Scuffed barrel

[Fenwalker]

Okay, this isn't how I wanted my first post to go - but at the range yesterday my good friend and shooting partner accidently knocked my Henry off of the bench onto the concrete floor, no major damage - couple of little dents in the stock (will add character over time) bit of a scrape on the stock plate (will polish out) but the blueing next to the front sight is scuffed and has a couple off short scratches which are through to the metal. My mate is absolutely devastated, as am I, what are my chances of getting it back to as new condition?

[tx gunrunner]

This is the best I've used and will wear and look like original bluing . At 5:22 is touchup on guns .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNrX9LFzjUU

[tx gunrunner]

I hope you didn't bend the barrel . You sometimes can't see it . If you bench the gun and if the POI changes the warmer the barrel get it could be bent . The factory straighten new barrel and when you shoot them the barrels metal have a memory and when the barrel gets warm the POI changes to bent POI . I hope this makes since .

[ace73]

Sorry to hear about your Henry.....
That video was interesting! If you try it, post before and after pics.
Hope it works out for you.

[PT7]

fenwalker -- I had a very similar incident with my Henry .357 BBB last year. A friend had it to shoot for a while, and one day when shooting, another fellow that was there knocked the rifle over into a couple of other rifles in the rack. The forearm had a very long hit to it (over 2" long and almost an inch wide). Got it all taken care of with some good CS help from Henry.

All that to say, I know exactly what that feels like , other than my Henry wasn't brand-spanking new-out-of-the-box like yours.
But I come alongside your disappointment having been there, done that.

I'd also check out the issue brought up by txgunrunner. He knows his stuff.
Best in getting your Henry new again!

[DWD445]

PT7 is right about Henry CS, there's NONE better !! Sorry to hear that, but it can be fixed.

[Squatch]

Hope it wasn't loaded. Dropped rifles are scary even though the Henry has a transfer bar hammer.

Sorry to hear about the damage to your Henry.

[RanchRoper]

Ouch. Painful story to read. How's your Henry doing?

[Fenwalker]

I have just dropped the Henry in at the gunsmiths, he seemed to think that it would all be pretty straightforward but would take a couple of weeks as he's snowed under with work at the moment.
No squatch it wasn't loaded (thank god) but I've had nightmares thinking about that, as the rifle ended up pointing into the rest area. We live & learn.
Thanks to you all for posting, nice to know that people will take the time.
tx gunrunner - had them check the barrel - all okay, just superficial damage.
PT7, It really doesn't make your day does it, and bad as I felt at the time my friend is still suffering with guilt and no matter what I say, his pain is clear to see.....Hopefully he'll feel better when he gets the bill

[JEBar]

I have just dropped the Henry in at the gunsmiths, he seemed to think that it would all be pretty straightforward but would take a couple of weeks as he's snowed under with work at the moment.
No squatch it wasn't loaded (thank god) but I've had nightmares thinking about that, as the rifle ended up pointing into the rest area. We live & learn.

in the opening post you mentioned cosmetic damage .... is that why you took it to a gunsmith or has something else surfaced ....

[Fenwalker]

No, I wanted to get the barrel checked for straightness and my mate insisted that any damage be put right by a professional at his expense. Trust me in this case it was just easier to go with the flow - my friend is suffering from major guilt issues given the newness of the rifle.

[JEBar]

No, I wanted to get the barrel checked for straightness and my mate insisted that any damage be put right by a professional at his expense. Trust me in this case it was just easier to go with the flow - my friend is suffering from major guilt issues given the newness of the rifle.

sounds like a honest fellow and a good friend .... do hope you will report on the gunsmith's findings and if possible, his assessment of the quality of your rifle .... I somehow doubt he gets to seen many Henry Rifles ..

[Fenwalker]

So sorry for the very late reply, lost job - got a new one, lost job - went on social...told that I'm too old at 54 to expect to be in permanent work (terrific!) just started a new job....fingers crossed.
After two weeks the Gunsmith returned the Henry basically untouched, he had tried to raise the knocks in the woodwork but nothing he tried would touch them, he said "I don't know what they use to make these stocks, I've worked on some of the best shotguns and can always make a difference, with this nothing would touch it". As far as the barrel was concerned he said that the damage done (which was really only a scuff) didn't really warrant risking the finish, basically he said that the henry finish, particularly the blueing was of such a high standard that he couldn't guarantee to match it. At the end of the day he cold blued the scratches and gave it back to me at no cost. It was his first Henry and he said how impressed he was with the overall quality of the rifle.
When I go to the range, it is unusual for the Henry not to get positive comments and on one occasion when a few of the older members were present the 50 metre line came to a standstill, even the blackpowder boys came over - nothing but positive comments and even when we got back to shooting, every now and then I caught the odd comment......"See that, that's a Henry, a real Henry, that's the real deal" and "Look, Look!!! he's loading it from the front, oh that's special" These two comments put a smile on my face that nothing would remove.

[JEBar]

report appreciated .... glad you are back in business .... not surprised at your gunsmith's comments about your Henry

[CT_Shooter]

... lost job - got a new one, lost job - went on social...told that I'm too old at 54 to expect to be in permanent work (terrific!) just started a new job....fingers crossed.

Look luck on your new job, Fenwalker; and thanks for the update on your Henry and for sharing the good report from the gunsmith and those folks at the range who continue to admire it.

[RanchRoper]

Thanks for the update. Good luck with your job. So let me get this straight, we work all our lives to drive the economy and support families, but then we're too old in our 50's to have full time work. Well I don't know about you, but at 59 I can outwork most anybody in their 20's. My 23 year old son can't keep up stacking wood with me. Guess us old guys just come from a different world.
Good to have you back.

[ace73]

Fingers are crossed! Hope the new job works out for you!

[Fenwalker]

Thanks guys, I am always optimistic and will always work to the best of my ability, sooner or later it'll work out right. As for the civil servant who told me that 54 was too old to expect to be in permanent work, I truly hope that he never finds out just how soul destroying it is to find yourself in this position.
RanchRoper, you are so right, Dad still works a forty hour week - he's in his eighties, he does it because he enjoys it and has always said that the good things in life only have meaning if you work for them. Anyway I've promised myself a bolt action .308 as soon as I get signed up permanently - kind of hoping that Henry might at sometime go down that route.....always an optimist

[JEBar]

Anyway I've promised myself a bolt action .308 as soon as I get signed up permanently - kind of hoping that Henry might at sometime go down that route.....always an optimist

for me the biggest design feature that back in the '60's sold me on my Browning 308 BLR was the fact that its bolt locks into the barrel in the same manner as a bolt action .... in short, it could accurately be described as leaver action, bolt action rifle .. .. Henry's long ranger is designed with the same locking bolt system .... a classic bolt action still has a couple of advantages, like being able to free float or glass bed the barrel but for my level of hunting/shooting those are not important for me .... other than having 2 different 22 rifles, I have a bunch of 30 caliber rifles but none fire the same shell .... already having a 308 that serves me well, I'm not in the market for another .... if I were, my choice would be either the Henry or Browning with the scale leaning in the direction of a Henry

[Fenwalker]

Thanks JEBar, just when I thought I had a firm plan, you throw me a curve ball. The long Ranger is a good looking rifle and I haven't found any negative reviews, looks like I have more to think about than I realised.....just watched some you tube videos, it's definitely going on the list. I once made fun of a club mate who has a collection of sixteen rifles he said "you'll see, once you get the bug, three rifles won't be enough for you" I told him he was wrong, I knew what I wanted and that was that! - good job I didn't put money on it :0)