Side Gate vs Tube Feed

[JEBar]

interesting .... in this case, interesting isn't necessarily a good thing ..

[GFK]

Dont know what others here think but Im wondering if I start a pole for GM to change the tailgate on there pickups to one like Ford has with the ladder to get up into the bed if you guys would buy a Chevy.

I think that about sums it up.

[JEBar]

would you buy a Henry if they had a loading gate

the more I think about it, the more I tend to believe there is a significant market there .... in reading the Marlin forums, (true or not) it has become generally accepted that JM Marlins are superior to those the company is manufacturing today .... depending on who is responding, some say that quality is coming back .... most folks over there seem to have reached the point that they acknowledge the quality innate to Henry, its the lack of a load gate they obsess about .... if Henry was to introduce a line with a gate, I can see some of that group jumping right in .... how big of a group that would be, I have no way of knowing .... my guess it Henry has probably researched this area

[huntlee]

When I first became aware of the Henry Lever rifles I remember wishing it had a loading gate. The only lever rifles I had been exposed to were Marlins. My Father's Marlin in 35REM and my new to me 1978 Marlin in 30/30. About 5 years ago I decided to buy/collect a few Marlins. I immediately noticed that most of the used older Marlins like my Father's were fetching a high price, as expensive as a new rifle. I decided I might as well buy new ones. While shopping around, I noticed the higher quality(fit and finish) of the Henry rifle's on the shelf next to the Marlins however I bought the Marlin. I bought a Marlin 1894 in 44mag. It immediately was sent back to Marlin for cycling issues. While it was at Marlin I came upon a rare new Marlin 1894C in 357mag. I bought it because it was a hard to get caliber and the action felt smooth. It was immediately sent back to Marlin for cycling issues. Wow, I have bad luck! I had read some about the quality issues of the newer Marlins by this time but then I came upon an even rarer Marlin MXLR in 308MX. Fit and finish was great and action was smooth. The rifle really looked great so I bought it. The first time I shot it the lever was jammed shut. After subsequent shots, after each was a stuck lever, the condition did improve but it, too had to be sent back to Marlin. I guess my long drawn out point to this matter is that a loading gate does not do any good if the rifle will not cycle ammo reliably. My five Henrys have never jammed and are much better looking! Now I am collecting Henrys! If Henry does put a loading gate on their rifles I will still buy one, not because of the loading gate but because of the reliability and quality. I will keep my Marlins because they will truly be collectables if they close up shop! My Father's 1975 Marlin in 35 REM and My 1978 Marlin in 30/30 function without a hitch. I also forgot to mention the other Marlin 308Mx I ordered! It was immediately sent back to Marlin as soon as I pulled it out of the box! Scratches on wood and barrel, buttstock so ill fitted that you could see daylight between wood and tang area and the front sight was off center from rear sight. Not stretching the truth about any of these Marlin quality issues. I have all of my service receipts to prove. I also forgot to mention that the 44 mag was sent back again because their smith dropped it and cracked the stock so they sent it back to me with the wrong buttstock. King Henry is king for the right reasons! Keep buying them!

[mlrifleNY]

Not having any modern style rifles in over 40 years, all muzzleloaders. The loading gate is a non issue for me. My henry loads from the front a lot easer than any of my other rifles. I can also shoot it a lot faster.

Jim

[BigAl52]

I have 2 Marlins old and new. The old functions flawlessly and is a JM 336 Cowboy in 38-55. My wife bought it for me for my birthday right after it came out. The New Marlin is a 1894 Stainless in 357. To tell you the truth when I bought it I had no idea it was a newer version. It was so bad I sent t to a Levergun gunsmith to get it right. He said it should of never left the factory. I should have sent it back to the factory but there customer service is so poor Im sure it would have come back any better than it went in. Remingtn has become a terrible company. I also have a couple of 45-70's in 1886 models with the side gate. A Browning and a Chiappa Ridgerunner. So I have some of both but I have no preference. Henry should just do what there doing. There selling guns and people like them as they are. Why make a big change if you dont like the tube feed then buy the poor customer service Remington is selling. Al

[Shakey Jake]

I only own (so far) the Henry.327. It's the only lever action I own. I would like to get a .357 lever action but don't really care if it has a side gate or not. I will say I have a Marlin .22 WMR bolt action (JM version) that is very accurate. I've been looking at Gunbroker for a Marlin .357 with the JM stamp but they seem to be going for prices above what I could get a new Henry. Decisions..........

