Henry Rifle Forums

I just got back from my gun store with my new Henry .22 Frontier 24" octagon.
Looking it over it seems, every bit of what I expect from Henry; smooth lines, great fit, excellent wood grain ect.
BUT.....as I'm looking at the receiver, I was a little disappointed when I realized the receiver was painted black.
I guess I just expected it to be blued steel. the fact that it has a plastic butt cover only slightly bothers me; but paint on the receiver just reminds me of post '64 Winchesters. I think that I expected more from a $450 rifle.
I haven't fired it yet, but the paint is bothering me big time.

Am I being to picky? Or should I just shoot it and enjoy.

Yes and yes.

That rifle is about $650 Canadian in my local hardware store and I had the same thoughts. Love the octagon barrel though.

Am I being to picky? Or should I just shoot it and enjoy.

Thats tough to answer as you obviously did not know this until you brought it home.
If it really bothers you and YOU think this will inhibit your appreciation of it then you may have some choices to consider.
OR you can take it out shooting and see if you can overcome the paint issue.
I can understand you comparing it to the post '64 Winchesters however the finish on these was still a chemical process and not paint.
Depending on the year the finish was either the Win Blue, oxy black or a black chrome plating depending on the model and year.
I have a 1968 'Buffalo Bill' commemorative that has the black chrome and it is very durable and has held up well over many years of moderate usage.
I also had a mid '70s mod 94 that had the WIn Blue and was a very nice finish and it too held up very well.
Fortunately only the receivers were given these finishes as the barrels and other steel parts are traditionally blued.

mmargotta, First thing. Welcome to the Henry Forum. Fun place to be with a lot of nice folks here. We also have a walking encyclopedia called NorthCountryGal. Ask the question and 99.99 % she will have the right answer on what you need to know.
Now to the painted receiver problem. There is a fix that you may like. It requires stripping the paint and primer off and going to the aluminum. Here is mine I stripped because of the terrible orange peel in the black plus I scratched it and could stand it that way.

Welcome to the forum, mmargotta. As for the paint thing, our Sir Henry, here, has found a way to give those painted receivers a very authentic traditional antique look. I'll see if I can find some of his old posts. As for me being a walking encyclopedia, well, I've been called many things, but I'll do my best to live up to that one. Seriously, if you have any questions, just ask.

I recently bought one of those, too. I'm really not concerned about the receiver finish, because, for one, it would have been a lot more spendy if it was blued steel, and, second, there are a lot of ways to refinish it, including a faux case color look. I do wish Henry would offer as an option a version I saw on one of the original German made (can't think of the brand off the top of my head ) versions of this same rifle. It was a lightly engraved "French Gray" looking receiver cover. It was sharp!

As promised, here's some examples of old posts by Sir Henry that show what he did on his painted receivers.

.
the links to the posts aren't showing...

North Country Gal wrote: ↑

Thu May 30, 2019 8:25 pm

As promised, here's some examples of old posts by Sir Henry that show what he did on his painted receivers.

.
Read earlier posts by others then shoot it and enjoy.

mmargotta wrote: ↑

Thu May 30, 2019 3:19 pm

I just got back from my gun store with my new Henry .22 Frontier 24" octagon.
Looking it over it seems, every bit of what I expect from Henry; smooth lines, great fit, excellent wood grain ect.
BUT.....as I'm looking at the receiver, I was a little disappointed when I realized the receiver was painted black.
I guess I just expected it to be blued steel. the fact that it has a plastic butt cover only slightly bothers me; but paint on the receiver just reminds me of post '64 Winchesters. I think that I expected more from a $450 rifle.
I haven't fired it yet, but the paint is bothering me big time.

Am I being to picky? Or should I just shoot it and enjoy.

No one here can tell you what to accept. You need to decide that on your own. You could sell it and buy a Winchester 9422. But your out of pocket expense will be triple what you paid for the Henry like others have suggested you could refinish it to your likes and move on.

I think I would refinish it.

Look here for what can be done. http://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4148

When I initially purchased my first 22 lever gun I did so based on recommendations I had read but I failed to dig into the details and was unawares as to what all my options were. I was extremely new to the sport. I think for what is currently being produced and what it cost I got a good value but in the end after discovering what all options I have I was willing to pay more for what I consider closer meets my expectations. In order to do so I did have to pay more and I also had to be willing to get something used. In fact I went vintage but in my opinion it was also in very good condition.

I initially purchased a Henry Golden Boy but I finally went with a Winchester 9422. There is no cover and it's blued and not painted. I paid about twice what I paid for my Golden Boy but I am happier for doing so. The Henry Golden Boy would have worked but it just wasn't a good fit for me.

Only you can figure out what it is you want and what you are willing to pay for. It's very possible in the end you may find happiness with what you have already and if not it is also possible you may find something at a better bargain than I did. Besides you maybe actually looking for something different than what I decided to get.

Being better aware of what all is available both new or vintage will give you a much better idea what all options you do have. Bottom line is that I found happiness and now it's up to you to do so as well.

Good Luck,

Dan

bandit1250 wrote: ↑

Thu May 30, 2019 4:07 pm

mmargotta, First thing. Welcome to the Henry Forum. Fun place to be with a lot of nice folks here. We also have a walking encyclopedia called NorthCountryGal. Ask the question and 99.99 % she will have the right answer on what you need to know.
Now to the painted receiver problem. There is a fix that you may like. It requires stripping the paint and primer off and going to the aluminum. Here is mine I stripped because of the terrible orange peel in the black plus I scratched it and could stand it that way.

Now that you mention it, I realize the orange peel finish offends me the most. At least my 1967 Canadian Centennial has a mirror like finish.

Thanks everyone for the great thoughts!
I believe I may just try to ignore my little aversions and just enjoy it. I will however, in the future, do my homework before laying my money on the counter. (or lighten my views a little.)
Thanks again!

I didn’t realize the receiver was a painted cover either when I bought mine. The smoothness of the action makes up for the finish in a big way though.

I look at it this way: my Henry is not nor is it ever going to be a collectors item (at least not in my lifetime), so I played with it. Brand new, with only one round fired I stripped all the painted parts, and the furniture. I scotch baited the Zamac parts, and linseed oiled the wood. I love how it looks now!

Pics of refinishing, completed, and next to my 107 year old model 1894:

Those look great.

RanchRoper wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 02, 2019 2:31 pm

Those look great.

absolutely agree .... very nice indeed

and next to my 107 year old model 1894:

You have a very rare Winchester carbine - heck pre 20s are hard to find and yours is 'pre teen'.