Henry .22 Survival

[trainsktg]

Hello All,

I'm thinking of getting a Henry .22 Survival for kayaking trips. Although they don't specifically state so on the company website, I've read elsewhere that these will work with higher velocity .22 rounds like Stingers without damage to the action (over time). True? Anyone have personal experience with these rifles, good or bad?

Keith

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[matt_w]

I have one, I finally got to use it on a backpacking trip and it worked great. It was no problem carrying it around for an entire day because it was so light, and it fit easily in my backpack. It's also really nice not having to worry about getting it wet, especially when its in your pack. (since the entire thing is coated in teflon).

The only complaint I've heard on them is that they are finnicky about ammo. I think high velocity rounds are ok, but it might have problems cycling with low velocity rounds. ALso, my friend borrowed it on the same trip and put federal bulk 22 ammo through it (I was using Remington cheapo bulk), and he said it wasn't cycling properly. I've heard there are easy fixes for that though, which I'll be trying soon.

Over all though, I'm glad I got it!

 

[matt_w]

I should also add to stick with the Henry brand. There are older versions from other manufacturers, and most of them are crap.

 

[trainsktg]

Thanks for your review. Henry all the way .

Keith

 

[chemist]

I've had one for several years, and it had teething problems. The feed ramp angle is steep in the design, so even the Henry version can suffer from FTF. Eventually I found some online advice about polishing the tiny step out of the ramp, and it has functioned well ever since. It still has the odd stovepipe with cheap bulk ammo, but only rarely. It doesn't FTE with high-power rounds like Velocitors. I've never tried it with Stingers.

And I had to ditch one of the mags because it wouldn't work right and I couldn't figure out why, but that's no big loss. Overall I like it a lot. I also have a Marlin Papoose, which is a much better breakdown gun but twice the weight. So for camping you can't beat the 2-pound Henry.

One word of warning: I have had nothing but trouble dealing with AR-7 dot com, and I frankly don't believe a word that the guy says. His website says their bull barrels are 16 1/4" long, but they're not. At 16" with target crown, they're useless for threading or re-crowning - unless you want to pay for an SBR tax stamp. And he won't refund my money, months later! What a hassle - and a lesson learned.

 

[Dnaltrop]

Have an older Ar-7

As long as I've fed it High velocty .22 it's fed like a champ. Dead accurate, great survival gun for small game.

My 8 year old daughter is going to get one of the new ones with the rail for her birthday. What can you say about a gun that floats, shoots well, and collapses into it's own stock?

 

[pdx lefty]

My Brother has one and after shooting it i think i may get one myself. As stated above by Matt W and Chemist, they are "finicky" when it comes to there ammo. I'm not sure what brand he uses but i know they are high velocity.

One other thing, the gun has no kick at all. After the first couple of shots i thought it was a FTF situation and was clearing it after each trigger pull. My Brother asked what i was doing? After i told him it isn't firing he just laughed. Turns out it was working fine.

Lefty.

 

[darkminstrel]

Plated round nose seems to work best in mine. Lead is just right out. I've tossed about an entire box of mis-feeds because of that. The lead deforms and catches on the (lack of) feed ramp and you have to clear it before firing.

 

[trainsktg]

I wouldn't feel comfortable with a .22 that I had to put together in a jiff if I needed it. Have you considered a kel-tec sub 2000? It has a quicker response time along with a bigger punch.

I have fired Kel-Tecs (9mm and .223s) and I like the foldable designs very much, but something in a complete .22 takedown would be more ideal for the purposes I intend. Regarding the put-together aspect, would you feel the same way about an HK-91 for instance? By removing just two push-pins behind the trigger group, the rifle literally falls apart in your hands and you'll have the butt, trigger group/PG, bolt/carrier and receiver/barrel sitting on your lap in a big heap.

Keith

 

[Bill Siegle]

I had one and it was a really good rifle. I just couldn't get used to the hollow stock. It just felt awkward to me. Mine was 100% reliable with CCI mini mags and Remington Golden. I had read before I got mine that one of the tricks to reliability with the design was to hold the blot back when conecting the barrel so that the bolt spring pressure would not interfere with the barrel fully seating. I did this everytime with mine and it ran just fine Also I would suggest getting a Henry if you go with one so that it will come with 2 mags and storage space for both in the stock. It is my understanding that previous makes only had room for 1 mag in the stock. I recently filled the breakdown 22 rifle space in my locker with a Marlin Papoose. I like it a lot better than the AR7 because it fits me better than the AR7 did.

 

[trainsktg]

I guess I just don't like the idea of keeping a gun on or around me in a "taken apart" condition. I wouldn't bring along an HK-91, AR-15, glock, or any other rifle or handgun that wasn't in a ready or near ready condition. When I go yacking I take my glock-23 and a few extra mags. Usually in it's 9mm configuration. This is just me. I'm not saying you should do what I do.

AH! I see what you are saying. I thought you were approaching this from a flimsiness, not a readiness, point of view. Makes sense.

Actually, I went and looked at one this weekend and while it seems like it would do the job in a true survival situation, its a bit bigger than I had anticipated. I opted for a belt holster to carry my P89 instead.

For those wondering about guns and kayaking, I've been in several situations possibly requiring the use of a firearm. Once I took fire from shore about 200 yards away, 'warning shots' I believe. I think I was getting too close to a drug house. The other was when a power boat with three 20-somethings sinisterly shadowed me for several minutes. It turns out that the latter was pacing me only because they couldn't figure out what kind of kayak I was in and how I was capable of going so fast . We wound up having a great chat right there on the water. Hobie Kayaks - MirageDrive

Keith

 

[Dnaltrop]

Ok I have to say the "not ready for instant action" argument against a folding survival rifle meant for crashed pilots and backpackers to take small game for the pot is a little bit silly.

It's purpose built for backpackers and SURVIVAL, taking of Jackrabbits or squirrel for the stewpot.

Place a Glock, my M&P, and an AR-7 on the seat of a canoe, paddle out into the deepest part of a lake.

Flip the canoe. Look at what is on the surface with you now.

THAT is what those sorts of rifles are for. However, I'd still take both, the handgun for Dangerous people/animals. The folding rifle for rabbit, and my Kids.

Sometimes, it's perfectly ok for a gun to be a bit of setup before you can shoot. Everything has a purpose.