Why are pistol caliber lever actions so expensive?

[TTSX]

Maybe its demand? No one seems to hunt with lever guns anymore. I can count on two fingers the number if times I've run into a hunter in the woods carrying a 30-30.

Maybe the majority of the lever action market is pistol calibers?

I hunt with a 30-30, thankyou very much.

 

[RVTECH]

Henry's are absolute junk imho,

You have mentioned this many times and I and I am wondering what your specific experience with a Henry is/was that led you to this conclusion?
Henrys are no doubt relatively high production rifles and have their share of problems but no more than reported about as many other production guns. Also consider the many recalls over the years.
My 2103 BBB Henry .357 has been excellent, with a fit and finish rivaling that of considerably higher end guns.
It is also very smooth, with a great trigger and very accurate.
I will however criticize Henry on a variety of basic issues I see that could have been improved and I suspect they might have been intentionally left unchanged to facilitate production or to maintain a price point. Some of these issues have since been changed and improved on.
Overall I think the Henry is good rifle given the numbers they produce and their customer service is excellent.
I have read and heard from many who have either had to send their rifles back for service or just been sent replacement parts (no charge) and have been very satisfied. Also just this morning I read on another forum Henry is replacing a complete rifle for an owner who had to send his back twice for a last round feeding problem that was not resolved.
In all fairness there have been a few who have been less than satisfied however it is nothing in comparison to reports from people who claim ZERO customer service from other manufacturers.

 

[Member 34319]

Had a tiny crack in my Henry stock in a single action. Emailed them about it, sent me an entire stock forend and buttplate set free of charge as a replacement.

Having owned three total, no issues whatsoever, great triggers too.

Armchair commandos that don't shoot the guns the talk poorly about or got one bad apple are always going to do their thing. Many times it's just internet doing internet.

One thing I never liked about Henry repeaters is their lack of a side loading gate. However they finally caved to the masses of people telling them to make one, so it looks like they are finally making them.

 

[leadcounsel]

Economies of scale and supply and demand.

 

[teflon6string]

Perhaps some here rationalize certain purchases like I do. Given the relatively inexpensive cost of handgun ammo, it's a bargain at twice the price. Keep chanting that mantra and it will become true.

 

[Alexx1401]

You have mentioned this many times and I and I am wondering what your specific experience with a Henry is/was that led you to this conclusion?
Henrys are no doubt relatively high production rifles and have their share of problems but no more than reported about as many other production guns. Also consider the many recalls over the years.

I always take anything like this with a dose of salt. You see this on many brands of guns. Kel-Tec is a great example. Many will tell anyone who will listen to them that money spent on anything they make would be better used as toilet paper. Before I got on Algore's net I believed this and avoided them myself. When finally talked into trying my first I was shocked to find it worked. Now decades later I own several and have had many more pass through my hands. Have had many I work and shoot with buy one or more. Know of one that had to be sent back due to a failure years after it was bought. By then the Co was no longer replacing or fixing for free no questions asked but, he was original owner and had paper. They took it back, sent him a new pistol with the same serial number. So have they let out some bad ones? Hell of course they have. I don't own a Henry, do know some who do. They love them. Any company that did nothing but crank out garbage would soon no longer be in business. You can only screw over so many or so much of a given market before you just no longer sell anything. Of course with anything mass produced most who are happy just don't make much if any noise. The people who get a problem of course make noise. Often people who never have ever owned some particular gun repeat what others have said just because they have "heard" it. <shrug>

 

[Alexx1401]

Perhaps some here rationalize certain purchases like I do. Given the relatively inexpensive cost of handgun ammo, it's a bargain at twice the price. Keep chanting that mantra and it will become true.

For me rifles that shoot hand gun ammo have been my "thing" for decades. Not really sure why decades back, I just liked them. Now last few decades it became even more due to lack of places to shoot anything else. I sold my last AR when I moved back up here as there was just no place to shoot it without a huge PITA. Only place to do so was such a drive it was basically a day trip and only open part of the year. Anything that used hand gun caliber I had many places to choose from. Then there was ammo cost. It got to where 9mm ammo was so damn cheap to buy I stopped bothering to roll it. Still can and have all the parts if I need to again. Never really had fun rolling my own. It was mostly cost and availability that got me to learn.

 

[Alexx1401]

One thing I never liked about Henry repeaters is their lack of a side loading gate. However they finally caved to the masses of people telling them to make one, so it looks like they are finally making them.

