New Henry, advice

[dlw]

Just brought home my first Henry. A Long Ranger 223.
Feels strange that Henry doesn't want owners to disassemble and clean.
Any advice on lubrication of mechanism?

Also, any place on instructions for disassembly and how to improve the action?

Thanks
David

[JEBar]

it is my understanding that Henry's Long Ranger is patterned after Browing's BLR .... we own an early generation BLR and were told day one to not disassemble it ... the reason given is the synchronization of the leaver / bolt mechanism .... over the years I've asked gunsmiths and none have been willing to take ours apart .... they universally say to take it to a Browning certified shop .... I do not know for certain if that is also the case with Henry but can see how it might be

[dlw]

I'm going to start making contacts at Henry hoping to find the right engineer or gunsmith willing to help.
Knowing myself I'll be tempted at some point to break the gun down if only for the challenge.
Want to shoot it for awhile to see if and what modifications are needed to improve.
Already I see it needs a better magazine release and bottom plate on the mags. Possibly some tapering of the magazine well for easier insertion.
Need to get some rounds downrange first though.
Ordering my picatinny rail to mount an eotech on it to experiment with it. May not like it and will stay with iron sites but will need to run some drills to see.
I'll keep you'll posted.
Thanks

[Mags]

Just brought home my first Henry. A Long Ranger 223.
Feels strange that Henry doesn't want owners to disassemble and clean.
Any advice on lubrication of mechanism?

Also, any place on instructions for disassembly and how to improve the action?

Please share your source for "Henry doesn't want owners to disassemble...". I've not seen that before.

Henry provides disassembly and cleaning instructions for some of their rifles here: https://www.henryusa.com/henry-instruct ... eo-series/
Although there are no videos specific to the Long Ranger yet, you'll see that from the videos for the large caliber rifles they all come apart almost identically, so I expect it is likewise for the Long Ranger. As already mentioned there are also HenryTV videos on YouTube.

For lube of the moving parts in the action I use Rem Dry Lube. It's a silicone aerosol with a spray straw. A slick dry silicone residue is left behind after the aerosol evaporates. I like the 'dry' because unlike wet lubes, dirt doesn't get oil/gummed into the moving parts. For bore protection I do use a light wipe of wet gun oil as I do on exterior blued parts. On the wood and receiver exterior metal (brass on my Henry) I use Renaissance Wax. Others like to use a silicone laced cloth, which I have to admit is less work than waxing/buffing.

Improve the action? Are you having an issue with it? If so contact Henry customer support, their reputation for making it right is outstanding.

[PT7]

Here are the sources for "Henry doesn't want owners to disassemble...".

These manuals came with my H001TLP and H012MR rifles. Henry provides some info for those folk who want to take an H001 model apart, but nothing on the Big Boys.
PT7

https://d1o1eopb8uxoq1.cloudfront.net/u ... Manual.pdf
HOW TO CLEAN YOUR HENRY BIG BOY RIFLE
You do not have to disassemble this rifle in order to clean it sufficiently and to keep it operating properly.

https://d1o1eopb8uxoq1.cloudfront.net/u ... Manual.pdf
HOW TO CLEAN YOUR HENRY LEVER RIFLE
IMPORTANT – PLEASE NOTE THAT IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO TAKE YOUR HENRY LEVER ACTION APART TO KEEP IT CLEAN. SHOULD YOU WISH TO TAKE IT APART, YOU MUST UNSCREW THE RECEIVER COVER TANG SCREW (PART #50) AND REMOVE THE BUTTSTOCK FIRST. THEN UNSCREW THE FOUR RECEIVER COVER SCREWS (PART #42) AND LIFT OFF THE RECEIVER COVER WHICH WILL EXPOSE THE INTERNAL PARTS

With some other manufacturers' manuals I've had (Benelli shotgun for an example), the instructions are almost as thick as a novel! The s/g manual was very detailed, and provided step-by-step instructs on how to completely disassemble and re-assemble the gun. I really enjoyed learning this, and had a blast the first time I took the s/g completely apart. My Ruger Vaquero manual was pretty detailed, too.

