Ok folks , I am on the verge of purchasing myself a .22 lever action rifle......whats your opinion ? and why ?.......right now Henry { frontier model }and Browning are running neck and neck.....Browning more expensive [ are they worth it ? ]......I am considering overall quality, , accuracy, materials and workmanship....... any problems or issues ?......any outstanding qualities ?.......lets hear what you got to say
vote for the best lever action .22 and why
- Thread starter samcan
- Start date
- Location
- West Quebec
I would choose the Henry it has great service and the Frontier seems to be the sweet spot for accuracy / flexibility (scope) and price..
I have the Golden Boy and it is way more fun than it should be! But as silverfoxdj said above, the Frontier model is the one I'd go for now looking back, only because the Frontier has a straighter stock where as the Golden Boy has much more drop towards the rear of the rifle. It's supposed to be better for iron sights, when you shoulder the rifle the barrel is up higher, almost in line with your eyes, but I still prefer to get a good cheek weld with a more standard rifle stock.
- Location
- LASALLE, MB.
HENRY! End of discussion.
Chefhunter
CGN Regular
- Location
- Maple ridge
Bought a Henry Frontier, didn't like the feel of the Browning...same thing with the BLR thats why i bought a Savage 99 or two.
Oh-oh, hasn't this been tried before?
Well...my vote is for Henry. Yes, because I own 2 of them. But I have also tried a Marlin. The action on the Henry is buttery smooth compared to the Marlin. The Marlin was a 30-30 and my 2 Henry's are .22WMR & .357mag. The rimfire is a Frontier (great choice) and the centerfire is a Big Boy. I have never tried a Browning.
Hope my input helps.
EDIT: The OP should post a poll.
Well...my vote is for Henry. Yes, because I own 2 of them. But I have also tried a Marlin. The action on the Henry is buttery smooth compared to the Marlin. The Marlin was a 30-30 and my 2 Henry's are .22WMR & .357mag. The rimfire is a Frontier (great choice) and the centerfire is a Big Boy. I have never tried a Browning.
Hope my input helps.
EDIT: The OP should post a poll.
9422.
I own a henry, and it's fun, smooth operating and seems fairly accurate, but very "toy" like. People always ask me if its a child's gun
Have shot the Brownings and dont care for the short throw.
The 9422 I had was, in my opinion, superior in every way. I fully regret selling it, and will own another
I own a henry, and it's fun, smooth operating and seems fairly accurate, but very "toy" like. People always ask me if its a child's gun
Have shot the Brownings and dont care for the short throw.
The 9422 I had was, in my opinion, superior in every way. I fully regret selling it, and will own another
Ooooo....yeah the 94-22M would be my dream choice. Good luck finding one of those.
I have a 9422 and have had the Brownings. I've shot the Henry's but never owned one. If I was to get another for gophers and plinking, I would get a marlin 39. They are all fun but I do not like the short through of the B. I also want an accurate rifle so the Marlin for me. The 9422 is also a fun & fairly accurate.
To me the marlin is the best followed by the BL22, 94/22, the Ithaca 72 then the Henry
Ive owned the marlin, Ithaca, BL22 and only handled the 9422
The henry is accurate, decent fun shooter and has great reliability. I didn't like it as it has plastic parts here and there and the internal parts are unfinished cast metal and the receiver is painted with a very thick finish that I found marked easily. It is a very reliable gun and will last for you im sure, but I think it looks really cheap.
The Ithaca 72 is the gun that henry produces today and is a very well made version of the current production but is better finished.
For me the BL22 is well built, well finished can be easy to assemble and disassemble if you watch the video which you better or its difficult. Overall It is made of steel and aluminum but is finished very nicely you will be very satisfied with it. Used ones can be found for a decent price. Its a gun you can be very proud to own.
The Marlin 39 for me was worth every penny when I had it too bad I sold it like I do with many of my guns, to me they are worth way to much today.
Its the same quality as any of their lever guns. I have one of their 1894s in .357 which I will never get rid of.