THAT is a BIG thing with me. Not for just fun shooting but, for if I needed to use the rifle for a SHTF seen. The idea that you can keep "topping off" the ammo without the rifle going empty, and while still operational. If they take the auto's while I am still around I will go to levers and of course will want them with the ability to load while still able to shoot. I had for a short time one of the old Ruger .44 PCC's. Only thing I did not like is how few rounds it held. Always wished they had made it with a full under the barrel magazine so it would hold more. If they had I would probably still have one of the damn things

 

[Member 34319]

THAT is a BIG thing with me. Not for just fun shooting but, for if I needed to use the rifle for a SHTF seen. The idea that you can keep "topping off" the ammo without the rifle going empty, and while still operational. If they take the auto's while I am still around I will go to levers and of course will want them with the ability to load while still able to shoot. I had for a short time one of the old Ruger .44 PCC's. Only thing I did not like is how few rounds it held. Always wished they had made it with a full under the barrel magazine so it would hold more. If they had I would probably still have one of the damn things

They brought back a gen 2 PC Carbine. Maybe they will bring back an improved 44 or better yet 357 semi auto. That would be pretty sweet. Bottom load semi auto 38/357 modeled off the old 44 version.

 

[Sporting Systems]

We stock the Henry, Winchester and Rossi in the pistol calibers, as well as the 30/30s. There is a pretty big swing between all the variants and varieties. The Henry Side gate 30/30 is about $200 more than the 357 Big boy rifle. If you look around, you'll find some good options. The 357 lever guns have really picked up in popularity, can be tough to keep around.

 

[Alexx1401]

They brought back a gen 2 PC Carbine. Maybe they will bring back an improved 44 or better yet 357 semi auto. That would be pretty sweet. Bottom load semi auto 38/357 modeled off the old 44 version.

The way the market is on PCC's now I suspect this would be yet another hit for them. With no detachable mag it would even fly past a lot of the anti gun folks.

 

[Alexx1401]

We stock the Henry, Winchester and Rossi in the pistol calibers, as well as the 30/30s. There is a pretty big swing between all the variants and varieties. The Henry Side gate 30/30 is about $200 more than the 357 Big boy rifle. If you look around, you'll find some good options. The 357 lever guns have really picked up in popularity, can be tough to keep around.

No doubt part of the fairly recent upswing in people wanting a PCC. Something that is cheap and easy to shoot, can be shot at almost any range, and in a caliber many have a handgun to go with. I have to also guess most of them just work or people would have stopped buying them as fast as you get them

 

[CHLChris]

Henry loads from the wrong end and have horrific triggers, IMO.

Henry is now making side loading gate models. I think they only have 30-30, but plan to go into pistol calibers right away.

 

[CountryGent]

Demand is higher, nobody uses a 30-30 anymore.

I have it on good authority there is a silly guy in southern Oregon who still does.

I'll gladly take any of those unused .30-30 rifles , that anyone cares to pass on...

Consarn it, Andy called "dibs" on it before I could.

 

[Member 34319]

It is my goal in life to harvest a deer here in Oregon with my grandfathers 30-30.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I have it on good authority there is a silly guy in southern Oregon who still does.



Consarn it, Andy called "dibs" on it before I could.

Well I'll tell ya what....
I let you have the lever guns in .30-30....
I'd really like an older , as in Pre-War , Savage 219 or a new Henry Single Shot in .30-30...sigh all it takes is money...
Andy

 

[CountryGent]

Well I'll tell ya what....
I let you have the lever guns in .30-30....
I'd really like an older , as in Pre-Wa , Savage 219 or a new Henry Single Shot in .30-30...sigh all it takes is money...
Andy

It's a deal!

 

[RVTECH]

I think they only have 30-30

Along with .35 Remington and .38-55 Winchester.
No word of PC side loaders yet.

 

[Wombat of Doom]

Well I'll tell ya what....
I let you have the lever guns in .30-30....
I'd really like an older , as in Pre-War , Savage 219 or a new Henry Single Shot in .30-30...sigh all it takes is money...
Andy

Henry Single shots are REALLY fun suppressed. I bought Reno's old one. I can't believe he sold it. It may be my favorite fun gun. My dad, who is not a gun guy, got a huge kick out of it suppressed. He had a definite preference for the .357 overr the .38.

 

[Member 34319]

Henry Single shots are REALLY fun suppressed. I bought Reno's old one. I can't believe he sold it. It may be my favorite fun gun. My dad, who is not a gun guy, got a huge kick out of it suppressed. He had a definite preference for the .357 overr the .38.

I replaced it well I think.

Glad you are having a blast with it. Literally.