Henry Rifle Forums

Looking for real world opinions on this rifle. Accuracy, function etc.. Nearly ready to buy one but of late have been reading a bit about Henry quality controls slipping. Seems Henry has too many fingers in the pie with all their new models and are unable to ship when they say they will. Hope they don't go the way of Winchester or Marlin. I know that Henry will fix things which is fine if you live in the USA but over here in Australia it is almost here impossible to get satisfactory warranty on new firearms.
Thanks.

I am not sure what to tell you. Almost anyone who owns the BBS 357 will tell you how great they are. That is human nature. I have one and love it. I use it as my plinking gun. Have had no problems. Probably have 300 rounds thru it. The only negative I can think of is the barrel could have been polished better. Would I buy one again? Yes.

Facts only-

I own a H012MR. That would be a Big Boy Steel carbine in .357 Magnum.

The good/great-
Excellent fit and finish. Much is made of the satin black oxide finish on the receiver and barrel. Well it's supposed to be low glare. It's a working tool. Overall it is a solid, well made firearm. I have found nothing cheaply made or corners cut. It's accurate. Off sandbags at 100 yards with a variety of cheap 158 gr jsp, it averages 2"-4" CTC 5 shot groups. This is with the factory semi buckhorn rear sight and bead front sight. For example one group I shot the last time I had it out was 2 and 3/16" ctc for 5 shots at 100 yards. It feeds/fires/extracts/ejects any 38 Spl or 357 Mag ammunition I've cared to feed it. Excluding some 38 Spl button nose wadcutters I load for my snubnose. However that is an unusual situation. I LIKE the tube loading vs the side gate of Marlin/Win.

Now for the not so good-

The bore has several lines that run straight down the bore from chamber lead to muzzle. These lines are dark in color and traverse both lands and grooves. I found through an internet image search that some other folks have had this issue in all calibers. Apparently Henry says this is normal and not to worry. So I don't worry about it. Does not seem to hurt accuracy. The bore overall was rough as a cob. However after a few hundred shots it is smoother and the dark lines are fainter. I'm getting ready to work up a cast lead load so I'll see how that does soon. But with jacketed loads it's just fine.

It's a great carbine that I would buy again. Not sorry I bought it. Actually brings a smile to my face every time I shoot it and that's hard to do anymore!

ours has proven to be a solid performer ... the more you fire it, the smoother it becomes .... with you being in Australia, it might be worth and email to Anthony Imperato, President/Owner of Henry .... I'd be willing to bet that if you request, because of the distance, the rifle be thoroughly tested prior to shipment that he'll work with you

Simo99 --- I ditto what JEBar suggested on contacting the Henry President. I am certain he will work with you.

The Henry steel .357 Big Boy, H012M model, was my second .357 Henry. My first one was the Henry H006M .357 Brass Big Boy. I sold both due to financial needs. To this day, I wish I had either or both in my gun cabinet.

Out of the box, both were highly accurate shooters. On both I changed out the buckhorns to Skinner barrel-mounted peep sights, and never looked back. Out-of-the-box on both rifles, I had to make minimal sight adjusts to land the POIs where I wanted them. The BBB was my first-ever lever action, and when I learned how to efficiently run the lever, I rarely had any functioning issues. If I did, 99.9% of the time it was the shooter's mis-handling.

The steel Big Boy was my favorite of the two....for various reasons. It was lighter than the BBB since it had a round barrel and not the heavier Henry classic octagon barrel. I also like the looks of the steel model over the bronze. Just my preference, because whenever I "Flitzed" the BBB, it was a beautiful looking rifle for sure. If I had the funds, I would buy another steel H012M in a minute!

I can also give you another "real world opinion" that was expressed by my son-in-law when he shot the Henry BBB for the first time. He is not really into a cowboy-action rifle; rather, he is a former Marine sniper who loves long-distance, large caliber shooting. But he was so impressed with how accurate the BBB shot that I think he started to look at the Henrys in a different light. Eventually he got hooked the more often he shot my rifle, and other Henrys I owned. Just this spring he bought a steel .45-70 lever action. I posted photos of that rifle not too long ago at this thread: http://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2787 This fall it will be his deer-hunting rifle of choice.

Back to the steel .357 Big Boy. I'm sorry you have difficulty with CS and manufacturer support "way down under." I can understand that difficulty --- distance is a challenge. But I think you would really like the .357, if you decide to go ahead with that purchase. A lot of Henry Forum members are pleased with their rifles, as you've probably read. The Henry rifle is that good!