The 94 22 is also very nice but they are a fortune in the same price league as the marlin 39 so I doubt you will buy one.
Ive owned the marlin, Ithaca, BL22 and only handled the 9422
The henry is accurate, decent fun shooter and has great reliability. I didn't like it as it has plastic parts here and there and the internal parts are unfinished cast metal and the receiver is painted with a very thick finish that I found marked easily. It is a very reliable gun and will last for you im sure, but I think it looks really cheap.
The Ithaca 72 is the gun that henry produces today and is a very well made version of the current production but is better finished.
For me the BL22 is well built, well finished can be easy to assemble and disassemble if you watch the video which you better or its difficult. Overall It is made of steel and aluminum but is finished very nicely you will be very satisfied with it. Used ones can be found for a decent price. Its a gun you can be very proud to own.
The Marlin 39 for me was worth every penny when I had it too bad I sold it like I do with many of my guns, to me they are worth way to much today.
Its the same quality as any of their lever guns. I have one of their 1894s in .357 which I will never get rid of.
The 94 22 is also very nice but they are a fortune in the same price league as the marlin 39 so I doubt you will buy one.
Shooter_01
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Durham Region, Ontario
Browning BL-22. To me, it's a few steps up in quality compared to the Henry. I also like the short-throw lever.
They seem like a high quality, well made gun. Anyone that's a lever action fan, and hasn't tried one may want to before a purchase though, as me and many others just can't get past the short throw. Having said that, I know people that feel the opposite.. Handle one and decide for your self I guess.
I shoot other lever guns so the first time I tried a Browning I kept jamming the lever due to the short throw. So while I would give a nod to the Browning for fit and finish and design I'll never own one myself.
If you were to buy a Browning and then get another lever gun in any caliber later on I'd expect you to end up short stroking the lever frequently because of this difference. So it's a nice gun but it'll set you up for some annoyance if you have any other lever guns to go with it.
Marlin 39's and Winchester 9422's are very nice guns. No doubt about that. The ones I've seen I'd put up there with the Browning for that little extra in design and fit and finish. But none of them are out there on the new market and the used ones are hellishly expensive.
So we're left with Henry that has the thin cover with the cheezy paint covering the alloy receiver with steel bolt underneath along with a number of plastic bits on the basic H001 model. But you know what? Those things don't matter to those of us that simply want a nice shooting gun that is reliable, accurate and smooth in operation for a reasonable price.
And for a little more you can get the all metal Frontier model or go up to the more blingy Golden Boy. If you want one of the higher models though do shoulder the Golden Boy before you buy. The stock angle is a bit different so it doesn't fit everyone that well. Tall folks seem to end up with more of a chin weld than a cheek weld to the shoulder stock. For us the Frontier model with the lower angle stock fits better.
If you were to buy a Browning and then get another lever gun in any caliber later on I'd expect you to end up short stroking the lever frequently because of this difference. So it's a nice gun but it'll set you up for some annoyance if you have any other lever guns to go with it.
Marlin 39's and Winchester 9422's are very nice guns. No doubt about that. The ones I've seen I'd put up there with the Browning for that little extra in design and fit and finish. But none of them are out there on the new market and the used ones are hellishly expensive.
So we're left with Henry that has the thin cover with the cheezy paint covering the alloy receiver with steel bolt underneath along with a number of plastic bits on the basic H001 model. But you know what? Those things don't matter to those of us that simply want a nice shooting gun that is reliable, accurate and smooth in operation for a reasonable price.
And for a little more you can get the all metal Frontier model or go up to the more blingy Golden Boy. If you want one of the higher models though do shoulder the Golden Boy before you buy. The stock angle is a bit different so it doesn't fit everyone that well. Tall folks seem to end up with more of a chin weld than a cheek weld to the shoulder stock. For us the Frontier model with the lower angle stock fits better.
Pretty much sums it all up. Great customer service. I mean how often do you actually talk and receive e-mail from the president of a firearms company. And then see results from your conversation. Mr Anthony great fella!
