JavaScript is disabled
Our website requires JavaScript to function properly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings before proceeding.
Messages
1,917
Reactions
4,789
I've been eyeing this rifle on the shelf at my local gun shop for the past month and thought it would make for the perfect camping/hiking/4-wheeling carbine. I have a Marlin 1894 carbine in .45 Colt and like the size, but the action is clunky, doesn't always feed reliably, and it's heavy. I built an AR in .450 Bushmaster to replace it, and it works great, but is bulky and just as heavy.

The Henry is lighter than both by a couple of pounds, and feels great. Took it straight from the store to the range and was disappointed in the accuracy. Maybe 8" groups at 55 yards using stock FO sights. Was also using a couple of different loads with both 250 grain XTPs and 250 grain cast bullets. My Marlin will do 1.5" at the same distance. Not sure if it was the loads, or the sights, or what. Planning on mounting a red dot and will try more recipes tomorrow. Don't think I have any factory ammo, and there is none available.

As to the rifle itself, it is a great handling little rifle that had zero malfunctions. Trigger is crisp but heavy at 6.5 lbs. Finish is a nice matte black that is noticeably better than my Marlin's, but the plastic to metal fit of the stock is horrible. I mean, it's a plastic stock, which is why the rifle is so light, but the gaps are all over the place for an $800 rifle.

I looked on Gunbroker for one before plunking down my money, and they are going for quite a bit more online; between $900 and $1200, if you can even find one. Plus, I got a 5% military discount, so with tax, my out the door price was just under $800.

Overall, it is not a bad little rifle, but I've got to get the accuracy figured out.

IMG_20210118_164701530.jpg



IMG_20210118_164719375.jpg

IMG_20210118_164740289.jpg

IMG_20210118_164800593.jpg

IMG_20210118_164836537.jpg
 
I bought one of these as a gift to my Dad. It's a a sweet shooter. I only shot it with open sights and the accuracy was fine for that. I don't recall now whether I was shooting 50 or 100 yards. Might have been both. But prone with open sights I ended up with a 2-3" group. Now that I think about it, it most likely was 50 yards. That group size and open sites that rifle, me shooting it.....lol. I do recall shooting it fast/ish standing at that 50 yards and getting a 6-8" group (hitting paper plates). I would have done much better with a peep sight on the rear.

I used all factory ammo. 125gr through 158gr both 38special and .357 mag. Great gun. With the can on shooting the 158 specials it sounded like a pellet gun.
 
Ended up with a red dot on mine, mounted to the 3/8" dovetail where the front sight was. Haven't shot for groups yet, does what I've asked it to.

9F6AA883-C32A-434E-882C-8046C8287437.jpeg
So I'll need to take it out with some .357's and see how accurate it really is.
I do have a thing for Henry rifles.
7DAAD8AE-1279-4098-B875-2B88705AF261.jpeg
 
Keep us updated.

8" at 55 yards even with the stock FOs is too big!

My .357 BBB shot considerably better with the stock Buckhorn sight on it but now has a globe front and William's peep rear, and is capable of ragged, one hole at 50 yards benchrest with good reloads and jacketed bullets.
 
Henry products are in short supply at present. As part of my divestiture of firearms, I decided to let my Henry BBS in .41 Magnum go. It went for an astonishing amount on Gunbroker. I don't know how well informed they were, but someone told me that Henry may not resume production of the 41.

I didn't know they made these with polymer stock. One of the reasons I bought mine was the nice wood it had.
 
That exact Henry is on my short list, hopefully you can realize some better accuracy with it. If they would have debuted with nice wood stocks I would already own one. I have my fingers crossed they will offer them with wood in the future.
 
Last Edited:
Every gun I've bought went home for a thorough cleaning before going to the range. Then to the range for sighting in and testing a variety of ammo to see what it liked best.
Normally, that's what I do as well. But a buddy wanted to go shooting with me and the logistics required meeting him at the LGS and then going to the range.

I let him shoot it, and my Glock, and he barely hit the target with either of them.
 
Henry products are in short supply at present. As part of my divestiture of firearms, I decided to let my Henry BBS in .41 Magnum go. It went for an astonishing amount on Gunbroker. I don't know how well informed they were, but someone told me that Henry may not resume production of the 41.