The two manuals I listed were last revised in 2015. I would like to see some more detail instructions coming from Henry, and specific to the different model guns they are producing. Not really a complaint since Henrys are easy to operate. But it would be nice to have such info to help us be better "back-yard" gunsmiths.

I also know that it would take a lot to ramp up these manuals. In my profession, I often wrote detailed instructions in academic catalogs to help university students navigate their degree work. Hard to write those accurately, and easy to goof. And with the number of Henrys now available, a F/T manual writer would be kept fairly busy.

My less than 2 cents.
PT7

Just brought home my first Henry. A Long Ranger 223.
Feels strange that Henry doesn't want owners to disassemble and clean.
Any advice on lubrication of mechanism?

Also, any place on instructions for disassembly and how to improve the action?

Please share your source for "Henry doesn't want owners to disassemble...". I've not seen that before.

Henry provides disassembly and cleaning instructions for some of their rifles here: https://www.henryusa.com/henry-instruct ... eo-series/


Improve the action? Are you having an issue with it? If so contact Henry customer support, their reputation for making it right is outstanding.

[dlw]

Thanks guys for the links and input. I'll be looking through them after work.

When I requested a disassembly manual for the rifle in one of the reply emails it was stated:

"Sir just so you know that rifle is not meant to be field stripped.  We have a full mechanical warranty for a lifetime so if anything happens to it you can send it in to be repaired."

Not sure if that is standard response per company policy or just a precaution.

As far as the action goes. I haven't found many firearms or mechanical assemblies that can't be improved on. Maybe Henry is different.

Thanks for the great information, I think I'm going to get along with this group.

[Mags]

The manuals do not say 'we don't want you to take your rifle apart' to clean. They say you don't need to. That means it's optional, owners discretion. Henry's own videos, as already shared, even show owners how to do it. Henry's lever action mechanics are very clever in how they were able to keep the mechanism fairly simple with a minimal number of parts. Box versus tube magazine differences aside, other than variance to accommodate caliber differences, the lever mechanisms are very much the same.

As per the advice dlw got from Henry on field strip, I wouldn't do that either. There are a couple small parts that might sneak away unnoticed. Easier to find the sneaky parts on the shop bench or floor than in the grass or dirt.

BigBoy disassembly on Henry's website: https://www.henryusa.com/henry-instruct ... -boy-h006/

I have a Mossberg disassembly manual that has had a gazillion revisions to it. Mossberg has gone though the entire alphabet starting with single character revisions and are now up to double letter revisions currently starting with H. I guess that means they've covered the alphabet about 9 times over. 9x26 is a lot of revisions. I'm glad Henry does their instructions by video. Likewise with HenryTV and other indepedent videos on YouTube.

Anyway, my followup nickels worth (accounting for inflation).

[Petey]

This may give you some insight....seems a bit involved to me
https://www.midwestgunworks.com/field_s ... manual.pdf?


Good Luck & Happy SHootin!
Petey

[Mags]

Hey dlw if you decide to disassemble your Long Ranger, take some pictures for us. Will definitely be interesting to see how close the internals match up with those shown in the Browning manual Petey gave us. For patent infringement reasons I would think Henry did the internals different.

[JEBar]

because of its unique rotary bolt design, there is no way I'd tackle completely disassembling a Long Ranger without first calling Henry .... I'd really hate to get one apart and find I had to box them up and sent them back to Henry ..

[PT7]

Yup, I'd be one of those fellows that would have to pack up the Henry parts, send it in the box rattling all the way to Henry, and on bended knees asked that they put my humpty-dumpty back together.

I'm certain they would do it, but I am positive I wouldn't be on their list of "favorite customers."

[Mags]

Aww, come on. Back-yard gunsmiths can put anything back together again even after awhile eventually finding those sneaky parts that wandered off.

