 I paid for them.
 
I owned a pump Henry and loved it before I had feeding issues.Unfortunately the Canadian warranty provider is a nightmare to deal with which has been a subject of more than a few posts on this platform.They are a great firearm if you don't need warranty work.
 
I agree with red-eye about the basic lever option. You get what you pay for, and these are underwhelming. However, there's not much (anything?) to compare to at that price point for new lever and pump 22LR.

I don't think they're worth the new price. I would look hard for a reasonable deal on a Browning BL22, you might find a shooter around $6-700 if you're patient (or lucky). Or Winchester 9422 if you can afford it - More cash again, but they are universally praised and you probably wouldn't lose money on it if you bought smart and then resold it if you needed to.

Same for the pump options, actually. I'd look for a shooter grade Winchester 1890 / 1906 / 62. You sometimes see these priced very well, $450-600. Or the Rossi 62 clones, apparently excellent and priced $4-500.
 
I've owned a few Henry 22lr lever models over the years.
The Golden Boy didn't fit me. It was more of a chin weld vs cheek.
The Frontier had a nice octagonal bbl but I found it nose heavy. It looked great but the buck-horn rear sights weren't the most accurate.
I ended up keeping the large loop carbine. It balances the best in my hands and is light to carry with the 16.25" round bbl. IIRC I paid $425 OTD back then and thought it was a decent deal.
I've always wanted to add a Henry pump....until I worked the action. It felt flimsy and not very smooth.

Before owning Henry's I had a Browning Bl22.
Very nicely made but it just didn't fit me and I found the short throw one piece lever odd. The trigger broke like glass but it was very heavy.
 
I have the henry basic 22 with the short barrel and the big loop, its a great little plinker
Also have the basic 22 magnum rifle
Both lever rifles feed smooth and shoot great, i have no exp with the henry pump though
 
Have the basic H001 and it's been great... very accurate and easy to use with the factory sights, hasn't had a single failure in about 500 rounds (including using shorts), and everyone who tries it seems to find it the most fun of all the 22s I have.
 
I rely heavily on my Garden Gun 22 shot Henry. I control the pidgeons population around my hangar. The gun been flawless
 
I have the frontier model lever I think it is called with the octagon barrel. Pretty good gun and fun to shoot. I have had zero issues. I was a little disappointed that the receiver is painted or some kind of finish other than blued. I have shot a BL 22 and in my opinion they are far nicer fit and finish and shooting with the short lever throw. But like many have said I am happy with mine for what I paid which was around $400 or so. A buddy has henry Big boy .357 brass receiver with a short barrel. Super fun gun to shoot and very nice!
 
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