I didn't know they made these with polymer stock. One of the reasons I bought mine was the nice wood it had.

Our former HENRY 357Magnum Big Boy sold VERY fast several years ago. There was a shortage of them around here from what I gather. It was a tack driver and it had beautiful walnut WOOD on it too.

We got OUT of ALL 357Magnum, 38Special and Plus P caliber firearms several years ago.

I would not be shocked if HENRY decided to get out of CF 'pistol caliber' rifles down the road.

I believe that they will KEEP RF ones in 22lr and 22wmr and LARGER caliber CF rifles like 30-30, 45-70, etc.

Cate
 
Last Edited:
Went back to the range today and got it sorted out.

The first targets I fired with it yesterday, I didn't even bother to go measure; they looked awful through the spotting scope. Today, I went to go put up fresh targets and took a closer look. They were not that bad. 4.5" or so groups. That was out of the box using open sights with my apparently out of date glasses.

IMG_20210119_123126037.jpg

Tried today with the red dot mounted and things got much, much better.

55 yards with various loads and best was just over an inch and worst was just over three inches.

IMG_20210119_141308770.jpg

IMG_20210119_141451728.jpg

I will say that I've never seen a rifle so sensitive to loads and point of impact. I would get it dialed in with a plinking load, and then shoot a defense load and the point of impact would change by a foot or so. Try another hot load and it would change again. This rifle will require one load and to stick with it.

Fired at least 50 rounds through it and it never once hiccuped or had an issue.

Very, very happy with it, now.
 
Glad to hear you got it worked out.

I experienced similar issues with loads with mine. One shot incredibly well and the next not so well.

Jacketed bullets shoot the best with mine, plated close, but maybe a bit less accurate and some lead bullets are all over and some shoot very well.

Oddly I tried some 147 grain cast 9mm bullets and they shot incredibly well but I had to watch seating depth as they have a long ogive and the Henry's short chambers.

I am on basically one load now, 7 grains of Unique with a 158 grain plated SWC and these shoot very nicely out of my Mod 66 Smith as well so for now thats where I am at!
 
I picked up a Big Boy X in 45 Colt a month or two ago. Probably 100 rounds through it so far. Feeds and functions fine with the handloads I tried, including 250 grain plated RNFP Bullets, and 255 grain lead SWC Bullets over Universal. With the stock sights, it shoots ok. I was consistently knocking down Steel silhouettes yesterday at 100 yards with my Marlin 1894 Cowboy in 45 Colt (stock sights with 24" barrel) but missing a fair number of times with the Henry. On paper, the groups were nothing special at 50 yards. Planning to put a receiver sight on it which typically helps for me. Hopefully finding a load it likes will help. The load I was shooting is good in my Marlin.

Where I'm really struggling with it is once I thread on a suppressor. This is what I bought it for. I'm not even on a 100 yard sight-in sized target at 25 yards! Before I took it to the range the first time, I threaded on my Octane 45 and looked down the bore to make sure I didn't see anything concerning with the suppressor. I didn't have a tight fitting cleaning rod for the .45 cal bore to check the bore axis relative to the threaded barrel. After two range trips with two different Bullets/loads that shoot well in my Marlin, and shoot ok in the Henry without a suppressor, I'm wondering if the threads aren't concentric to the bore? Have you tried yours with a suppressor yet?

I've had a little POI shift on other threaded guns when screwing on a suppressor, but never experienced anything like this. Hoping I can get it figured out because I like the rifle, and want to get it to shoot good both with and without a suppressor, and with minimal POI shift.
 
Last Edited:
Have not put a suppressor on it and never will. First, I am just fine wearing hearing protection at the range. Second, a suppressor adds so much bulk and length to a weapon that it negates the whole point of a carbine in the first place.

But I did notice that this rifle is very sensitive to changing loads. Dramatic change in POI between various loads. No idea why or what causes it. So I'm not surprised that adding a suppressor would drastically affect your POI.
 

Similar threads

Upcoming Events

Tillamook Gun & Knife Show
Tillamook, OR
"The Original" Kalispell Gun Show
Kalispell, MT
Teen Rifle 1 Class
Springfield, OR
Kids Firearm Safety 2 Class
Springfield, OR

New Resource Reviews

New Classified Ads

Back Top