Will look forward to hear what you may find out from Anthony Imperato, and also if you go with the .357. Best on your quest!

simo99 wrote:Looking for real world opinions on this rifle. Accuracy, function etc.. Nearly ready to buy one but of late have been reading a bit about Henry quality controls slipping. Seems Henry has too many fingers in the pie with all their new models and are unable to ship when they say they will. Hope they don't go the way of Winchester or Marlin. I know that Henry will fix things which is fine if you live in the USA but over here in Australia it is almost here impossible to get satisfactory warranty on new firearms.
Thanks.

I've got an H009 .30-30. Build quality is top notch. I have yet to see a Henry rifle in person, either at the range, or in a store, that was not beautifully made.

Edit: I have fired a buddy's brass Big Boy at the range. Beautiful gun.

Same as JNG3 said above basically. Mine is a H012MR, with 20" barrel. Good build quality for the price range, much better than new Marlins. Good wood to steel fit, no big gaps. However the checkering seems to be laser cut (?) and is not as robust as if it was traditional steel cut. I had to freshen up the checkering on mine using a Dem-Bart checkering tool.

Blueing is very good, and durable. Also the satin finish on the receiver.

Trigger, hammer and lever did all have quite a bit sideways play. Had to install some shims from http://www.triggershims.com. Trigger pull is acceptable.

Accuracy is very good, with jacketed bullets. At 100 meters, with the right loads, I get 5-shot groups down to 1.4" (from rest with Leupold 1-4 scope). My best load is 158 grain S&B JSP over 9 grains of HS6. With Magtech .357 JSP factory ammo it groups about 2-3" on average on 100 meters.

I have had no luck with cast lead bullets though. Accuracy is very poor, even at 30 meters. Have tried three types of bullets, all 158 grain, some hard, some soft lead. Three types of lube. No visible leading in the barrel, only some small lead specs when I clean it, but the bullets spread all over the target. I have tried many loads, with HS6, W296, Hodgdon Universal. Accuracy is very poor with all loads with cast lead bullets. The last thing I will try is powder coating, before I give up on cast lead.

When I read about the streaks in the barrels I checked mine, and sure enough, I also have some black streaks that go straight up and down the barrel. These streaks look more like black grain in the steel, not cuts. Rifling is good.

I have now shot about 1200 rounds through mine. It still looks like new, and the action is very smooth. No wear on any parts. Bolt looks pristine, also the bolt face. At first the action was very stiff, but has loosened up and is now butter smooth. Never had any feeding problems, when I cycle the lever fast. Slow cycling way cause a round to misfeed. Ejection of spent cases is not as brisk as I would have liked, again the lever must be cycled quickly.

To sum up: Good quality small rifle, not perfect, but good for the price range. Nice feel to it and good balance. Good accuracy, with jacketed bullets. Feeds well, when lever is operated briskly. Durable materials and finish. Recommended .

A brief add-on to my earlier post. As stated by these two Folk, I also have the dark lines in my SGC. I didn't mention it before, because those lines weren't in either of my .357 Big Boy bores. Just adding this note because it confirms what JNG3 wrote, that this is not confined to .357 barrels only.

I also called Henry about these lines when I cleaned my SGC the first time. They said it is nothing to worry about, and it happens because of the machining of the bore. After that comment from Henry, I don't even think about it now. I have shot almost 1400 rounds through my carbine, and there is no impact on accuracy whatsoever.

If you do decide to get the steel Henry Big Boy and the lines come with your rifle, just feel right at home with the rest of us happy Henry owners.

JNG3 wrote:Now for the not so good-

The bore has several lines that run straight down the bore from chamber lead to muzzle. These lines are dark in color and traverse both lands and grooves. I found through an internet image search that some other folks have had this issue in all calibers. Apparently Henry says this is normal and not to worry. So I don't worry about it. Does not seem to hurt accuracy.

Mgr2 wrote:Same as JNG3 said above basically.

When I read about the streaks in the barrels I checked mine, and sure enough, I also have some black streaks that go straight up and down the barrel. These streaks look more like black grain in the steel, not cuts. Rifling is good.

Thanks guys. Lots of good information. Will probably put one on order early next week..

PT7 wrote:A brief add-on to my earlier post. As stated by these two Folk, I also have the dark lines in my SGC. I didn't mention it before, because those lines weren't in either of my .357 Big Boy bores. Just adding this note because it confirms what JNG3 wrote, that this is not confined to .357 barrels only.

I also called Henry about these lines when I cleaned my SGC the first time. They said it is nothing to worry about, and it happens because of the machining of the bore. After that comment from Henry, I don't even think about it now. I have shot almost 1400 rounds through my carbine, and there is no impact on accuracy whatsoever.....

There may be an impact on resale value though.