What's your favourite Lever Action .22lr

My two bits says buy a used Marlin for whatever you need to pay for one you like.

The Win 94-22 is a quick handling little rig, so is the Browning. I think that used is the way to go there too, if you can. Both offer a really short stroke on the lever to operate. Makes them fast to operate, but trigger feel can sometimes suffer a wee bit, as part of the trigger mech travels on the lever.

I don't much care for the die-cast zinc in a taco shell cover build of the Henry. Overall I never much liked the build quality. Toy, not tool.

If you gotta buy new, check out the Browning.

My impression is that you won't be happy with very many of the lower priced new guns.
30 or 60 year old wood and steel are still working fine, and in 30 or 60 more years, I would expect the same to hold true.


Cheers
Trev
 
My kids want me to get a Henry and they look like a lot of fun. What do you guys think: the regular or the carbine with the larger loop and why?
 
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I'm actually in the market for a Henry Golden Boy once the registry goes by the wayside. As dumb as this sounds, the major thing preventing me from considering the Marlin 39, is the lack of an octagonal barrel.
 
I have the browning and the 9422 and a henry. I have handled a new marlin 39a very recently but am scared to buy it due to all the bad talk about them breaking. If I found an older used one I would buy it. The henry I've found works quite well and is smooth. Its priced right for what you get. The browning bl22 I really enjoy plinking with and its short throw makes emptying the tube mag quick and easy. I prefer that one with open sights. The wichester is scoped due to a broken rear sight and its amazingly accurate. I prefer the smaller lever loop because I rarely wear gloves while shooting. On paper the winchester groups the best overall and the browning feels faster for target acuisition. The henry is a good shooter too but just doesn't get used as much.
 
My mares leg :)

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Love it!!! I have 0 issues, it points and shots like a dream.
 
I bought a used 1974 model BL-22 and it is my favorite gun in the safe. $300 for a seasoned gun but wow I am in major love with it. I have shot an Ithaca .22 lots that was my dads and it is the most in-accurate gun I have ever shot.

My BL-22 has a target crown, I don't know if they all do or not but that gun has my vote. Or the Winchester 9422. Pretty much the same gun but a smoother action apparently.
 
I have used them all, and for me it is an older pre-crossbolt Marlin 39 (A or Mountie, whichever blows your hair back) or an early pre-checkering 94/22. The rest aren't even close.
 
I looked at Winchester 9422, Browning BL-22 and Henry H001 when my son wanted a birthday present lever action 22 LR rifle. We ended up with the Henry, because it had the smoothest action of the 3. It was not the budget that dictated the choice. I was very surprised myself when I handled the three back to back. Mind you I have not shot the other two, but the Henry does shoot well. The one we bought had a plastic front sight, but now they come with a metal front sight.
 
Mine is my Uncles (now mine) Marlin 57 Levermatic. Great little gun with a very short action on it - I can cycle the action without dropping my thumb off the stock. To my eyes, it has a bit more character to it than the "plain" BLR's as well.


Crappy photo with a cheap camera ... washed out all the color in the forestock :(

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trevj said:
I don't much care for the die-cast zinc in a taco shell cover build of the Henry. Overall I never much liked the build quality. Toy, not tool.
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+1. If you want an inexpensive rifle, you can get a better value from a bolt action or semiauto. Otherwise, the extra cost for a Browning, Marlin, or Winchester is trivial in the long run for a much nicer rifle than a Henry.
 
tjhaile said:
+1. If you want an inexpensive rifle, you can get a better value from a bolt action or semiauto. Otherwise, the extra cost for a Browning, Marlin, or Winchester is trivial in the long run for a much nicer rifle than a Henry.
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Nothin' wrong with my Henery. You should try one.
It's going to outlive me. And it's a lever.:)
 
I have a BL-22 excellent lever action rimfire rifle. But I also have a Norinco 22 cal lever. I never fired it yet, but a good beater rifle for when I'm checking my trapline.
 
trebor2880 said:
Nothin' wrong with my Henery. You should try one.
It's going to outlive me. And it's a lever.:)
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If you have one and it works for you, great. Personally, "die cast zinc in a taco shell cover" does nothing for me. Zinc is extensively used in low quality pistols from Lorcin, Jennings, Hi Point, and the like. I'd rather spend a couple hundred bucks or so extra for something I actually liked.
 
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