[dlw]

Sorry for the delay getting back to everyone. Nothing going as planned this week.
Haven't even had a chance to go to the range yet.

JEBar- I went through the BLR manual. Confirms why few gunsmiths will touch them. Yes, the Henry has a rack and pinion also but from an article that I had come across but can't find now, it is implied that the Henry is not as difficult to time as the BLR.
The "manual" that Henry sent me is almost useless. Only gives a half in focus tiny exploded view for parts identification.
Email is out to Henry for more info.
Looking things over, I feel I have a good chance with some very careful documented dissassembly I will be able to not end up with a box of parts to send to Henry. LOL.

Got my picatinny rail from Henry today.
Like I was concerned with, if the rail is installed you can't use the iron sights, when optics removed.
Looks like with some quick measurements I can machine a slot down the middle of the rail and maintain the rail integrity while allowing a sight picture to the sights. It will be like a really wide rear sight with a small view of the factory rear sight. Worth a try.

Also, the Henry has a very wide lever compared to traditional levers.
Anyone have a suggestion for lever wraps?
The owner of Palo Verde Gunworks doesn't have one that he feels will fit well.
I'm emailing other companies.

I'll post a range report as soon as I get one.

Thanks all,
david

[JEBar]

Anyone have a suggestion for lever wraps?

Thanks all,
david

here is a link to a thread about lever wraps .... I believe you may find some of its info to be helpful

http://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic.p ... aps#p45502

[dave77]

Also, the Henry has a very wide lever compared to traditional levers.
Anyone have a suggestion for lever wraps?
The owner of Palo Verde Gunworks doesn't have one that he feels will fit well.
I'm emailing other companies.

I'll post a range report as soon as I get one.

Thanks all,
david

Make your own. Small piece of nice leather, some leather lace and a lace needle and a leather punch. Beads and cat whiskers are optional.

If you want to give it a try I'd be happy to send you a piece of leather and some leather lace, you would need to get a leather punch and a lacing needle.

https://www.amazon.com/Tandy-Leather-Pe ... ace+needle

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i ... 2D797JEOKB

[dlw]

dave77, looks really nice.
I think I'm going to give it a try.
There are supposed to be two Tandy stores still here in San Antonio, I think I will go there Monday after shooting to pick up supplies to make one.

Thanks for the info.

[dave77]

Good luck. One suggestion, I would get soft leather that has some stretch to it rather than the hard leather that I've seen on some of the commercial wraps. That way you can punch your holes so the laces pull it really tight on the lever.

Next you'll need to make a leather sheath for it (for transport only, I use a Sack-up for storage).

[dlw]

Now I like that !
The idea of a leather "case" for taking to the range is appealing.
Looks like you put some time into that.
I'll look at the leather on Monday or Tuesday this next week.
Might turn into a hobby.
My brother shoots CAS locally and it seems everyone is looking for leather goods.

[dave77]

I got into leather work back when I was shooting at black powder rendezvous, was always planning on making some leather mountain man pants but never did get around to it.

The only really tricky part about about making the gun sheathes is matching up the lace holes on both sides of the leather. I use a ruler to mark out the holes on one side, then using a few clamps (the kind for clamping stacks of paper) to hold both sides together, punch holes through both sides of the leather for around 8 inches then lace (just one way, when it's done you go back the other way with your lace) and mark and punch again, if you try to punch holes on too long a length without lacing you'll end up with wrinkles.

The sheath I made for my long rifle was a lot more work. Twice as long and I used a double hole lace stitch so more holes to line up and more stitches too. Also I hand cut the fringe on two pieces of leather and attached with the lacing. On the Henry sheath I just ran some long single laces through the holes and then did the lace stitching.

If you do get into it be sure to get a lace maker, you'd be surprised at how much lace you can make from a small piece of leather. Tandy shop should have them, be sure to get extra blades, they don't work very well when dull.

https://www.amazon.com/Tandy-Leather-Cr ... er+leather