“I like Henry. Someday when the big boy becomes a real big boy they’ll put a loading gate on the frame...” [Vaquero, post 6]
Henry Repeating Arms chose wisely in which designs to copy, and their engineering & manufacturing are excellent: as good as any modern gunmaker, better than many.
Their Big Boy is a very close copy of Marlin’s 336 series, which itself was the highest expression of Marlin’s earlier 1893, 1894, and 1895 models. The design is less complex, stouter, and more durable than any Winchester lever action. And with side ejection, the Marlin has long been much friendlier for owners needing to mount a scope.
For 13 years, I worked part-time in gun sales & repair for a small family-owned dealership. Marlins rarely came in for repairs, compared to Winchesters. Even after we adjusted for Winchester’s larger production totals.
The Marlin is much easier to strip for cleaning from the breech; disassembling and reassembling Winchester 92s and 94s can be tricky. Removing and replacing cartridge guides in the Winchesters demands patience, perseverance, and a very steady hand. The pre-1964 Winchester 94 guides are especially troublesome: they don’t wear badly nor break often, but their screws loosen occasionally. And the slotted heads are inside. Requires specialized screwdrivers. The Marlin hasn’t any cartridge guides.
Be careful what you wish for, in loading gates. The on-frame King’s-patent type pioneered by Winchester in their Model 1866 is more demanding, balkier to load than the port-in-tube style with the removable inner tube, as seen on many rimfires. And manipulating rounds through the on-receiver gate can become a painful experience, if the frame or the gate haven’t undergone proper final fitting after basic machining. Cut thumbs and torn/gouged fingernails abounded. Correcting the problem requires complete disassembly, then careful work with needle files and Dremel tools.
You are wise in the ways of the lever gun.
I have a 336 in .35 Remington and 2 of my boys have a 336 and a 95. Excellent in their simplicity. I also own an original, circa 1882, winchester model 73 in 44 WCF. I have stripped the 73 most of the way down to replace brittle elevator springs (I broke them using the gun). My youngest son I bought a 1952 circa model 94. I figured any 94 pre 64 would be quality. Shot every time, everything was mechanically functional, but you couldn’t keep it on a paper plate at 100 yds. Put on a rear peep thinking it was the operator. Same. Put a side mount scope on. Same accuracy.
On my shot 3 shots then let it cool. Same.
Had a .30 caliber brownell crown cutter and pilot tool. Was about to recut the crown which looked just fine when I decided to try something. I removed the front barrel band and shot it. All of a sudden 2-3” groups.
The band was so cocked that it torqued the barrel. i tweeked the band open a tad and bolted it back on. Got the same accuracy that I had without the band.
That was it. Very nice shooter. Not as nice and simple as marlins but it took a non functional rifle into an accurate one.
I got side tracked. A friend who worked in a gun store bought an Italian Henry rifle (not the Henry company but winchester repeating Arms Henry)
He took it to the range. As he was loading it with lead bullets dropping them down the tube, one went off. Luckily no one got hurt. The tube blew off the gun. This gun was made for rimfire ammo. And although loaded with blunt nose bullets it should be ok to drop them in, this soft point, lead (perhaps round nose) .45 Colt bullets shouldn’t have fired a round. After he fixed the weapon he only used flat lead bullets and always kept the weapon close to horizontal so as not to get the drop energy on a primer.
Henry needs to put a loading gate on their rifles.