Henry Rifle Forums

How many rounds can a barrel take? What’s the expected life?
Curious about 22 also.

There is no telling, lots of things to figure, A lifetime, especially if maintained properly.

As to the 22, several years ago a well known writer who is no longer with us shot a Henry Golden Boy putting 8 thousands rounds through it about as fast as possible and reloading it with almost no cleaning and only one small part failure that did not stop the test. Even HRA gave him so ammo after he had been at it for several days.
Edit: it was 28,000 rds.

RP

I t was TWENTY EIGHT THOUSAND ROUNDS through the Henry Golden Boy shot as fast as the rifle could be shot and reloaded with only a minor cleaning after several thousand rounds.

That should take care of me since i have5 different 22s. And am cautious wasting ammo..
Well, sort of...... i dont just shoot it in the air... i am always aiming at SOMETHING when i pull the trigger......

Vaquero, I meant no disrespect on the round count post but we should give the Golden Boy it's due. I posted about the article a few years ago when I read it in my copy of Guns Of The Old West. I seem to be having trouble finding it to bring back as I also recently mentioned it on the M. lever forum. Maybe I still have the print copy I will look. Mr. I. took an interest and helped out with some ammo for the marathon shoot.

No problem travlin, I saw where you mentioned it in a recent thread on MO. You may need to edit that post as that's where I got the 8,000.

RP

I found my Spring 2017 issue of Guns Of The Old West that has the Golden Boy article. Mr . Imperato donated 5,000 rounds of ammo and Brownells 1500. Break Free was sprayed through the ejection port a few times and after 22k rounds the bolt was filthy but still worked. . The test did go on for a couple of months as the rifle got too hot to touch sometimes. At the finish the factory found that the headspace was still on spec.The only part that broke was the locking bar spring even though the rifle still locked up.The author made the point about those that squawk about "pot metal" have no basis for bashing. The point I brought up on the other forum is that the 39 has never been chambered in .22 magnum or any of the .17 rimfires and I own a 39. And it was 28,000 rounds. The author and the one that did all of the shooting was the late Denis Prisbrey.

The post right after the one on MO I mentioned the 28,000 rounds.

As an aside the barrel of the 28k round Golden Boy was not cleaned for the entire test .

Travlin wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 13, 2023 9:38 pm

As an aside the barrel of the 28k round Golden Boy was not cleaned for the entire test .

Well. I actually don't clean the barrels of my 22s everytime I shoot 'em.

RP

I sure hope that you don't wait 28k rounds before cleaning. I tried to send you a pm for the third time but I guess the forum doesn't like me. Do you need some pieces of of walnut, ash, oak or cherry for grips? I can send you some if so.

Vaquero wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 13, 2023 10:24 pm

Travlin wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 13, 2023 9:38 pm

As an aside the barrel of the 28k round Golden Boy was not cleaned for the entire test .

Well. I actually don't clean the barrels of my 22s everytime I shoot 'em.

RP

I never clean a 22 rifle bore unless it get wet.