Big Boy Steel lever opens when firing

[BigBoreBusiness]

This past weekend I was shooting 200 grain hardcast bullets with 7.5 grains of (45 Colt) . When shooting this load, my lever opened with every shot (it wasn’t my hand, I shot several with only my trigger finger). What I don’t understand is, I had 2 boxes of 230 grain copper plated HP with 7.5 grains of Greendot, and these functioned perfectly. Why is this only happening with the lighter load? TIA

[Cofisher]

Don’t have an answer. I’ve not heard about this. Ask Henry?

[BigBoreBusiness]

That might be my next step, I’m hoping to get some experience from some other shooters/reloaders first

[BigAl52]

Ive never shot mine without having my hand thru the lever to begin with so I dont know if mine would do it or not

[GunnyGene]

My BBSC .41 did that occasionally when it was new. Usually when it had a full tube. I think it has something to do with mag spring pressure on the lever mechanism. Hasn't done it in the last year or so tho, so I just chalked it up to breaking in the gun.

[BigBoreBusiness]

My BBSC .41 did that occasionally when it was new. Usually when it had a full tube. I think it has something to do with mag spring pressure on the lever mechanism. Hasn't done it in the last year or so tho, so I just chalked it up to breaking in the gun.

That could be, the gun has less than a hundred rounds through it. Thanks!

[GunnyGene]

My BBSC .41 did that occasionally when it was new. Usually when it had a full tube. I think it has something to do with mag spring pressure on the lever mechanism. Hasn't done it in the last year or so tho, so I just chalked it up to breaking in the gun.

That could be, the gun has less than a hundred rounds through it. Thanks!

I didn't detail the reason I think this, but it's because if you smack the butt with your hand or a rubber mallet to simulate recoil with no rounds in the mag tube, and then repeat with the tube full or partially full, you'll notice that with a full tube the lever will drop with a lighter blow than on a empty tube.

What you might want to do is spent a few hours in your lazy boy, just exercising the lever a few thousand times.

[Rifletom]

My BBSC .41 did that occasionally when it was new. Usually when it had a full tube. I think it has something to do with mag spring pressure on the lever mechanism. Hasn't done it in the last year or so tho, so I just chalked it up to breaking in the gun.

That could be, the gun has less than a hundred rounds through it. Thanks!

I didn't detail the reason I think this, but it's because if you smack the butt with your hand or a rubber mallet to simulate recoil with no rounds in the mag tube, and then repeat with the tube full or partially full, you'll notice that with a full tube the lever will drop with a lighter blow than on a empty tube.

What you might want to do is spent a few hours in your lazy boy, just exercising the lever a few thousand times.

Hmm. That would involve a couple of beers!

[GunnyGene]

That could be, the gun has less than a hundred rounds through it. Thanks!

I didn't detail the reason I think this, but it's because if you smack the butt with your hand or a rubber mallet to simulate recoil with no rounds in the mag tube, and then repeat with the tube full or partially full, you'll notice that with a full tube the lever will drop with a lighter blow than on a empty tube.

What you might want to do is spent a few hours in your lazy boy, just exercising the lever a few thousand times.

Hmm. That would involve a couple of beers!

I dunno. Pouring beer into your Henry might not be a good idea.

[Vaquero]

Lol, Gunny.

RP

[Rifletom]

LOL! Wouldn't be pouring 'em into the Henry. Funny tho.

[fortyshooter]

Never had that happen on any of my Henry levers. Shouldn't the bolt be locked in place for firing until you move the lever?

[GunnyGene]

Never had that happen on any of my Henry levers. Shouldn't the bolt be locked in place for firing until you move the lever?

When this happened on mine, the lever didn't drop enough to take the bolt out of battery, only enough to allow the little safety button to engage, thereby preventing trigger pull and activating the transfer bar to prevent the hammer from falling. I suspect this is by design, in case you drop the gun with a round chambered.

[Vaquero]

My BBSC .41 did that occasionally when it was new. Usually when it had a full tube. I think it has something to do with mag spring pressure on the lever mechanism. Hasn't done it in the last year or so tho, so I just chalked it up to breaking in the gun.

I believe this could be the answer, as I've seen it in some of the Marlins also.
I have pulled a couple and clipped a round or two of the coil spring which has stopped it.
Or you may drop several rounds of ammo, or snap caps and just work the mag tube filler back and forty while sitting and enjoying Drinking said Adult beverages.
On my Rossi 357 with the 24" barrel, when I first got it, when filled it wouldn't cycle well at all.
On a recommendation from a friend I was told to try shortening the mag spring as Rossi had been know to have that problem.
Amazingly I removed nearly half before I got it to work like I was happy.
And it works fine with either 38's or 357's.

RP

[GunnyGene]

My BBSC .41 did that occasionally when it was new. Usually when it had a full tube. I think it has something to do with mag spring pressure on the lever mechanism. Hasn't done it in the last year or so tho, so I just chalked it up to breaking in the gun.

I believe this could be the answer, as I've seen it in some of the Marlins also.
I have pulled a couple and clipped a round or two of the coil spring which has stopped it.
Or you may drop several rounds of ammo, or snap caps and just work the mag tube filler back and forty while sitting and enjoying Drinking said Adult beverages.
On my Rossi 357 with the 24" barrel, when I first got it, when filled it wouldn't cycle well at all.
On a recommendation from a friend I was told to try shortening the mag spring as Rossi had been know to have that problem.
Amazingly I removed nearly half before I got it to work like I was happy.
And it works fine with either 38's or 357's.

RP

I'd want to have a new spring on hand before I started clipping coils.