Bigboy Steel side gate or no side gate

[markiver54]

Back a few years ago when I became interested in handgun caliber lever rifles, Marlins had a bad rap, Winchesters were/are expensive and Henry had plenty of optoins at the time. I bought two, a 357 and then a .45 Colt. No side gate on either. I was and still perfectly fine with tube fed.

DITTO! I'm with you Tom.

[popdad]

The only reason I didn't buy one h012 large loop is I'm holding out for one in 30-30. With or without a side gate really doesn't matter to me. To me it's just like my h001t to load and unload. With my arthritis I really like the tube. I'm glad they kept both.

[wjv16]

>> I was always chewing up my thumb when loading the shorter cartridges

a) Push round until it is almost all the way in
b) Use next round to push prior bullet all the way in.
- Keep pushing round until it is almost all the way in,
c) Repeat step b until it is fully loaded.

[Hatchdog]

Not a Big Boy but I’ve been thinking that I “need” a Henry 410 lever action shotgun. Looks like all three in production have the side gate and for a hunting application such as grouse hunting having the ability to top off the mag via a side gate is a plus. And, in Washington State we are limited to two in the mag so topping off helps. Henry makes a replacement tube with a limiter in it to accomplish this. Way to go Henry, without this the Henry shotgun would not be legal here for hunting.

[Old School Guns]

They have been hard to find here in any variety. Before Christmas my .357 Big Boy Steel, 20" barrel, large loop arrived. The dealer had been trying to get it for me for 90 days. I plan to shoot it this week for the first time.

Side gate does not bother me at all. I will still load from the tube.

Happy New Year, all!

[fortyshooter]

Enjoy the new year with that .357 BBS! Well you could shove a couple in that side gate for old time sake!

[leverjc]

Henry recently replaced my BBS tube fed with a side gate saying that the tube fed has been discontinued. So I think if you want a tube fed you will need to find a used one or one that has just been released.

[Hamifd#189]

I just got a .357 model x and I like having the side gate as well as the magazine. I have had an ammo type that didn't like loading from the magazine but would load from the side gate.