[GFK]

When I purchased my Marlin, I was not aware of any quality issues. I was interested in starting hunting deer, and 30-30 seemed to be a good entry level rifle. Since it is something new to me, I did not want to initially invest too much money into it. So, I searched for a Marlin or Mossberg. I found a Marlin first. It is of birch wood, so the finish is less than what I expected. But, it should serve well as a good work horse. I did have a cycling issue. I have come to believe that I was not fully cycling the lever.

The issues that I have had with it (forearm finish, broken screw, no sling), Marlin has addressed. Since then, I was looking for a rifle (Marlin 336C) with a nice finish and came across a Henry H009. I figured I would try one with a load gate and one without plus compare Marlin with Henry. Both are new (2016 vs. 2015), so the comparison should be somewhat within the same vintage. But, the Henry does have a nicer finish though. Because it has been sitting in the gun shop for the past two years, the brass tube is blemished. However, I am thinking Henry will address that issue. I looking forward to taking it to the range and seeing what it do.

[Squatch]

It often cracks me up to watch Hickok45 vids. He swears he prefers the loading gates but often struggles to load rifles that have them. Regularly having to use another bullet or getting pinched fingers!

[BigAl52]

It often cracks me up to watch Hickok45 vids. He swears he prefers the loading gates but often struggles to load rifles that have them. Regularly having to use another bullet or getting pinched fingers!

Ya I have yet to see him being charged by indians and laying over that loading bench poking more rounds in to hold them off. Those steel plates and silhouettes he shoots dont seem to be able to tell the difference if that bullet came out of a tube feed or a side gate. Al

[BigBlue]

If I ever have a need to load more ammo while shooting at a critter then I better give up hunting. Either I've become a terrible shot or I picked on the wrong critter.

[JEBar]

If I ever have a need to load more ammo while shooting at a critter then I better give up hunting. Either I've become a terrible shot or I picked on the wrong critter.

.... great response

[Mistered]

A loading gate has advantages with longer rounds like 30-30 but can be a finger pincher with shorter rounds like the .357 - and I have experience with this. I read about this controversy on other forums and respond with the above and leave it at that. One forum I am a member of tries to 'rationalize' everything as 'defensive' shooting and say the tube load method inhibits the possibility of using the gun as 'defensive' as it can not be loaded while in a firing position but I don't engage in that drivel.

[dave77]

If I was home and ever needed a defensive rifle for any reason I'd grab my AR and a couple extra mags, not my Henry. If was out shooting the Henry I'd also be carrying my 15rd. Beretta or my Ruger. Should be plenty for self defence unless it's a full blown Zombie attack.

[GFK]

I went to the range this Sunday with my Marlin. As the day went on, it started to get cooler. So, I tried out my shooting gloves. However, the glove would get caught in the gate as I was loading. I guess the lesson would be to put more than 1 round in the magazine before starting to hunt.

[tarbe]

To me it is like a Ford owner complaining that Chevys don't have a blue oval emblem.

Duh

[RanchRoper]

Not to mention there is a certain sense of accomplishment launching your Henry brass loading tube downrange for the first time....

[Squatch]

Not to mention there is a certain sense of accomplishment launching your Henry brass loading tube downrange for the first time....

ALMOST did this last time at the range! So far I haven't yet.

[RanchRoper]

That tube is HRA's answer to the Johnny Seven....

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

[Squatch]

That tube is HRA's answer to the Johnny Seven....

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

Too good! Reminded me of a secret agent toy gun we had as kids. it fit in a plastic briefcase that had a button on the side for firing through the end of the case. Long since forgot the name of it.