henry or marlin .22 lever?

Status
Not open for further replies.

JHZR2

Staff member
Joined
Dec 14, 2002
Messages
52,633
Location
New Jersey
Hi,

Looking possibly for a lever .22 for range shooting that is dirt cheap. Thoughts on henry versus marlin? I do like the octagonal barrel that can be had on the Henry, but have no experience with their products.

Thanks!
 
I think there both great guns, but I'd choose the marlin 39a any day. Can't beat the gun that's been in continuous production longer than any other!
 
I've got 2 Henry's and 2 Marlins.

Both of them are the same models. The Marlins 39A one was built in the early 60s and the other 2008. Both shoot excellent and well built.

My Henry's (H001) one was built in 2007 and the other I just got which was built in 2005. BOTH of them shoot so far to the right that you can not adjust the iron sights enough to hit paper. One of them I was able to scope and its "accurate" with the scope. The other one I can NOT get on paper even with a scope adjusted as far as it will go.
mad.gif


The Henry is smoother in operation and I love the price, but if out of the box performance is important, Marlin without question.

I have to send both of my Henry's into service (which I hate to do even though they are known to have excellent "second to none" Customer service) I called them and the lady seemed put out that I bothered her.. Pretty well told me to put the rifle in a box with a note and they will look at it...

I'd just rather not have to find out how good it is. (ie make the weapon right the first time and TEST FIRE the thing!)

Take care, bill
 
A friend of mine has a Henry with feed issues, but in fairness he hasn't send it in to be repaired.

Another friend of mine has a Winchester lever .22 made in the 1980's and it is a great shooter, very high quality piece. One of those used would be a great find.

Have you thought about a Browning BL-22? I don't know if it's made in USA. A unique feature is the trigger goes with the lever so you don't pinch your finger.
 
Originally Posted By: tom slick
A friend of mine has a Henry with feed issues, but in fairness he hasn't send it in to be repaired.

Another friend of mine has a Winchester lever .22 made in the 1980's and it is a great shooter, very high quality piece. One of those used would be a great find.

Have you thought about a Browning BL-22? I don't know if it's made in USA. A unique feature is the trigger goes with the lever so you don't pinch your finger.


The BL22 is a excellent weapon too! The only thing I will say (I bought mine in early 80s) is its a smaller rifle than the others and may not fit well. I don't shoot mine too often.

The Browning also has a excellent finish.
 
Sounds like the Henrys might be hit or miss. I bought one new about nine months ago and it's been great.
 
Geez--just bought my 12 year old the Henry Frontier Model-picking it up Friday for his brithday on Saturday----now I'm beginning to wonder



Steve
 
Steve- in most guns, most of the warts tend to show up right away or pretty early on. Run a few boxes of ammo through it- a brick would be better(do they still sell 10-box, 500 round bricks?) and if all seems well it probably is. If something's wrong you'll find out right away & can get it fixed, exchanged, etc.

BTW- the regular .22 Henry design was made & sold by a German company(Erma?) in the mid 1960s for sure, maybe even the mid 1950s. It may not be quite as nice as a Marlin 39, Browning BL-22, or Winchester 9422, but the basic design has been around for ~50 yrs, & if properly put together it should give decades of service.

And Steve- I remember when a 327 was *Way* cooler than a 283!
thumbsup2.gif
 
Last edited by a moderator:
There is a huge difference in construction between these two rifles, hence the large cost difference.
The Marlin is made the old fashioned way, 100% solid blued Steel.
The Henry is more high tech (I guess) and has a pot metal or aluminum receiver with a blued steel sheet metal cover.
Not saying one is better than the other as far as function and reliability just a different approach taken by the manufacturers.
For myself, I have a model 39 cowboy with the octagon barrel, and a Winchester 9422 with the brown laminated stock.
 
Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
+1 on the BL22. I love my Browning.


+2, my Dad bought me a BL-22 when I turned 12. It's my prized rifle.
 
Thanks for the encouragment Stuart---I was hoping this will be his prized rifle, that is why I laid out $340 for a .22. I was actually planning for my Dad (89 yo) to physically give it to him
--just to make it extra special

Steve
 
I’ve shot the Marlin, Winchester, Browning, and Henry models. And over the years I’ve owned all but the Browning.
As has been pointed out, the Marlin is old school and solid. It’s lever action is reasonably smooth, and in my experience is the most accurate, even rivaling some of the finest bolt action sporter 22s. Fit and finish are middle of the road. Made in USA.

The Winchester is the finest in terms of both strength and design. It’s action is smoother than the Marlin and is a modern design with positive feed and solid lockup. I consider it the pinnacle of 22 lever guns. Fit and finish was excellent on these guns. Made in USA.

The Browning is the most modern in design, and was introduced at about the same time as the Winchester. It’s action is stiffer than any of the others, chiefly due to it’s shorter throw. Like the Winchester, it has positive feed, solid lockup, and the finest in fit and finish. Was made in Japan for many years, and probably still is today.

I’ve owned two of the Henrys. Both were very accurate and a blast to shoot with the smoothest lever action of them all. The earliest one I owned didn’t lock up properly when the lever was closed. The second one had no such problem. In my opinion, the Henry is the weakest in terms of design and is the only one that doesn’t use a steel receiver. Never the less, they are a blast to shoot.

Today, I own only one 22 lever gun, the very first gun I bought, a 39A purchased new in ’74 (when it’s list price was $125). I bought it over the then new 9422 after asking my gunsmith grandfather for a recommendation. He said that anybody who knows anything about them buys the Marlin due to it’s strong parts, threaded barrel, and solid machined action. And they are still making them today, while the arguably better Winchester was dropped some time ago.
 
I used to have a Browning BL22 also. Fine rifle. The stock had such a high gloss finish, I was afraid to take it out much. My Marlin 39 and Win 9422 both have a satin finish on the stocks, which I like much better.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top